McLaughlin Glass Company, Los Angeles, CA

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

By J. M. Price

What a welcome the first issue of the Flint received! Almost every letter was one of praise, and I know that all members out here were pleased.

Working conditions out here show some improvement since my last letter. The mould makers are all working good from what I can learn. In the hot metal department things have picked up.

It is darn hard to get news, as I cannot visit all of the factories, and our members are very busy looking for pleasure, so they have not the time to give your scribe a little information. The facts are some of them are so busy they cannot make it to the meeting hall. We will meet in the hall on the corner of Gage and Santa Fe Avenue in Huntington Park. I mention this in case some of you brothers have forgotten where the hall is.

In the March number Frank Johnson of Local Union No. 10, Toledo, called our attention to the ages of some of their members. Well, I decided to find out what we have in Local Union No. 141 as I was sure we had some old timers. But when you approach some of these lads about their age they are just about as coy as a lady after she has passed 25. But I had pretty fair success. At the Forgar Factory you can find a couple of mould makers, Louis Mossbrook, who will be 78 this coming May, and right on his heels that other youngster, Henry Forgar, 77 this April. Then in the hot metal department at the McLaughlin factory is that other young fellow, Scott Littleton, 75, and this lad is in there every day there is work, swinging on the old side lever or gathering insulators. C. W. Irvin and James McGee, retired, who are past the 70 mark. Then, of course, we have quite a few around the 60 mark, who do not like to have it known as it might interfere with their standing in Hollywood. Alec (Joker) McKenzie wants the trade to know he is still on the map. His wife, Mary, has been sick for some time and we all hope she will soon recover so we can have that birthday part in June.

Henry Drum is visiting out here, and it looks like Rochester, Pa., has lost another citizen. The whereabouts of A. P. Hughes is requested by Joker.

Into our lives always comes sorrow along with our joys. Joe Sweeney had sadness come into his home last March when death took away his beloved wife after 19 years together. We all extend our sympathy to Brother Sweeney who years ago was an orphan boy in Tarrytown, N. Y. He was one of many boys at that time who were brought to the middle states to work in the glass factories. He learned the trade and at Niles, Ohio, was married.

Charles Burton, the Frank Simpkins you inquire about may be the one who is foreman of the metal shop Glass Co. here. Brother Daley, your inquiry about Leonard Anchor may be that up and coming young brother who is foreman of the mould shop at the Glass Containers Factory. I never knew that he had such a beautiful name as Leonard. He has always been just plain Anchor to all of us out here, and we do not even have to put Mr. to it.

We all think Mr. Watt of the Glass Containers picked a good man when he advanced Brother Anchor to the foremanship. By the way, Mr. Watt, I apologize for not knowing the name of your company. Hope I have it right now.

I was told the other day to warn you members in West Virginia and along the Ohio River to be careful about your fish stories, as some of the men out here will have a few to tell, As I have not received my April Mag, I do not remember who I mentioned, so if I repeat, say you're lucky. Who's Who and Why: Bert Anderson, Mike Roscoe, Mart Henderson, Charley Campbell, F. Cornell, G. Cornell, Walter Henderson, Ray Chilcot, Perry Thrasher, Gus Conradson and brothers Nels, Oscar and Sig Glassen, John Swartz, Frank Aberanson and his son. Some of these days I will get a good friend with a car and I will give all the factories the once over. Here is a line on the men who have advanced from our ranks to the position of manager: Al Vogle, foreman at the Technical Mould Shop; L. Anchor, foreman at the Glass Containers' Mould Shop; Vernon Rust, general manager at the same place; Ray Chilcot, foreman Mould Shop, and Walter Ludlum, factory manager at McLaughlin's; Frank Simpkins, foreman mould shop at Latchford's Factory; Jimmy Moors, mould shop foreman at Maywood Factory; Ed Shanke, Jr., foreman mould shop, Owens Illinois. Hot metal factory managers: Fred Glassen, Crystalite, Glendale; Bill Anderson, general manager at the Technical (maybe I should have said William); his brother, A. Anderson, factory manager — quite an array of members who have earned advancement. Let us hope it does not affect them and make them forget that "Man's Inhumanity to Man Makes Countless Thousands Mourn."

After the last few years people are once more learning to smile. We had almost forgotten how, but, the first thing you know, we will be laughing out loud. A hard man to lick is one who can smile.