At Magnolia, where face brick were produced, George Skaggs resigned as plant manager to take a position managing brick plants in New York State. Jim Crowe was named plant manager. At Magnolia, the drawing crew constantly complained that the tractor driver who serviced them could not deliver the wages of material and scrap to the yard, unload the scrap while the lift unloaded the pallets, and get back to the kiln in time so they didn’t have to wait. I arrived at the plant one day when this issue was on the front burner. Coincidentally, a big man who had been seeking a job for months was outside the office. He had been a guest of the state for 15 years for his part in a killing. Our folks were hesitant about hiring him. Tired of the tractor driver issue, I escorted the man to the tractor, explained the job and the problem and asked if he could do the job. He replied, ‘Just watch me.” Somehow, wearing a little porkpie hat and smoking a cigar, he adjusted his 300 pound frame on the tractor and went to work. No more complaints for five years, until following an accident, Morris Nesby passed away unexpectedly.
