Weeping for a closing textile mill
In this excerpt, Dodson remembers the closing of the textile mill where she worked for many years. She joined her fellow workers in crying over the closing. The mill was put out of business by Japanese imports.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Ila Hartsell Dodson, May 23, 1980. Interview H-0241. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
And I was there when they put up the notice saying they was going to close the mill down on account of Japanese imports. And I'd see somebody go out towards the entrance, and they'd come back and they'd just be a-crying. And the lady next to me, Evelyn Goodwin, she come back and she was just crying. I said, "Evelyn, what in the world's happening out there? What's taking place? Everybody that goes out that way comes back with a handkerchief, crying." She said [imitates crying voice], "Well, I'm not telling you. You go out there and see for yourself." And I went out there, and I come back a-crying. The mill was closing down. So I come home and told my husband that night, "Well, I hope you're satisfied." I was a-crying. He said, "What's the matter?" I said [imitates crying voice], "They're going to close Camperdown Mill down." And there were lots of people working in there that was at retirement age, but they were just holding on. So that's the last mill work I done.
