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ALLEN TULLOS:

In other words, you all could really have a lot to say about who the boss was. The people who were weaving or working in the weaving room had something to say, at least, about whether a good boss got to stay, or one that was bad had to leave? Would that be true?

PAULINE GRIFFITH:

No. Not back then. Not necessarily. But the one over the top watched so closely until he could sense what was going on. He was just a wonderful person, Mr. Bobo. He was real good. To see that working conditions were what they should be.

PAUL GRIFFITH:

Take Bobo. When people go a-quitting, he'd be wanting to know what's the matter. See, he had a second-hand under him, over the people. And if that second-hand was too hard on the help, and they go to quitting-see, there'd be several mills around and a person could just quit and go to another mill. And when several do go, he'd be calling somebody in, wanting to know what's the matter with the help.

PAULINE GRIFFITH:

That's the way he found out.

ALLEN TULLOS:

So really the workers did have a lot to say about things indirectly.

PAUL GRIFFITH:

Yeah.

ALLEN TULLOS:

So people would start quitting, and they'd have to make some changes.

PAULINE GRIFFITH:

Yes they would, because back then, if you wanted to go down in and work, all you had to do was go over and ask for a job and you could just go right to work. The same way these other plants around.

ALLEN TULLOS:

Did the different mills have different reputations at different times about one being a better place to work than another? Some overseer being a better one to try to work for or things like that?

PAUL GRIFFITH:

I imagine they're about the same.

PAULINE GRIFFITH:

I think they're about the same. They kind of work together, you know, kind of like a unit. Different plant managers checked with the others, and it's about the same.