Mill work seemed fun when Osteen was a child because of her kind supervisor
Osteen considered mill work pleasant because of a kind overseer who made her feel that she could advance in the company.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Letha Ann Sloan Osteen, June 8, 1979. Interview H-0254. 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
- ALLEN TULLOS:
-
Did spooling pay a little more than spinning did?
- LETHA ANN SLOAN OSTEEN:
-
Well, no but I thought it looked like it was so easy.
(chuckle)
I don't know. But we just worked for the best old man. Just
whatever you'd ask for, he'd try to make it . . .
- GEORGIA:
-
Make you happy.
- LETHA ANN SLOAN OSTEEN:
-
Very pleasant for you.
- ALLEN TULLOS:
-
He was the overseer?
- LETHA ANN SLOAN OSTEEN:
-
Yes. Earl Tripp, and he just was so good to his help.
- ALLEN TULLOS:
-
That was in Mills.
- LETHA ANN SLOAN OSTEEN:
-
And I was very young too. He said I made good at everything and he was
just going to let me work my way up. Says, "You may be the
superintendent of this mill while I live." And I told him,
"Well I'd be glad."
(chuckle)
Not knowing what I was talking about.