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Excerpt from Oral History Interview with Letha Ann Sloan Osteen, June 8, 1979. Interview H-0254. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) See Entire Interview >>

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.