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ALICE C AU=
Cabanas Sill
Osseord, I. O.
Septssiber 2, 1938
MuJu'alt L.
°Lew, I reckon I wts born to work in a sill. 1
started when 1 wee ten yesr old end I aim to keep right
on jest ea long as I'm able. I'd a,.hssp ruther do it
then houeework."
Alice Candle, who spoke these words so gayly, did
not look as if she bed spent such tine in rebelling
sgeinst her fats. Her termed face ivy have been eons.
whet wrinkled far her forty-seven years, but they were
pletsant wrinkles; her eyes were alive, her hair thick
and brown, her teeth (they were her own) sessid good
in spite of the dark ries of samff around this, and her
body was active looking. She set perfectly relaxed,
rocking gently back and forth end oeoesionally leaning
over the frost perch branisters to spit. Ths red voile
dress she wore without s belt, for 000lness, and she
did not have on stookings; on her feet were faded blue
felt bedroom slipimore.
then she wee shout ten yeere old, Plioe's tether
bed sowed his family of foot children from the fern in
Alemsnoe Oomati to Concord. Ailie idn't go to eobool
in ,3onoord beoeuse she didn't have to rad 'there wereent
no "shoot bondingi here the war; there is now." And
so when ehe was ten, she began to work in the will.
*Mastro when I started down here in pleat Uo. 1,
I wee so little I had to stend on s box to mob lir
work. I wes a spinner Pt first, then 1 learned to
spool. Whoa they pat in then new winding machines, I
asked them to learn we how to work len end thoy did.
If I'd e.been a son no telling how for I'd.* gomm.
It was mighty 0011,101WAt for *ea kering e load
thrt coati do ell three, but I got smil and cult. In,
them days there was en &groom's% bore in the mills that
if e he was to ealA oac, then the other mills in town
wouldn't biro bin, so I went weer to Albemarle and 1
got we r 3ob in the knitting mills.*
Ohe loaned forward in her rocker to boas upon her
youngest grandchild, Alio* Jose Pletcher who was point-
ing to a passing Nego women and piping out "hey owe
(women), hey cos.*
Uon't hit sound like the's e -spying 'hey game'?"
Altos chuckled. Then ihe went on to toll we of her
'terrine in &Desert', of the birth of her two ohildren
there, and the death of her basban4 when Ray, box
oldest child, was *three yoar and throe days old.*
4ke WEB more interested though, in tolling of how she
learned to weft s machine in the knitting nill in one
day. *One day the boss man told me the head that worked
the machine that knit sleeking* was quittial, and he
told as to go watch her to see if I opildn't learn it.
4.11, I stood right aloes by that head all day and
watched her, so that the neat 4e4 *tin lobs didn't some
WPS able to work the stables by myself.*
After tho death of her husband, Alioe moved book
to Conoord and win went to work for the Cannon Mills.
*I've worked for the Cannon Mills now for over thirty
years,* she announced proudly. *1 hoe one of them
pins they oavo at that big suppor lost spring. Dlit
you ever hear shout LW*
Aliso looked very much surprised when 1 amid no,
and prow:414*d to enlighten as.
*Cue day someone. acme troune asking all the hands
how long they hod worked for the Cannon Mills. Conroe
nobody knew why such r mutation was Wring asked end
some of the hands was steeled to toll how long they
hed worked. %ell, I wasn't; "hen they asked me I said
'thirty year' and WrO proud of it. ;Amoral dale after
Mart they swat for me to go to the office; 'boys,' 1
spid to myself, they're gm -joint: to fire ma now. fillen
I went in the office 4r. there neys 'Uica Candle,
4
you've worked for the Omen Oompany for thirty year,
cin't youll and I said 'Yes Aro 4x. that's
right.' Then he said a...having 6 big supper up
ct 1,:annsPalis on Friday night for them that's worked
twentg.fivie yen: or sore for the coePsn$ and hone*
your tiokst.'"
=es penned for c gement and there was a
aisohiovoss glint in her eye "gel I said to
hint 'in all theas here thirty years this is the first
time the Cannes Mill ever offered as earthing ara,
you right ours they're net esgoing to take hit ofikey
Par
*Whoa the day oboe for the sapper Rose ?smell
*ono down here to go with me boocuoe they was sending
a our for ma two. Hit was held up in the limey lila
Hell in isnnepolis. You wont into a greet big room,
tarnished lest as niee as you'd great, sad they had
nen there who didn't do nothing bat take your hat
and coat when you cone in and hang Ism up for yon.
I thought we would kill onruclves laughing tad aoae
kept 6.wondoring if we'd get the right coats and htte
back. he other roak where ye well to eitt looked as
pretty ts ray -thing you ever eels. Juoh r al Ut of
tables and every one was ooverwi ell over and does
et the sides with ems of that cloth that was
finiebod dews at the gloscaosil wed those wee flower
Avis sat about es this. I didn't think thoy'd heve
oesh to at for sash s move, but tas tablos *ohs moored.
Thin( bad tarkey sad ovorythiag; hit was real good.
*Yee, %bey had mooches. Uhsrlos 44tatson mane
fins spates& sod give oat tha pia s to us. as told about
the way imagoes* seed to stand on bozos to work
the way 1
At proem* alto. works in this spinning row&
raft's ars only vases is this dilielos sad she oils they
Savo s ties Issether, talking, lsagbieg sod cutting
sp. olho mottos bead *mot Mira: OW wee armed.
Sonstime I tell hiu that as old widow mess bask tame
meld go off to Joel& Osrolina to at minted mad mee
book assts, sut he wouldn't is ksaw wood boon goes.°
this asked why ass WWI work in tbo spinning mos,
she sigregge4 sad made sum reassk asset the 'miasmas
sad skill remised few mob work sod addod "yea /ram
how eon arc.* in a pitying inns.
Tha sossiag shift. on whisk Aliso meas, goes
free 7tt,0 to 3140, with a hell an hoar off for lamb.
for two full maks work of five days tr, week she
roosives 431.00. 4hos she lived over In another village
(owned by the same oompeay) box rent was MOO a month;
now mho lives with her daughter's family mod °attributes
to their oxposses.
Atm a ear poised WI house Alice looked thoughtful
stouts then said °You know, I ballet* I'd get as a
oar if I thought I (mad loam to run it, but I don't
billows I ever eould. 11$1 like to have as one of them
little Austin ears. Nr. was saying to us the
other Oay that anybody who Gould learn to run the machines
I Loom how to run in the nill oould slurs learn to drive
a ear. Mt I jest don't know.3
Linos she had s pormement wave, but when it got kind
of long she said it "bushed out so funny when I put my
hat ma, it made me look jest like old ;Aiss so
pinnec it up. I tAispiso to awes bait all bushed out
behind.
There is a neat little frame ehureh at the top
of the hill, the Young .*tract Zsptist ;Aurob, awl Alias
Is F member. dhe belongs to the 'assents 400iety and
sepoelally enjoys the Heart Aster port of it. (It
is the vow, now in wommals sooleties of almost all
denemisettmas to hews &east mistime. Qs* woman draws
another 's name and for a **stain period of time considers
her e dear* (Aster made her aside, gives her proseste
*to. meanwhile keeping her identity secret. At
th* end of a certain length of time, the identities
of the respeotive fieart Asters z4h* revealed.)
la the efterpooa when she is through wait; alias
enjoy2 sitting on the porch in lite swing or the rocker;
sue wat,Clos *her two little grendgeughtere play, abets
wit; Use neighbors, or Lisybe just sits and enjoys her
snuff. s long A8 n work ana telk end lztugh, lom
happy•"
sae says, °end get ta do plenty of all of this.'