Lonnie Morris and Annie Morris Interviews 2

 GEORGE STONEY: Ok now, uh, Lonnie I want you to explain to Judy why these documents are wrong.

LONNIE MORRIS: Well I wish - - well I could explain it but I don't know why.

STONEY: No, but starting at mention the documents uh, again.

LONNIE MORRIS: Those documents got to have a names about the union and everything and that I don't know a thing in the world about because we all worked on there. And I can't understand why it was like that. And that's - - that's all I can tell you about that because I don't know. I don't know why it come about.

JUDITH HELFAND: I wonder if some of those other names do you know what happened to some of these other people if they really were evicted or if they were fired.

LONNIE MORRIS: Yeah, they were.

HELFAND: So…

LONNIE MORRIS: There was some that - - the Bishop's. They were - - they fired every one of them and made them move off of the village and uh, the Brook's they fired her and uh, and she had to move off the village. Now that - - that part was right.

STONEY: Why did they fire those and not you - - you people. Talk to Judy about it.

LONNIE MORRIS: Well that is what I can't understand - - that's why I said I wish - - I could explain it because that's the first I knew about it.

STONEY: Judy, ask him about. Why did the company…

HELFAND: Yeah, yea.

STONEY: Fire some people and not others.

HELFAND: Yeah. Lonnie, why did the company fire some people and not other people?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well all the people that they knew about were in the union. They did - - they claimed they weren't firing people about the union but they found something to get rid of them for. And it uh, another words the ones them union and they know they want to - - how they got the names like I told you a while 00:02:00ago I don't know. But they know everyone of them by name. And they…

STONEY: Did - - did you know everyone of them by name?

LONNIE MORRIS: At that time I did, yeah.

STONEY: Could you just say well at the time I knew everyone in the union and name some of them.

LONNIE MORRIS: Well it was Brooks, and the Bishops, and Lord, right off hand I don't know - - I've said - - over half of the people worked there lost their jobs on account of it. I've said - - at least half of them if not over half.

HELFAND: Now, if half of the people that - - your saying half of the people that worked in the mills - - that worked in the mill joined the union?

LONNIE MORRIS: Yea, that - - about - - I'd say at least half of them did.

STONEY: Just, say that again. That at least half the people that worked there joined the union and then they lost their jobs.

LONNIE MORRIS: Yea, say - - I'd say at least half the mill people that worked - - at the time the union come up and was trying to get organized they lost their jobs and they had to move on account of it.

STONEY: How did the - - everybody else feel about it when those people had to move out?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well everybody felt sorry for them because everybody knew they were mislead. Everybody knew they were talked into it. And everybody - - like I said a while ago everybody had seen how it was running and knew there was nothing to it in the first place. There wasn't - - another words it didn't even make sense - - didn't make common sense to me. And uh, it was uh, sneaky, everything was done was sneaked around. Nothing was out in the open.

STONEY: Well, if they knew - - knew that the boss would fire you for being in the union how could you help from being sneaky?

LONNIE MORRIS: (laughing) Well, you got a point there.

STONEY: But, explain that.

LONNIE MORRIS: Well everybody that knowed about the union and knowed they were getting in it. They knowed when the company found out about it they were going to lose their jobs. Every one of them knowed it. All people knowed that. Because they nothing - - the company hated the name union. And the way it was done and come about I wouldn't have blame them a (bet?) in the world because if it was organized thing and worked together and worked out it would - - it would have been alright. But Lord know not the way it was. It wouldn't - - that wasn't a union it was just a lock out. Just going around and locking out places and locking people out from work and off of the jobs. (inaudible)

STONEY: How did you feel living in a village were your couldn't drink, and you had to go to church and you couldn't join a union. Could you just explain that?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well it - - it made you feel under bondage. That's the best why I know to put it. You felt like you were under bondage and uh, you knew you didn't have no freedom. That was the only job and it was all for the job as well. And that (inaudible) wasn't no right to. And it it made a hardship on you. But the main thing it made a hardship on people it was - - the way the company would listen and not look into things. They would fire you and say if I got mad of you, her, anybody, and if I wanted to get you out of a job all I had to go tell them was I saw they and them at such a place and they was drunk. That 00:06:00was it. Your word didn't mean nothing. You was fired. You was gone. There wasn't no right to that. There is a two side to everything and there is a right side and a wrong side. And…

STONEY: Did that happen to you?

LONNIE MORRIS: Yea. Yea, that time I got fired for drunkenness. I hadn't even had a drop of liquor or nothing that day. Fact of business being me and wife had been off and got groceries and come in. And uh, that's what what we got. And I don't know yet who told it that I was drunk. But that went on all the time. That didn't just happen to me. It happened to the best. I'll say down there.

STONEY: Did the mill have - - did the boss have a series of spies or snitches around?

LONNIE MORRIS: Plenty of them. Plenty of them.

STONEY: Describe that.

LONNIE MORRIS: Stool pigeons was what we called them. Stool pigeons. So a lot of times you would find them when you thought was your best friend. That's uh - - it was - - it was a sad thing. It was - - at that time it was a serious thing cause there wasn't no jobs when you got out of a job. You wonder were your income was coming from. I just hope and pray that the young generation coming on will never have to face something like that but if they don't stand up for their rights and with the government we got a government pretty well now that believes in abiding by the constitution of laws and they got they got to 00:08:00speak out where a lot of them till this day wont. Well - - then you couldn't get nobody to speak out. They are afraid, everyone's afraid to. They say I talked to - - I would but I know what it means. I would just like you but I would be out of a job too. You couldn't get nobody to even - - if they knew the right still couldn't get them to say nothing. Now Saw (inaudible) me and a man was doffing together. He stooped over one day in a bobbin bin I don't know where - - I don't know if y'all understand that - - but the bobbin bin just was just a box hold bobbins, was about waist high, and he stooped over and the bobbins lower in the bins and when he did he ruptured his self. And that man went into a fit and I didn't know what had happened. Well they - - couldn't 00:09:00get the company to do nothing. He sued the company for getting hurt on the job and for them saying it was already done and all. Well uh, they had me on that. I told them just how it was. And a lot of them told me I wouldn't have done that. Well, they'll fire you but they didn't. I don't know why but they didn't fire me about it. But I that's - - that's what I believe in, standing up. Standing up for the right and the right thing. And I wasn't going to lie for the man and I wasn't going to lie against him I just told it like it was when they got me up there. Told them that's all I know and I know when he stooped over right besides of it getting bobbins out of the same bin and he come up hollering and yelling and didn't know what had happened. He did he had a fit. So…

STONEY: Have you – - have you ever heard the term linthead?

LONNIE MORRIS: Sure.

STONEY: Tell about that.

LONNIE MORRIS: Well a lot of people they called a cotton miller. Lintheads are cause there's a lot of lint and everything they called them lintheads and uh, and it's the (inaudible) talking about a while ago. They called him (laughs) I'll just put it like it called it scabs. They called them scabs and uh, you had things like that to put up with. Which you could bare that pretty good, cause everybody worked in the mill felt like a lint head to a certain extend. A lot of times you got a lot of lint on you but it was easy to come off if you take a blowpipe. You could wear your Sunday clothes and take a blowpipe and blow every bit off. Now when they put that mohair in that mohair didn't come off too good. You could blow and blow and it would still stick to you.

STONEY: Did you resent the idea - - the idea that people were looking down on you when they called you lintheads?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well, yea - - yea it made you - - made you feel like - - feel like they was a little better. Better than you was or something. And yea, you had had to have that feeling cause you know anyone get a remark made against them. It makes them feel - - got no feeling at all - - makes them feel funny. But we had that to put up with but that was all through life.

STONEY: When did that happen to you?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well that time we went to work that started and off and on as long we worked in textile but uh, a lot of people would make remarks to you and in the later days would come back and try to get you to help them get a job. That's the way it worked and they would come back and want you - - see if you 00:12:00could help them get on.

STONEY: You lived in East Newnan didn't you?

LONNIE MORRIS: Yea.

STONEY: Uh, what happened when you went downtown?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well when you got into town everybody was just about the same thing. They was - - all it takes five people were the same thing. But a lot of people - - most of the remarks you got like that was out of farmers. Farmers used to say that anybody that worked in textile mill wasn't no good. A farm - - good as people I ever met in my life was textile workers. That was…

STONEY: Why, why did the farmers say that?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well it - - it didn't like one of them (inaudible) (laughs)I'll just use her. She heard all her life all her life that textile people weren't no good. Now where she got it at I don't know. But see they 00:13:00didn't know anything about it. It was going to be hearsay. They just good they just give textile people jobs anywhere in the world I don't care where they were they were good people. Christian people, you found you found a lot of people that was pretty rough but uh, you find that anywhere in any jobs.

STONEY: Did you – did you have uh, churches and revivals around it and could you talk about that in terms of East Newnan?

LONNIE MORRIS: Oh yeah, there was a lot of Christian people, they was in church every Sunday. In another words the company had a church there. Yeah the company had a nice church there. And uh, the Methodist and Baptist used the same church. And they could just have their meeting one-day at one day - - one Sunday and the 00:14:00next Sunday the Baptist, one week you'd have a revival and the next week the Baptist's have theirs. Yeah, that - - that worked out fine that - - yeah there was a lot of religious people, good people worked there as good as Christian people I've ever known worked there in textile.

STONEY: What about the tent revivals?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well they would come by - - there would be a van that would come round about once a year, and the company would let them put up tents on the company ground and everybody was free to go and you - - you was free to go to church and like that. But they just wasn't going to put up with no drinking and no rough stuff like that, but religion now like you could serve any kind of denomination you wanted to serve it didn't make any difference worrying about that.

STONEY: How do you feel about your children going into textiles?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well I just assumed my kids would be in textile as any place I know of. (inaudible) I got a daughter that works in textile office now over here at Arnold Co. that's where she works and uh, she's a - - she's doing alright. And textile ain't nothing like a lot of people thinks it is. And that like I said now you find a lot of companies that uh, they in textile companies there's good people, officials and all stockholders and all they good. Everyone of them has their own rules and you take (Arnold Co. Mills?) if you'd uh, - - if hands needed any money, they went to the company that didn't go to the bank they went to the company and borrowed it. East Newnan wouldn't do that. (inaudible) mill wouldn't do that they wouldn't loan you a dime 00:16:00nowhere in the world. For nothing. But now - - all mills had their difference. And the different set ups and all.

STONEY: Did you ever think about getting to be a supervisor or foreman?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well, I stayed as a secondhand. That's called a first foreman. I stayed there about 30 years down at Sergeant. I never miss treated anybody. I never had nothing to do with two people getting fired and I asked for both of those cause they done tried them in all parts of the mill and they was mentally disturbed tell you the truth about it. I was sorry for them and they was going to let them go and I asked for them and I told them let me take them and try them. One of them worked about a year and a half. And the other he didn't make it but about a month. He started on me with a hammer one day and had to let him 00:17:00go. So, that's uh, that wasn't my fault there or the company's fault either one.

HELFAND: Lonnie how did the community treat…

M1: Excuse me George, (inaudible) want everything going in one direction

STONEY: mmhmmm

M1: (inaudible) for a civic display

HELFAND: Right.

STONEY: Ok.

M1: (inaudible)

STONEY: Yea, just in my place and I think we are just about through.

M1: Ok. Judy take the microphone power supply with you.

HELFAND: Ok.

(inaudible)

STONEY: Ok. Ok. I think we're about through. Only Judy's got a couple questions then I think we're through.

HELFAND: Ok. Ok.

STONEY: Ok?

HELFAND: Yea.

(inaudible)

HELFAND: Lonnie, I wonder how the community treated you when you were fired for drunkenness.

LONNIE MORRIS: Well, most of the people understood…

STONEY: Start it, when I got fired.

LONNIE MORRIS: When I got fired for being drunk. Most of the people understood and knew how it was. Only - - some of them they like - - I said there's two sides to everything and some of them believed it and didn't know the difference for a long time. But that didn't bother me because I (inaudible) didn't bother me (inaudible) in a bit.

HELFAND: Now you came back to Newnan prior to the 1934 strike and you were working at the East Newnan Mill during the strict.

LONNIE MORRIS: Yea mm hmm.

HELFAND: Ok. When we were here last time you told us a story about when they took the chains off the mill and you went back to work.

LONNIE MORRIS: Yea.

HELFAND: And your daddy-in-law too.

LONNIE MORRIS: Yea.

HELFAND: Could you tell us that story again?

LONNIE MORRIS: Well, send everybody word that there was going to unlock the gates. Going to cut the chains off (laughing) and for everybody who wanted to come back to come back. Well, most everybody went back. When they cut the locks off. My first wife (Debbie?) was the first one in and I went in behind. That - - that's what I cant understand about this archive business and uh, we got in the mill - - the overseer made a talk and the superintendent and said that everybody that wanted to work to lay the union and troubles aside and not even talk about it. Now that was one good thing about the union - - but them right there. They didn't want nobody - - another words they didn't want no 00:20:00trouble. Coming back two sides going to get talking and it's going to bring up trouble. And they had a understood with both sides to not bring it up at all so that worked out fine. But it made hard on other ways like I told you about that straightjacket and all. It - - it made it rough on there. But it…

HELFAND: Why…George you have a question?

STONEY: No.

HELFAND: I'm wondering why your brother moved to Detroit if there's any connection between your brother moving to Detroit and the fact that his name is on this list of people who were evicted from their homes.

LONNIE MORRIS: Well uh, when he went to Detroit some of his friends…

STONEY: (inaudible)

HELFAND: Start with, start with Oscar, with when my brother Oscar went to.

LONNIE MORRIS: When my brother Oscar went to Detroit some of his friends had already went up there and they come back on a visit and told him that if he'd go back with them they believed they could get him on where they was working which was Chrysler Corporation. Well he - - he went back with them because East Newnan then wasn't but running, one two days a week. And a lot of people didn't get that one day that was spilt up maybe one would get - - have one day two or three weeks he might get another day. They had divided it up the best they could and that's why he went up there.

HELFAND: Did your brothers - - where your brothers friends part of the union? Is that why they went to Detroit?

LONNIE MORRIS: That I can't say because I don't even remember now which one it was and who it was. Just some of his friends but I couldn't say now who it was.

HELFAND: I have one more question. You talked about fear. People being afraid the speak about union affiliations and I'm wondering if your brother would have been willing to admit he had been part of the union - - would he - - would your brother want to talk about it now?

LONNIE MORRIS: (laughing) Yeah, he's that type. He's like I am. He believed in speaking out and speaking his peace and he believed in that. He didn't - - he wouldn't hold back, no. If somebody asked him he would tell them how he felt about it. Yea, he was that way. Now you take up here at the old mill office there's a big brass plaque on the outside of the door. As you going in the office you'll find my name, Lloyd's name, Oscar's name, everyone on that 00:23:00plaque were left the mill to go in the service. Me and Lloyd left to go in the service the same day. And uh, Oscar he was in their invasion in North Africa. They got him quick cause he wasn't mad. And that - - that - - see that's why I cant understand I really can't understand that. Is like that - -

STONEY: I think that's it.

HELFAND: Ok.

(inaudible)

[break in video]

STONEY: Alright could you tell me the story that you were telling Judy about the '34 strike.

ANNIE MORRIS: Yea, well, we went in to work that morning we didn't know a thing that was going on. So all of a sudden about nine o'clock here comes these strikers out there going to shut us down. So we worked on four hours and they said they was going to pour hot water on us if we didn't get out. So they told us to go home. So we was out about two weeks I think. Then when we went back they had - - they still out there - - they had the National Guard going up 00:24:00and down (Ellis?) while we was working.

M1: George can we have this story one more time (inaudible) and I'm sorry sir apologize again.

STONEY: Ok, can you tell it again and talk as loud as you can.

ANNIE MORRIS: Ok, like I said we went in that morning and we didn't know anything was going on. So about nine o'clock they had us all out there wanting to shut it down, they was coming out to get us. So we worked on for four hours and they said they was going to pour hot water on us. So they shut it down and we went home. Did you hear me then?

STONEY: Tell us about the rest of it then what happened.

ANNIE MORRIS: Well, the National Guard they put them out there, they stayed out there about six days I think. Every morning and every night - - I worked on second shift so they'd go up and down the (Ellis?) So finally they left and left us alone.

STONEY: Did you know any of the people who were the strikers?

ANNIE MORRIS: Uh, huh. It was - - they belonged to the union but we didn't belong to no union.

STONEY: Did you know any of the National Guardsman?

ANNIE MORRIS: Nope. All I know is they were there to protect us and that's all I wanted to know. (laughs)

STONEY: Did you uh - - did any of the girls get friendly with them?

ANNIE MORRIS: I don't think so. (laughs) We was all too scared.

STONEY: In one place we went to one of the girls married one of the National Guardsmen.

ANNIE MORRIS: They did? I don't think that happened at Sergeants.

STONEY: Now here's a letter from Sergeant written by somebody who got kicked out of the mill afterwards and she wrote this to President Roosevelt. Why don't you get your daughter to read it to you and see what you think of it.

F1: Dear Sir Arnold Mill Company, T.A.

STONEY: Start out with to whom it is addressed.

F1: To Louie?

STONEY: No, just below that.

F1: Mr. Roosevelt. Mr. Franklin Roosevelt. Dear Sir Arnold Mill Company T. A. (Casten?) super has sent a part of us - - a part of us - - strikers a dispos - - (dispossirey?) warrant for us to move or to throw us in the streets. And do you think it is legally for them to do so? We do not discriminate against the mill company at all. We would like to hear your view on this at once. Your friends Mrs. Vera Cook, Newnan, Georgia, Arnold Co. Mill.

STONEY: What does the P.S. say?

F1: P.S. We all - - we all reported to work twice and they turned us back with shotguns and pistols at the gate.

STONEY: Did you know that woman? What is - - what is her name?

F1: Mrs. Vera Cook.

ANNIE MORRIS: No, she worked at Arnold Co. and I worked at Sergeant. They 00:27:00threatened to pour hot wa - - turn that hot water on them and strike because they didn't get away. So they finally left. They's going - - throw it in on us and get us out (laughs) and throw it on them to get them away. (laughs)

STONEY: Now there's a list of people here uh, here's another letter uh, let's see, we got a list here somewhere if you could stop it a minute.

[break in video]

M1: Yes, sir. Rolling, stand by. 3-2-1- action.

F1: These evictions were made after the strike in September 1934 because the union activities at Arnold Mill Sergeant Georgia. C.L Cooper, Will Gresham, Suzy Gresham, J.T. Duncan, Leona Miller…

ANNIE MORRIS: I know her.

F1: Dewey Hopgood, Frank Cook, Tom Holloway

ANNIE MORRIS: Know him.

F1: Johnny Wright, Willy Ma Wright, A.J. Kennedy, Fred Rodgers, G.H. Hudson, Mrs. G.H. Hudson, (Orwin?) Hudson, and Finton Tol - - Tolerson.

ANNIE MORRIS: Know him.

F1: Doris Howall, C.A. Pierce, C.E. Pierce, Lee White, L.M. White, Clinton White…

ANNIE MORRIS: Know them.

F1: Ed (Litpam?), A.J. Crawley, H.C. Jones, Rufus Getty, Frank Hendricks, Barney Johns, Yucca Bryant, Billy Bryant…

ANNIE MORRIS: Know them.

F1: Mary Murphy, Lucille Murphy…

ANNIE MORRIS: Know them.

F1: H. A. Harris, Mattie Harris, Dewey Harris, Charlie Barron, Johnny Bryant, Josey Bryant…

ANNIE MORRIS: Know her.

F1: Curtis (Esen?)

ANNIE MORRIS: Know them.

F1: Lee (Eson?)

ANNIE MORRIS: Them.

F1: Russell McMichael

ANNIE MORRIS: Yea.

F1: Homer Allen, Maynard Philips…

ANNIE MORRIS: Yea.

F1: Dewey Pruitt, J. W. Barron, Mrs. Minnie Barron, Emmett Barron, Rudy Shoemake…

ANNIE MORRIS: Know them.

F1: Georgia Shoemake…

ANNIE MORRIS: Know her.

F1: Clive Bryant…

ANNIE MORRIS: Know them.

F1: Walter Cook…

ANNIE MORRIS: Yea.

F1: E.B. White, John Crawford, Howard Cochran…

ANNIE MORRIS: Yea.

F1: Arch Crawford, Gladys (Sitsher?), Mr. Moss, Brotus Rodgers, William Nelson, Patricia Nelson, Olen Hanner, and Mary Hopgood.

ANNIE MORRIS: Know…