How does one become a good plasterer?
MR. BARTHÉ: Coming from a family of plasterers helps a great deal. When I was a youngster learning the plastering business, plasterers would build one another’s homes. On the weekend Daddy would take me to work on another plasterer’s house. And one time, he said, “Earl, boy, you’re not doing good. Teal’s son is much better than you. You hear me?” He sent me home. I went home crying and told my mother. She said, “Oh, but your daddy don’t mean it.” I said, “Oh, yes, mother, he told me that.” But the next week I went out again and when getting a drink of water or something, I overheard him talking to another man about me, so I stopped. And guess what he said? “”Mr. Teal, you see that Earl? He’s going to be a good plasterer.” I backed off. I backed off then and I couldn’t stop. I went home and I told my mother. “Well, that’s daddy’s way,” she said. I never told him I heard him. That was Daddy’s way of training. They didn’t have schools for this and that was his way. NEA: I understand you w
