Vol. 1-Interview-Banas

Aniella Banas 6/10/72 Angela Varesano

He was at one time the local head of the United Mine Workers, the organization which was organized to get pensions and good money for the workers.

He worker as a digger, mining coal. When asked why he chose that job instead of “driving mules” like Mr. Zahay, he said driving mules was an easy job; what he did was hard. He seemed to imply a relationship between his being head of the union and getting that hard job, that the supervisors gave the good jobs to the ones who weren’t involved in unions so much, who weren’t organizers.

Helen Fedorsha commented that he used to be the president of the union. She said the local heads of the union got good jobs, what they wanted. They had a pull with the bosses. “Don’t believe that,” that the heads of the union were worst off. She also commended that he used to play Santa, but he couldn’t disguise “his voice or his talk” which has a Polish accent. He did this for the “clubby” Christmas party, for the members’ children and the for town’s children too.

The interview was difficult due to Mr. Bana’ partial deafness. One must speak loudly and in simple, short words to be understood. He misdunerstands questions easily. This may be due in part to his imperfect knowledge of English as well as his deafness.

His second wife speaks with an accept and doesn’t understand “big words” (as she told me in apologizing for her English), but proved helpful both in getting my questions across to her husband and in giving information. She talks well, needs little prompting. He knows lots of old recipes, how to can mushrooms and preserve them for food. These are mushrooms picked in the nearby woods. She offered to take me out for mushrooms when I expressed interested in this.

Mr. Banas seems like Mr. Nagle is being solicitous of me as a girl. He asked if I have a “boy friend” in Eckley, where I come from, and why I lived in Philadelphia; he also offered advice for me—after marriage I should stay home and keep the house.

The interview was aided by three factors: I looked like one of their Italian daughters-in-law as Mrs. Bana commented; my parents, especially my father, were immigrants; my father did not have much education, either, just as Mr. Banas admitted to only “three winters” of schooling.

The feat of the Assumption is on August 15. In Slovak it is called Shersi Pitnasti. The custom for Polish people is to pick any kind of flowers or greens from the garden such as dill, onions, peonies, daisies, or gladiolas. The selection is supposed to be mixed. They are taken to the church, and the priests decorate the alter and Holy Mother with these bunches. These are blessed at church. Mr. and Mrs. Banas brought the bunch up to the alter, knelt down, and two priests prayed for them. The greens are left in church until the priest blesses them on August 15. Then they are taken back and put in the garden between the leaves of cabbage plants in order to dry. This blessed bunch, after it dries, is used when you have a sore throat. It is burnt in a dish and smokes the throat, “Let the smoke go on the throat.” This is supposed to cure it, they say.

I mentioned pills and medicine that were prescribed in Europe. She said that when saw was in Europe she never saw a doctor. Then, “When I came over here, I remember I was very sick one time, which I had my first period. I was bleeding, bleeding, but I didn’t know what it was. I was afraid to tell anyone because I thought I was the only one to have it. I put rugs on myself, pin in front, so bleeding don’t go through the dress. My boarding lady could tell something was wrong. She ask, ‘what’s wrong?’, but I was afraid to tell. She wanted to examine me, but I was afraid to tell her what was wrong.” Then when I was working, I came back and lay down on the bed and fell asleep. She came and examine me – I was asleep; I didn’t know – and she find out what was wrong. When I was wake up, she was laughing and happy; said she was glad for me. She had already three children, so she knew what is was. She told me every lady had that bleeding, that is was nothing to worry about that every month they had this.” “So you never had a period until then?” “No.” She was 17 and a half at the time. “In Europe they are strict. My mother was strict; she never told me about. She has (several) nine (?) children, but I never knew where they came from. I hear crying, crying; there was another child. When I ask, “Where they come from?”, she say, “The midwife bring them in her suitcase.” I was so dumb. I didn’t know where come from. I believe.” “You never find out till you were married?” “Even after I was married, I didn’t know. I had boarders. They were sitting in the kitchen playing cards, and I had big here, (indicates abdomen with both hands) and I complain of core back. My back hurt. They were laughing, laughing. They say they are going to take a rope and pull it out. They

knew what was, “Take a rope and pull it out’.” She never knew what marriage and sex were about till she married. She didn’t know what to expect. “I thought, “Married, you get married and that’s it.” I was twenty-one when I got married. My husband John was two years younger. He was nineteen.” “And did he know about it?” “No, he didn’t know either. I didn’t know until after I had baby.” “So you didn’t know about sex until you were married?” “No.” “Did you enjoy it; I mean, was it enjoyable?” “Yeah! I had four children with my husband. Yeah.”

[map of Shandy Street Houses]

Cook meat (pork, spare ribs, pork chops, pork butt) by putting it on the stove in a pot with enough water to cover. Add split peas, salt, and pepper and cover. Cook for no more than two hours until well done. When the meat is almost done, put in sauerkraut to taste. You may also add cooked, finely cut, fresh cabbage. Use a half bag of peas.

Make zaprashka. Melt and brown butter, about three table-spoons heaping. Mix in some flour to form a paste and brown. Mix in some juice from meat and cook through. Pour on the meat.

She used to cook mostly chicken and roast beef for meals. For fried breaded chicken put eggs in a dish. Add some milk and beat. Use six chicken legs. Dip the legs in the eggs. Roll in breadcrumbs.

Melt Crisco to grease the frying pan about a fourth or half an inch, and fry. Fry until brown on both sides. This can also be put in the oven and roasted. It's done usually in one hour.

Potatoes and cabbage:

Boil potatoes till cooked. Drain. They may be served plain or mashed with butter and milk.

Cook cabbage by cutting it up and boiling till soft. Drain. Serve with potatoes. Can put zaprashka on cabbage.

[More recipes listed]