Vol. 4-Interview-Zahay

A. Veresano Interviewing Helen Fedorsha 6/15/72 Tape 14-2 Page 1

AV: Tell me about the problems they used to have with boarders. HF: Well, with so many boarders, and everybody, the guy used to come around with the wagon with the beer and the liquor. The boxes of beer were in the back of the wagon. The wagon was made something like , you know, those cars down there, no cover on it, and a seat there that a man used to sit on and drive the horses. Well, under this mat he would have the jugs of liquor, oh, big jugs. I believe we saw some of them down at the flea market Sunday, I was gonna call your attention to it, and then i didn't. But we'll go down to the flea market again, you'll see the jugs down there. We used to have them for wine, and then when we quit makin' it and we moved from there, I don't know what we did with the jugs. They weren't of value to anybody, so they probably were thrown out. They were earthenware, also, and of course, the guy would come in to the house, and if you wanted liquor, he would being whatever kind of liquor you wanted. And I guess there was rye whiskey, and I don't know what else. Rye whiskey I know, but i don't know what else. And he'd come in, and he had a funnel and a measure, and he would pour it into this measure and then pour it with the funnel into the jug. Well, all these men had a jug under their bed. That was the proper place to have it, and of course, they used to go on their little sprees, and then they'd start seein', seein' different kind of visions! AV: Visions, eh! HF: and jumpin' out the windows and everything else! AV: Really? HF: Oh, yes, my dad says that he and ... they were boarding in one of these little houses, and there was only a half a window in that room. Now people have built you know, they've just put big windows in, but, like Mrs. Timko has a big window in her upstairs, but in those days it was just half of one of these windows. And he said, he and another man, they drank, but not that way. He said, we have a job, he said, after they would get drunk, I forgot the name of the man but he used to mention their names. Well then they'd start seeing different things, and they'd want to jump out the window. So just the moment they would lay down, one of these guys woiuld go on one of these sprees, and they'd have to hurry up and jump up from bed and try to hold him down. So, one day, they ot one of the guys, he was halfway out the window, and they got ahold of him and they put him back in - got hold of the back of hs drawers and they pulled him back in! And he said one guy came downstairs, and he had a wife and children in Europe, and he was chasin' around with some woman here, and I think he had children with her. And he came down and he was standin' at the stove and he was lookin' into that fire, and he starts cryin'. And he said, what are you cryin' about? Well, why shouldn't I cry? Well, Why are you cryin', what are you, why are you cryin' ? Don't you see those little children burnin' in that fire? (That's why he's cryin'.) Well, he says we're straining our eyes, we're looking, we don't see any, all we see is the hot coals, no children. And he was imagining, I guess his conscience was bothering him by what he was doing. So he was cryin' that the children are burning in the fire. But they used to drink heavily. I guess that was the only way they could survive! It must have really been a picnic to have things like that happen. Already when we had the boarders that we had, I don't remember too many of them. I know my brother-in-law boarded with us, and Andrew Gaydos's brother, John, boarded with us. He boarded there until he got married. And then there was a man that then went out to the soft coal regions, out around Pittsburgh, and ended up in Dusquane. He boarded with us, he's the man that I used to teach. He's dead now. And then there was another man that boarded, and from our place he left for Europe, and what-

A. Varesano interviewing Helen Fedorsha 6-15-72 Tape 14-2 Page 2 ever happened to him during the First World War, I dont' know, because we never head anything about him after he left. So, they were the only...... oh, and I think, that man they used to call Big Andrew, I think he boarded with us for awhile. But they're the only ones that I remember. But, like at Machella's, My God, they had an array of boarders there! AV: Did they? HF: And then when the peddlers would come around, peddlin' different things, they were usually Arabian. And they would have these like suitcases, and they would have dress material or shaving needs or shoelaces or pins and hairpins, anything that you needed. All these little things they'd have. Well, they used to, I don't know how they'd come into town, did they come by train to Foundryville and then walk over here, or how they came in, but then they couldn't finish the town in one day, so they woudl ask for a night's lodging. And there was one man that stayed at our place quite a number of times for overnight. Well, they used to stay in Machella's also There was always room for one more! AV: In Machella's! HF: If there was no room anywhere else, there was always room for one more in there! And we used to wait for those peddlers, well, not as much for those peddlers, because after all they didn't carry candy. And there was, down at the Eckley store they had candy, but who's gonna be running down at the store all the time? If you wanted candy, you'd go to Freeland, and you had to walk. Well, you weren't in the mood to walk all the time, everytime you wanted candy. So this one man came around, and he was in a mine accident, and he had lost his sight, his face was all, like, marked with blue, and the coal, when this blast went off, the coal imbedded itself and he had blue marks left on his face. And he was completely blind, and he had some of the fingers off his hands. And he used to come with a big basket ...... and this was a big basket, not like that wicker basket there, it was made of different stuff, but it was a big basket with the handles on the side, and they had like a strap run across. There was a young boy that used to lead him around and he would carry, this old man would carry this basket, and the boy would hold him under the arm and lead him around. Well, when he'd come, he knew where the different things were in that baseket, he could point them out to you. And we used to wait for him, because he always had candy. Different kind of candy, and we'd pick them out and buy them. And he had shoelaces, and he had any little thing that you needed, you know, those little things, and we used to wait for him. Today, my God, the kids wouldn't even want that candy. AV: What kind did you have? HF: Well, it was usually lollipops, or something that didn't melt. Because, chocolate he couldn't carry around, especially in the summertime, or it would melt! But as long as it was candy, it was good. AF: So these were sort of overnight boarders? HF: Yes, they used to come into town, and then till they would peddle the town they would stay overnight and then you'd give them their breakfast, or you'd give them a bite to eat whenever they would come in the evenings. And in the morning when they would get up, you'd give them breakfast before they would leave. Well, we used to deal with this one man, his name was Mr. Toweel, and my mother never wated to get anything from him. She told him, she said, Nick??? for the little bit that you ate, she said, many times you throw stuff out that you didn't eat, so she said I'm not going to charge you anything at all for it. He was a very nice person. He had a son in Hazleton, I often see that name in the paper. And his son, I don't now what Arabian

A. Varesano interviewing Helen Fedorsha 6-15-72 Tape 14-2 Page 3 people are, but his son had turned a Catholic, and he married a girl from Hazleton. And the old man was around until he wasn't able to get around any more. And then we had some later on that used to come around with a wagon and horse and a wagon, they used to peddle. AV: What did they pay for their room and board? HF: Nothing. They'd want to give you something for it, but even for one night that they slept, you didn't change anything. Then there were men, years ago, whether they were legitimate or not, I don't know, nobody ever checked into it. But they would come around, and they were, from people who had lived in Europe and are in this country, and somebody would write to them and tell them they'd wnat to build a new church in that particular town that they came from. Well, then they would come around from home to home, and ask for a donation toward the building of that church. Well, one night there was a man that was around like that, and it was dark already, and he asked for a night's lodging. And, oh, I was workin' then already, because we had our Rover. And he had my room, the back room upstairs. And I slept downstairs on the studio couch. And as you came down from the upstairs, it wasn't and open stairway, and when you came down from the upstairs, if you turned to the right you went into the parlor. If you turned to your left you came into the kitchen, and to go outside. So some part of the night, this man needed to go out, and naturally in a strange house you get confused, and there was just a dim light. And it just seemed that the minute I heard someone come down the steps I was wide awake. And I sat up and I was listening. And the dog, it was a pretty big dog, I guess he stood about this high, and he was part hound, but he was a very affectionate dog, and was layin' at the couch. (That was Rover?) Rover. And he went to turn into the parlor, and when he did the dog growled at him. And the dog stood his ground, he didn't move, just growled at him. And i quick sat up and I said to him, what do you want? And he said, Oh, I made a mistake, I made a mistake, I want to go outside. And I told him he should turn the kitchen light on, and I said you'll find your way around. But you know, I was a little bit scared when that happened, because, you don't know the people, you don't, I said it was a lot of nerve to take in a person. But no one ever thought of these muggings or killings, or anything, never! You could take someone in that you didn't know anything about, and they would sleep in your house that night, but they never abused anybody, they never stole anything. You could go to sleep and sleep peacefully, and you knew that they weren't gonna do anything. AV: Even with girls in the house? HF: Yes, even with girls in the house. They never bothered. But like today, you'd be afraid to take someone in like that. Because you don't know what they are. You don't know what they can be accused of or anything. You don't know whether they're criminals or what they are. You'd actually be afraid to take them in . And how many times we had people like that stay in our place overnight. And then, natrually, whenver you're sleeping, they can get around the house if they want to, but they never did. Never. AV: And, whose decision was it to take these people in? HF: Well, they would ask my mother and my dad, and then the two of them would talk it over. And, well, for one night they would take them in, let them spend the night. Where are they gonna go? There wasn't any bus service, there wasn't any way of getting to Freeland or anything. So they used to let them stay overnight. And as I say, they never got into trouble. And in the morning, you would fix a little breakfast for them, and they would eat and they would be on their way.

A. Varesano Interviewing Helen Fedorsha 6-15-72 Tape 14-2 Page 4 AV: Did the women of the house ever have any other trouble with boarders? HF: No, not any, sometimes if a boarder got a little sassy, he'd be told off, and if he knew what was good for him, he'd keep his mouth shut, because he would be afraid to board anywhere else. And he had nowhere else to go, because hey would board until they would find a girl that they would marry. And now, all they're talking about it love, love, love! Well, I'll bet anything that a lot of those men married not for love. They didn't know the girls long enough. But, for convenience, beause they didn't have where to stay, they didn't have anyone to take care of them. And this way, if they got married, and then housekeeping their own little place, they could do as they pleased, and they were taken care of. Because their meals were cooked for them, they were kept clean and everything. When I passed that remark off in my Anna's when Eva was there, and I said they didn't marry for love, I said, they married for convenience. And she said, Are you sure that's all they married for? I said, well that's all I know. So, I dropped the subject then, because I thought, I'm not going to get in deep with her. But I'll always say that most of them married for convenience. A lot of them sent for girls that they knew in Europe. And they would send for them, they'd send them money for a passport, and they'd bring them to this country and they would marry them here. Because my mother was coming from Europe when there was a young girl that was supposed to come, she was to marry a man, and my mother got to New York, and, at Castle (??) where they used to, well, the immmigrant oficials used to see that they're all legitimate and everything, and when he asked my mother where she was going , se didn't know the English language. All she would say, she is going to Eckley. And the man said to her, are you goin' to Eckley, or are you goin' to Heckley? He said, because there are two places, Eckley and Heckley. Well, then she didn't know what it was, she just understood that it's Eckley. And there was a man standing right near her, and then he asked her in our way, he said, little girl, where are you going? Who are yhou going to? So my mother told him that she was going to her sister. And he said, what is your sister's name? And she said Mary Stefan. And he said, Oh, you're going to Eckley. He said, that's where I'm from also. He came to meet the girl that was supposed to come. And she didn't come that day, so then he, when he came into the house... Oh, no, this man, it wasn't his girl that was comin' over, but a man that was boarding in th house, I forget what he family's name was... and, was it Gaspar, I don't remember... and when he broth my mother over, well, my aunt was living there somewhere, but he brought my mothere right into where he was boarding, and then had her taken over to my aun'ts place. And this man that was waiting for his girl to ome from Europe, he was sleeping. And he came downstairs all thrilled, thinking that its his girlfriend that came! When he came down, he found out it wasn't the girlfriend! The girl friend came later. But that's how they used to do it, they'd send for a girl in Europe, and she'd come here, and they'd get married, and then whereever he was boarding, well, they lost a boarder there, but they were sure to get another one! AV: How did your mother meet your father? HF: She came to America and she was staying with her sister, and I don't know who my daddy was boarding with, and that's how they met. You know, they would all I guess the whole bunch would get together, because they were all from Europe. Any maybe they weren't from the same town, but they would be from towns that weren't too far away, and I guess the thing that would bring them together was the idea that thew were all from Europe, and they'd have plenty to talk about. AV: So she wasn't sent for. HF: No, no. She came to America because she didn't have anybody in Europe. She

A. Varesano interviewing Helen Fedorsha 6-15-72 Tape 14-2 Page 5

had an aunt, but her parents had died when she was small. She didn't remember either one of her parents. She was raised by her aunt. So then, she had enough money to get a passport and come to America. She came here to her sister. And then, she met my dad, I don't know how long she was here in America. And they got married. They were married in Hazleton because there wasn't any Roman Catholic church in Freeland. There was St. Mary's, but at that time the church had ruled, that you had to be married in the church of the girl. Now the ruling is if a Byzantine rite is marrying a Latin rite, they have to married, if the fellow is Byzantine, they have to married in the fellow's rite. If he is Roman Catholic, then they still have to marry in the Roman Catholic rite. If the two of them are Roman Catholic, then they marry in either one of the churches, his church or her church. If they belong to churches in different towns. Then they can marry in either one. But with the Byzantine rite, you have to follow the man. At the one time, you followed the girl. So they had to go to Hazleton. And as I said, I used to hear them talking. They had to walk, they and two witnesses, I don't know who their witnesses were - it may be on their marriage certificate, for all I know - they walked to Foundryville, they got the train at Foundryville, they went to Hazleton, they went to St. Joseph's Church in Hazleton, they were married there, and after they were married they walked down to the train again, got the train and rode to Foundryville, and walked from Foundryville home! And they didn't go on a honeymoon! AV: I guess it wasn't the custom at that time to go on a honeymoon. HF: No, naturally it wasn't. Oh, it wasn't the custom for ages. Well, when Anna was married it still wasn't the custom to go on honeymoons. Now, even though you have to loan them money so they go on a honeymoon. Even tho they don't have their own money, they'll loan money from the bank and go on a honeymoon. AV: So at that time they used to get married and set up their house right away? HF: Yes. Sometimes they'd have to board wherever they were until they got themselves all set up. But there were a lot of homes here, and they could get a home especially because naturally they kept it for their workers. The company had the homes, because the town was big here, and there was what they called Number Four, but I don't remember the homes that were down there. Although I did hear my mother and dad talk about them. AV: What was Number Four? HF: That was down back of the church. There was part of the town down there. See, they used to build their homes where there were workings. And there was a slope down there, and there was a breaker down there. And they tried to build the homes, that the men would be close to the working. That's how they used to build their homes. And then down at Number Seven, there were workings down there, there was a boiler house down there, there were homes down there. AV: How many homes at these places? HF: I don't know how many were in Number Four, and I dont know how many were in Number Seven, because in Number Seven all I saw was the foundations. We used to take a walk out when I was just a kid, with my mother and dad on a Sunday afternoon. We used to take a walk out and we used to go down through the woods and we'd pick teaberries, 227 and then in the fall of the year we used to go for chestnuts. And we went down through Number Seven there, and I saw these foundations and I asked about them. And my dad and mother said, well, she said, These were homes. People used to live here. And I said, in the woods like this? And my dad said, that wasn't all woods when people lived here. And he showed me the home where the Maloney family lived, that was Margaret Maloney's grandparents. Margaret lives down near Mary Zurko now. That was her grandparents. They lived in that home and there were a number