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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.