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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Broome County Oral History Project
Subject
The topic of the resource
Broome County -- History
Publisher
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Binghamton University Libraries
Description
An account of the resource
The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
Identifier
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2
Rights
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In copyright
Contributor
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Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
Coverage
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1977-1978
Relation
A related resource
<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
Template: Simple Audio Player with Transcription
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Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
Goida, Andrew
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview
Politylo, Nettie
Date of Interview
1978-01-02
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2016-03-27
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
46:03 Minutes
Streaming Audio
Streaming URL
<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE55928">Interview with Andrew Goida</a>
Subject LCSH
Goida, Andrew -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Binghamton (N.Y.); Cigar industry; Depressions -- 1929; Endicott Johnson Corporation -- Employees -- Interviews; Ansco Company;
Endicott Johnson Corporation -- Housing Program
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Binghamton University Libraries is working very hard to create transcriptions of all audio/visual media present on this site. If you require a specific transcription for accessibility purposes, you may contact us at <a href="mailto:orb@binghamton.edu">orb@binghamton.edu</a>.
Transcription
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<p><b>Broome County Oral History Project</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interview with: Andrew Goida</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interviewed by: Nettie Politylo</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Date of interview: 2 January 1978</span></p>
<br />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: This is Nettie Politylo, interviewer, talking to Andrew Goida at 713 Dickson St., Endicott, NY, on January 2, 1978. I understand you worked in a cigar factory here in Binghamton some years ago. We are especially interested in this industry because we don't know much about it. Why don't we start with the time you started work there? Just tell me how you got the job, what you did, what other people did to prepare the tobacco and make the cigars and just everything you remember about the operation of the factory. Andy, do you want to start talking?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, I'll give the—when I got started—about in 1927, and what, we went, I got a job—what the stop—the tobacco—then we used to lay it out to dry—a little bit—we didn't wet it too much—just lay it out to dry a little bit—then we—it was our job to give it to the women on the machine so they would roll the cigars—so they would have to stretch it in the drum—the leaf—and they used to use the other—the ones we didn't wet the tobacco to the inside—break that and roll that one leaf on a drum and just roll—wrap the cigar up and then would cut them so long. And there were lots of women—young and old, different kind were working.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What was exactly your job?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: My job was supposed to wet the tobacco—in our room where I worked—there were 3 vats of water and we used to dip them in the water a little bit and shake them around so the tobacco would get nice and soft—it wouldn't crack up or anything like that. And they were making White Owl cigars and what other cigars, I don’t know—and that was the name of the factory on Emma Street there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What was the name of the factory?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: White Owl.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: No, what was the name of the factory?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, it was on Emma Street and that was the name of the factory at that time—what they called it was the White Owl factory, as far as I know.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: They did? About what year did you go to work?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: About 1927. I worked for two years there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How old were you when you started working?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Fourteen years. Then the boss, I don't know what his name is, I had—he was an old fellow, he come from the South with the company when they come up, and bought the factory or rented it or something to make the cigars.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Now this tobacco came from the South?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yup.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Do you have any idea where it came from?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No. It came from there, someplace.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Now, when it came here, do you know how it came? Was it transported by truck or rail?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Railroad. Yes. That boss of mine, he was an old guy when I come there, he must’ve been in his 60s then, but he, I guess must’ve been with the company all his life, pretty near.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: When this tobacco came in they had to store it someplace—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yeah, they had the big upstairs, second floor was filled with tobacco, all over the place there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did they store it, in bins?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: In bins, yeah, yeah. They had a lot of workers up there—unloading the thing and stocking them up there—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How was it up there? Windows closed?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, you just had to have so much air in there—it couldn't be too dry—had to be a little damp, was dusty as heck, you know—that's how they had to keep it, damp so that the tobacco would not dry up and crumble, them leaves, you know. So, leaves, they had them like in the bins, where they were hanging them up, you probably seen them on television now, when a walks—to a cigar factory where they have tobacco hanging up—and he walks and gets a leaf and spreads it out, he will taste or test it out or he'll put a cigar under it to light the tobacco, and he smells it to see if it is the right smell, so that's what they used to do there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: So, before the tobacco was distributed to the different people, they first had to be dipped in the water which was in the vats?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, everybody had their job to do. You wouldn't put all of it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: No, but do you have any idea of the other jobs?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, not too much, because you were not allowed to go all over the factory, at that time—they were pretty strict, you know, they tried to keep all in one room where you were working, you know.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Is this all you did, was dip this tobacco in the water?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes—well, we had that job and we had to sort it—them out to the women.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did you sort it out?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, so many bunches to each one, you know, so we made sure they had enough to work with for eight hours.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: When you sorted it out to the women, what kind of a job did they have?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Their job was just to roll the cigars, you know. They were rollers—they were rollers—just to roll the cigars.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How was the procedure to roll the cigar?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, they had a drum, I don’t know, it was about 10 inches long or wide, you know—and they just put that leaf on that roller—and made sure it was spread out so when it goes in there it is flattened out so that it cut the leaf right in half—the knife was in the middle so they, so that one half a leaf rolled the cigar up and the other half of the leaf would roll the other cigar up, then slice it up, push it on the side. Then it was—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was this work done by hand?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, it was done by machine—they roll the cigars by machine—and then they had somebody else come and go around where the women were working by their machine and picking up all them cigars and taking them along to the packing room, so they could pack them up. That's the only thing I know of.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How were you paid? How were your wages?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh, we were paid in cash at that time, but the wages were, at that time, were 25 or 30¢ an hour—so we were not making too much, nobody was making that much money in them days, anyway.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That's true.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: And it was paid in envelopes, in cash.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You were paid by so many pieces or so many bundles?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, we were paid by the hour, hourly wages—25¢ or 30¢ an hour, something like that—probably 10-11 dollars a week for 8 hours a day.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Where you had worked—were there only men? Did they have ladies working there?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, in our room there were just men. In our room there were 4 men—3 besides me in that room where we were working. In this room—in this other room—you had to bring in the tobacco for the ladies to work on. Yes, in the other room there was about 100 women, some men on jobs.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Were they foreign women?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, lot of them couldn’t talk by they done their work anyway. And there was some young ones too, so—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: These ladies, were they mostly from Triple Cities?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes, from Triple Cities: Binghamton, Johnson City and Endicott.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Probably most of them were foreign people.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes, most of them, they were, they couldn't talk too good English.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did they talk to the boss?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, some of the women—they interpreted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Now, some of the jobs were called rollers, bunchers—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: In that room where they were working, that's what they called those ladies—rollers. Then they ended up as being inspectors. Yes, they had inspectors, too. Not the women on machines—they had a couple of inspectors—I think the girl that was my brother's secretary—she was secretary and inspector there too, you know. So—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Your brother was a foreman, there?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes, he was an assistant. Yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What was his job?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, he had to see that the women had their work—we put out the tobacco in good shape where they can roll the cigar, because if it were too dry you couldn't roll the cigar right—had to have a certain moisture.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You did say your mother worked here. What did she do?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh, she was a roller there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: This machine started the cigar, then they sliced the stem of tobacco?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, on the roller in the middle there is a knife and that stem, that tobacco was just, goes in between that knife and slices it off—cut right off—the stem, the middle.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: After it was sliced, you started the procedure of the cigar?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you have any strikes in your time?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No—no strikes at that time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How were they to work for at that time?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: The company were all right to work for—they treated everybody good—as far, as long as I worked there. I know I was treated all right—a job at that time was a job, and you had to have a job. You had work—so that—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How were the conditions? Did you have coffee breaks?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh no, at that time, no coffee breaks at that time—no, no you got there in the morning and worked until dinnertime, then went back to work.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you have to dress any specific way?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, no.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I understand the ladies had to wear certain aprons.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Aprons, yeah. I'll tell you in that wet room we had to wear rubber aprons and boots—rubber aprons and boots, because we were always in that water.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How about overtime? Was there work for overtime?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well I know some of them did, but I never did—just 8 hours—no overtime.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How many floors did they have?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Just three floors—just like it is now, Ansco.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You worked on the first floor?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I worked on the first floor—that's where the tobacco came in, and that's—the second floor—that's where they stored all the tobacco—that's where they hung all the tobacco up there where they got from the boxcars—and what they had on the top floor, I don't know. Maybe another part of the factory, I never saw it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Therefore, most people were working on the first floor.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, they had a lot of people on the second floor too, like putting on that tobacco—when we needed tobacco—they would send it down to us.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did they hang this tobacco?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well the tobacco comes in bunches, 3-4-5 pieces together, and separate it and hang it on the wire—hand it down so it would stay—it would stay that way.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: After you dipped it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes—so—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How long did this tobacco have to dry before you can use it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh, not too long—not too long after we dipped it—maybe because we didn't put too much water on it—just barely touched the water and get it up quickly—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Just dipped it into water or spray it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Dipped it—yes, on the bottom, and tipped it over in a hurry so just a little bit of water was on it, rolled down because if you had too much water on tobacco it would turn tobacco black.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Is that right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Too much water on it—then we would leave it there, shake it off good so all the moisture would be off—then we would hand it up on the wire until the women were ready for it. Too much water, it—the thing would turn it black right away. That means—they're no good—well—not good—but they would have to wait 6-8 hours before they dried up good before they can be used—you have to be very careful with the tobacco.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Imagine—because it is so thin—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes, because it is so thin and fine—that's—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Supposing that the ladies worked on the cigar and they found a defect—what would they do about it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh, if there was a leaf with a rip on it or something, they would throw it out—yeah—put it on the side—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What would they do? Make a cheaper cigar?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: They would probably have it dry out and use it for the inside, because the outside has to be nice and smooth—have a perfect leaf—but the inside, you can put any kind of leaf.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Who would know?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: That's right—you would crumble it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: When you do see a cigar, you do see a hole through the center. How is that—is that the way it was rolled?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I don't know—that the way it is rolled—hole is not—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: There is a man who works with me, and I noticed the hole in his cigars—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I don't know. I never seen them roll it, but I don't know how that hole gets there—I think it is the inside tobacco—how it rolls there—you fold that tobacco leaf and you get that hole there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did they use a mold? Machine—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, they didn't use a mold at that time. There was no mold—just a thing you just rolled around the thing, you laid your tobacco on it here—like a ridge—yes, like a ridge—little ridge—your tobacco went under that and kept rolling around.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was it a machine that was rolling it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes, that's the machine what kept it tight, leaf on top.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I was told when there was a reject in a cigar—you had to put a piece on the cigar—paste a piece on a cigar—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I don’t know, I never done that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Must be you never got to end of the line.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: See, we were only in our room most of the time. What they were doing, patching it up—I don't know how they done it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You just know the first part of it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: We were just starting it off—getting it ready for the—like I said, we were not allowed to run around the factory, just had to stay in our own department.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you know of any other factories around? I understand they had several cigar factories around Binghamton.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I don’t know. I didn't pay too much attention—I don’t know if they had any other factories around or not.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you have to commute to work? Did you live in Endicott?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yes. Streetcar—streetcars—going all the way up.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How much did they charge for a fare?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I forgot. It wasn’t much—it wasn't much. The streetcar took you to Emma Street, then catch it on Emma Street to Endicott.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: When did you start working?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Seven o’clock.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: And you worked ’til when?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Four o'clock—yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you bring your own lunch?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, brought your own lunch. They had no cafeteria then at that time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You cannot recall any other kind of cigar beside White Owl and William Penn that were made?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I don't know what kind of cigars were made. I guess they made a lot of different kinds, put different names on them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was one better than the other?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was your boss a nice man to work for?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yeah, he was a nice man.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did he look over your shoulder when you were working?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, no. Any time you wanted to ask him a question, he always told you what to do and everything. He was older—he was about 60 years old at that time—he was with the company—he always, tobacco—always got a tobacco leaf, put it in his mouth and chewed it. Heck of a nice fellow. I guess he came up here when they moved up here.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: He was a good advertiser, right? I heard from several people that they were very good to their workers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: They were, they were.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: The workers did not seem to complain about bosses as they do now.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: They were—especially our boss—never bawled you out for anything, even if you done wrong—like once in a while you put too much water on it, he would come over and tell us to forget about it. Next time, watch what you are doing—take it—put it over here and let it dry out.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That was nice—no pressure, really—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, really there was no pressure—was nice working for them. Of course, that time anyway, you had to work someplace. There wasn't much work anyway.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You had to work—wasn't there other places you could work beside the cigar factory?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, yes—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What was the reason people went to work for the cigar factory? Was it better paying?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, you couldn't get a job nowhere else. You had to look wherever you could get a job.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Jobs were that scarce.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Jobs were that scarce, yeah. So after I worked there a couple of years I started to go looking around for another job—well the Depression came after that, so that there was no job for nobody.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How was it during the Depression?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Terrible.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Let's talk about it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I was walking the streets for days, froze my ears looking for jobs, went to IBM—hundred time a week—thrown out of IBM—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Really?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yeah, locked the door, wouldn’t let me come in no more.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What reason? No work? Is that it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No work. Then I go to EJ’s—I was back and forth to IBM—that was that time it was the International, small factory up there that was just making cards on McKinley Ave. What the heck did they call it then—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was it Time recorder?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: They made time clocks and cards, punch cards, there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: They were manufacturing clocks?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: At that time, I was back and forth—EJ and IBM—trying to find jobs, then I went to Collingwood’s and found a job there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Endicott Johnson?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: That was different—that was a part of George F. [Johnson]'s brother-in-law, running Collingwood's.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What were they doing there?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Shoes, they were making shoes for Endicott Johnson.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I thought they were doing something else down there?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, they made shoes all the time—then George F. wanted his brother-in-law to sell it to him. The brother-in-law said, “No, I can make a go of it.” You know, George F. used to come down there 2 or 3 times a week.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was he friendly with the workers?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yes, I put in 19 years there and 28 years more in EJ.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Where did you work in EJ?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: All over—West Endicott, Johnson City, and Binghamton.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What was your first job at EJ? Collingwood?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Wetting outsoles, to soften them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did you do that?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Put them in the water, let them soak for 15 or 20 minutes, and then take them out and put them on the rack.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: And then they were distributed to the workers?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Right.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What were your other jobs? Explain the procedures.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: From wetting soles I went in the mauler—hang up uppers—that's the leather—for a while—from there to tacking insoles.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did you tack insoles?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: They put them on a wooden shoe—insole on top of a wooden shoe, and tack it with tacks on—a machine put leather over that, and that is how they made a shoe. After that I went to toe lasting—then I was toe lasting ever since until I retired.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was this at Collingwood?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No—part in Collingwood, part in EJ—for 28 years lasted toes for plastic shoes for EJ.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was that at Fine Welt?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, I was up to Binghamton, up—hecks, Christ, they took that bridge and they put that road in there now, up on Susquehanna Street—had a shoe store—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: BB Factory?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes. From there I come to Pioneer Factory in Johnson City and then they started to close them up, and I went to Endicott there to Johnson Welt, then from there I come down to Fairplay Factory, now Alpine, now, where I retired.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What did you do, the same thing, bed lasting?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes, bed lasting.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Explain the procedure of bed lasting.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, they put the shoe—well now, you put the shoe in the machine and the machine does all the work.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Is that right? How was it done before?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Before, you had to put the shoe in upside down, pull your wipers in and get that leather nice and smooth around and put the wire around it—to hold the leather over the shoe until the toe trimmer gets it—trims it off—guy sews the welt on—welt is sewed right around the shoe.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Uppers next?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, uppers are already on. The welt is sewed on, then it goes up to other guys to put sole on the sole—another job, sew leather onto sole to welt, and that's how your shoe is made.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You really had quite a few jobs.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yeah, I had quite a few shoe jobs.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I'm sure you would be a good representative for Endicott Johnson.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yeah, I went all over—done everything in a shoe factory. I could start a shoe and finish it right off—right on through.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Certainly, because you have had the experience of working in EJ and Collingwood for 47 years. Do you have any recollections of the shoe and cigar industries?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, that's about it—what I went through my lifetime working in the cigar factory and shoe industry.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Going back to the cigar factory—did they not make cigarettes, pipe tobacco? Maybe in another factory?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, I think they had another factory down south.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was it a subsidiary of this factory?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, they probably made something else down there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Do you have any idea when the factory on Emma Street was closed?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, it closed about one year or two after I left.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You started to work around 1927, and about Depression time it was closed—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, I think so, around the Depression time—sometimes—because there were no jobs to be had by nobody at that time. I would still have been working there if they had not closed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What do you remember during the Depression times?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, it was tough—nothing to be had.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Maybe you can tell us something of your home life during Depression times.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, there wasn't much of a home life during Depression times. Everyone was looking for jobs and had to get along with what we had.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Where did you live? Here or on a farm?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I lived on McKinley Ave. Endicott. In the factory, them guys that had jobs in EJ—why, half times they had work and half they didn't. They played pinochle or rummy or something just waiting for work to come around. Yeah, some of the guys make 5-6 dollars a week—$10 a week, depends on what kind of job you had. Nothing is going.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Gosh, how did they survive if they had big families?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: They got around, they made it somehow. I don’t know how they made it, somehow.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did you manage with a big family?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: We had a big family, but there was some in the family who were working too. We didn't cook steaks, anything like that, but we had at home, like potatoes and buttermilk, like that haluski, she made her own bread, and everything like that. Of course you could’ve gone down to EJ—they had a restaurant—and buy a loaf of bread for 3¢. EJ gave shoes to the family that worked for EJ, for their kids. At one time, they gave fruit away. EJ gave lots of stuff away—anything they thought was good, why, they gave away.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Your home here—is this an EJ home?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you buy this home through EJ?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, through EJ.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you get a cheaper mortgage?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes. For this one here I paid $9,200.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did you finance it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: They took it out of my pay—$10 a week they were taking out of my pay for the house. We had to put a little down payment that I saved after I came home from service—then you put $1000 down—rest was $1 a week—then they raised it up to $15 a week after a few years, up until it was paid for.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You didn't have to pay carrying charges.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, that’s it. You didn't have to pay that interest.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What else did EJ do? Did they have a credit union? Sort of deduction of wages for saving?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Not that I know of. All I know is mortgage on the house. EJ used to do a lot for this town. They had those Labor Day things at the park, carnival and things, and everything for people in Endicott, had banquets about every week. He was certainly very good to their workers, were good to the workers—yeah—that is why they couldn't get a union here—because EJ was too good to them. They tried about 100 times but couldn’t get in.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I guess they had faith in Mr. George F.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes, up until Frank took over. He's the one who ruined the company—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Frank was his son—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, he was Charlie's son. So after that, the company was going downhill after Frank took over—that went all to pieces, then I guess he didn't have that compassion. He didn't care for the company in the first place. He was one of these guys—well, he had it made, so he didn't care. He wasn’t paying attention to the workers. Everybody was doing whatever they wanted to—right.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: The boss wasn't there to take care of the store.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: He didn't know how to run it, anyway. He didn’t know nothing about the business—he didn't even try to learn about the business.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I heard he started from the bottom to learn the business.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: He started. He was in the factory, trying—he didn't care for it. He didn’t pay any attention to it—so.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: It was a shame because it is a nice business.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: That's it. He got in the hole so much, they had to start selling factories to pay all the creditors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Andy, do you have any more recollections?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I'm trying to think. All I can say, I enjoyed all these years anyway—work was bad or work was not bad—I had good times.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Where did your father work? Endicott Johnson?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, he died in Pennsylvania during World War I. I was a kid—probably about a couple years old.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did he work in the mines?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yeah, he had the flu—he died from the flu.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Well, tell me about your family. Let's see, you had four children—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, two boys and two girls. Five grandchildren—they are all in good health as far as I know.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Your son is working in IBM?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yes, IBM—manager in IBM. And the other son, he is a boss in Berwick, PA—where they’re building that nuclear plant down there. That's a mammoth building.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What is he, an engineer?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, he was a plumber. He took up plumbing and air conditioning while in the service, in the Air Force. So he was a plumber for 2 or 3 years—finally he heard of this job down there, so he went down there four years ago and was hired because they needed plumbers down there, and he was doing a heck of a good job. His work was good, every time they inspected it he was A-1 all the time—this past year they made him a boss down there, ’cause he knew what was going on and knew his job good.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: This nuclear plant—a lot of people are against this nuclear plant being around here, aren't they?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: They are—but will be for the future—that's what he says—that's one of the coming things. They are going to have them and they are going to build them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Is this something we should have, as many are against them in our area?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, they are talking about it—but he says that's the thing that is gonna be built. That one there, that he was working on for 3 years or 4 years, and he says they have 6-7 more years’ work on it. That's what he said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How big is a plant like that?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh—Christ—that's a mammoth thing. He brings pictures home once in a while to show it to me. The last one he brought home, the plant was only 1/3 built and he said there were some people down there on the grid and they were only that high (explanation was comparable as to 1 inch of a picture of a person) compared to that plant—just a big mammoth thing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Does it take up a large area?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yeah, big area.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What is this going to be for? Energy?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, that's what they are building it for, energy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: In other words this is something we will be having—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Yeah, he says there is no danger of that thing blowing up or anything like that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How come they say there is?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Well, if they do something wrong or something, or don't hook it up right, something—then that way—but he says if you hook up everything right there's no danger to it. I think he ought to know, he works there. He knows what to do.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: It sounds interesting.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh, that kind of work is interesting.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I think a lot of these boys who had gone into the service, picking up or learned a trade—when they got out of the service they got good jobs.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: That's what my son did. He didn't want to go to college—well my other son, Andy, he didn’t want to go to college—he joined the service, Air Force too. He spent 3-4 years and then he came out. He didn’t take up anything, though he was in there, but he went to school. He came home, then he said, “Geez, I better go to college and learn something.” So he got a job and started going to night school. After that he went to IBM—he's good now—he’s a good manager of IBM. My other son, there, took plumbing and heating, like I said, in the service for 4 years, like that's what he done while he was there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Tey teach them a trade?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Oh yes, that’s what he did. They taught him a trade in there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What do your daughters do? Are they in school?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: No, they're working for EJ, office work.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: And your wife works for GE?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: GE.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Are you retired?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I'm retired. Taking life easy—play golf every day in summertime, bowl in wintertime. I'm enjoying life now.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Getting your exercises?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Right—enjoying life now—so that is the way it should be.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Andy, it sounds like you had a full life—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: I did, I did. I enjoyed every bit of it. I had some bad times, I had some good times. Mostly good times.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Have to forget about the bad ones, right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: Forget about the bad ones. That's life—just think about the good times.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Andy, anything else you want to tell me?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andy: That's about it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Well, Andy, thanks a lot. I appreciate very much your giving me your time.</span></p>
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Interview with Andrew Goida
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Goida, Andrew -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Binghamton (N.Y.); Cigar industry; Depressions -- 1929; Endicott Johnson Corporation -- Employees -- Interviews; Ansco Company;
Endicott Johnson Corporation -- Housing Program
Description
An account of the resource
Andrew Goida talks about working in a cigar factory in Binghamton, NY. He mentions that his brother and mother both worked there and details his specific job as a leaf-wetter at the cigar factory, which was in the building later owned by Ansco Company. He discusses the Great Depression and how it affected his ability to work and job availability around Binghamton. He found work at the Endicott Johnson Shoe Company. He also discusses his children's employment.
Publisher
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Binghamton University Libraries
Rights
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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audio/mp3
Language
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English
Type
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Sound
Identifier
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Recording 28
Contributor
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Goida, Andrew ; Politylo, Nettie
Date
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1978-01-02
Date Modified
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2016-03-27
Is Part Of
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Broome County Oral History Project
Extent
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46:03 Minutes
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Broome County Oral History Project
Subject
The topic of the resource
Broome County -- History
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Binghamton University Libraries
Description
An account of the resource
The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In copyright
Contributor
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Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1977-1978
Relation
A related resource
<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
Template: Simple Audio Player with Transcription
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Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
Cinotti, Angelina
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview
Politylo, Nettie
Date of Interview
1978-05-26
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2016-03-27
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
29:47 Minutes
Streaming Audio
Streaming URL
<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE55886">Interview with Angelina Cinotti</a>
Subject LCSH
Cinotti, Angelina -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Immigrants -- Interviews; Cider industry; Family-owned business enterprises; Endicott Johnson Corporation -- Employees -- Interviews; Cider Mill; Cider Mill Playhouse; Italians
Accessibility
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Binghamton University Libraries is working very hard to create transcriptions of all audio/visual media present on this site. If you require a specific transcription for accessibility purposes, you may contact us at <a href="mailto:orb@binghamton.edu">orb@binghamton.edu</a>.
Transcription
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<p><b>Broome County Oral History Project</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interview with: Angelina Cinotti</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interviewed by: Nettie Politylo</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Date of interview: 26 May 1978</span></p>
<br />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: This is Nettie Politylo, interviewer, talking to Angelina Cinotti of 600 Oak Hill Avenue, Endicott, NY, on May 26, 1978. Ang, will you tell us something about your life and experiences in the community?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Well, my parents came from Chicano, Italy—that's a little town near Rome. They were very poor peasant people—so, Pa said he wasn't going to bring up his family to live as poor as he was. So, he heard about America, so he got some money, enough money together for just his trip to come and see what it was like. So, he went first to Scranton, PA, and worked on the railroad, I think, it was—I'm not too sure—and he stayed, he worked long enough to make enough money to send for my mother and my three brothers, who were born in Chicano, Italy, too: Tony, Philip and Lawrence. I think Tony was something like 10, Philip was 8, Lawrence maybe was 7, or 6 or 7, they were—maybe over, I'm not sure—but they came with my mother. It took them, I think, twenty days on the ship—it's a long trip—nothing like it is now, eight hours—and they went to Scranton. My mother hated it. She didn't unpack her trunk for a year because she was going back. Well, anyway, things weren't that great in Scranton. They heard about this Endicott where you could work, I think in the shoe—some of the shoe factory—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dominick [Ang’s husband]: —shoe factories—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: You could work in the shoe factories and tannery there and make a better living there—so they came here and they liked it—so they built a house on Squires Ave. and there were seven of us altogether. Ah—my sister Mary was the first one born in America—then there’s Louis, me and Angelo—that's five boys and two girls. So, they all grew up and worked in EJ—that was the only place that—language barrier, you know—you couldn't get jobs except if you could work with your hands. And, after the boys grew up and learned a little more, the language—and Tony was the first one to go out and get into the coal business—from there, he bought some property on Nanticoke Ave., and on this property was an old cider mill that wasn't being used. And—ah—he took that out, cleaned it up, and started to make cider. The farmers used to come down on Saturday and bring their own apples and they'd make the cider—they charged something like 5 cents a gallon, put it in barrels, and the business grew and grew—and then they invested in a larger press because the one they had was, you know, real old-fashioned, ah—not very efficient—and it got better and better every year and it was going along fine, then Tony died in an accident. The boys took over the business. They got into the oil business and the boys kept up the cider business—Orlando, especially, is the one that, ah—that was more interested in it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He had remodeled and it's going fine, and then one year, there was a </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">bad</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> fire and it burned down—all the old-fashioned—you know, all the nice atmosphere—yeah—but ah—they didn't know what to do—whether to just close it down, but then, the man from the New York State, ah—that have, you know that they have the Places of Interest—came down and asked if they wouldn't keep it open—because it was something unusual to have a cider mill around, you know, so they rebuilt it and I guess, you know, it was going fine. One day—I don't know if it was a student or one of the people from SUNY—came, looked around. He said, “Gee, it was a nice place to have a summer theater." Orlando showed him the big warehouse space, way in the back, and when they saw that, they knew. That's how the summer theater started there. They came down, fixed it all up, and that's how they got the summer playhouse.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Ang, going back to the cider mill—can you tell me the procedure, how they made the cider there?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Yeah, let's see, I used to see them—there's like a conveyor—the apples go up this conveyor, and all while the apples are going up the conveyor, there's water running down, washing the apples—they had to be washed. [Chimes ringing.] Then the apples would be, would be dumped into a grinder, big grinder, after that's ground up, just like, almost like, ah—a food blender that you have, and then they would open up that container and let that mash fall on onto these big cloths that were under the press—no—this would be the press—this cloth—and they would let this pulp fall on there, and there would be a press that would squeeze the juice, and the juice would be gathered into a barrel. That's how you make your apple cider.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That was very interesting!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Very simple. And nothing—you know—that 's what's nice about it—pure apple juice—yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I also noticed you sold vegetables. Did you—doughnuts?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: For a while we tried the vegetables—oh! Doughnuts was the big thing. They decided to try the doughnuts for one year—and that </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">really</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was a big success. The people would come in—we couldn’t keep up—I used to work there—and we couldn't keep up with the customers, they would be—three and four deep—wanting those hot doughnuts. They tried vegetable produce, that didn't go over so well—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: They had supermarkets for that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Yes—well—that was a nice thought, but—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you get involved in the actual making of the doughnut?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: No, no, I never did. You could see them make it—you know—if you go down there—the machine does most of the work.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You had a, quite a variety.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Yeah—cinnamon, plain, sugared—then they’d make the candied apple—they’d make them right there. Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How were the prices?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Oh, I haven't worked there for about five years—I don't know.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How about the prices then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: The apples were two for 25 cents—I think. The donuts were like $1.20 a dozen—but gone up a lot now. Cider, about 80 cents a gallon—now, a lot more.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Ang, when your brother first bought the original cider mill, were they making cider?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: They were not using it anymore—they—ah. He wasn't actually selling the cider—no, we never sold any—all it was, only customer milling—all it was, the farmers came in on Saturday and made their own. That’s all it was.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: It was a big business—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: No, no. I remember once we had an idea. My brother Tony said, "I wonder if we'd sell some cider here—you know, if people would buy it.” I said, “Let's try putting some out." When we did, I then sold two gallons that day. After, you know, when it got, you know, when it got fixed up and everything, I think, too, how many gallons they did sell a day? I can't even—a lot.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: It was really prosperous—was very nice.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Yeah, it was funny because two gallons—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Yes, from two gallons you got up to many thousands, right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: I think so. I'm sure they sold thousands of gallons in a day—easy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you tell me, this Chicano is where your people came from?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Uh—huh. Chicano.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What year?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: 1912—maybe. I could look on the passport—it's around that time. So that's all.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Well, you went to the high school in Endicott, right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Yeah, Union Endicott. Then my brother, Angelo went into business—he had the Endwell Motel in Endicott. Philip has always been an electrician, besides working in the factory. I don't know what else.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You're involved in—how about telling me about the North Side? Do you have anything interesting to tell about—a long time ago?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Maybe. Dom [her husband] can tell you a lot about that. Just the side from how it has grown—this used to be a farm, where we live now, right here. Now we are in the middle of town—where all those houses are, we used to have cows—we used to take them to the pasture —now they’re filled up. When we moved up to this house they said, “You are up on a farm.” There was nothing here—this was the only house except Ketchak's.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Ang, do you belong to any clubs?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Not really—church clubs. Choir.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What church was that?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: St. Anthony's. I was in the church choir for years—I always like to sing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Is there anything else you want to tell me?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ang: Right now, I can't think of a thing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Ang, thank you very much for what you have told me. I appreciate it very much.</span></p>
Rights Statement
This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Interview with Angelina Cinotti
Subject
The topic of the resource
Cinotti, Angelina -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Immigrants -- Interviews; Cider industry; Family-owned business enterprises; Endicott Johnson Corporation -- Employees -- Interviews; Cider Mill; Cider Mill Playhouse; Italians
Description
An account of the resource
Angelina Cinotti talks about her family and her parents emigration from Chicano, Italy and the family's service for Endicott-Johnson after settlement. She discusses her siblings' professions and the development of the family's business - The <a href="http://www.cidermillendicott.com/index.html">Cider Mill</a> - which is still a prominent historical spot for locals and schoolchildren. It now also hosts the SUNY theatre in the Cider Mill Playhouse.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Binghamton University Libraries
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
Format
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audio/mp3
Language
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English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Recording 13
Contributor
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Cinotti, Angelina ; Politylo, Nettie
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1978-05-26
Date Modified
Date on which the resource was changed.
2016-03-27
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Broome County Oral History Project
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
29:47 Minutes
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Broome County Oral History Project
Subject
The topic of the resource
Broome County -- History
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Binghamton University Libraries
Description
An account of the resource
The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In copyright
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1977-1978
Relation
A related resource
<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
Template: Simple Audio Player with Transcription
This template displays an audio player by Amplitude.js with a scrollable transcription which is loaded from a metadata field.
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
DiVittorio, Angelo
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview
O'Neil, Dan
Date of Interview
1977-11-28
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2016-03-27
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
14:58 Minutes
Streaming Audio
Streaming URL
<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE56955">Interview with Angelo DiVittorio</a>
Accessibility
Copy/Paste below:
Binghamton University Libraries is working very hard to create transcriptions of all audio/visual media present on this site. If you require a specific transcription for accessibility purposes, you may contact us at <a href="mailto:orb@binghamton.edu">orb@binghamton.edu</a>.
Binghamton University Libraries is working very hard to create transcriptions of all audio/visual media present on this site. If you require a specific transcription for accessibility purposes, you may contact us at <a href="mailto:orb@binghamton.edu">orb@binghamton.edu</a>.
Transcription
Any written text transcribed from a sound, or alternative text from a visual medium
Broome County Oral History Project
Interview with: Angelo DiVittorio
Interviewed by: Dan O’Neil
Date of interview: 28 November 1977
Dan: OK, Ang, to start out this interview, would you give me the date you immigrated to this country and the reason why you came?
Ang: I arrive in New York April 29, 1921, the reason to better myself than I was in Italy.
Dan: OK, and ah, you stopped at Ellis Island before you entered the country?
Ang: Yes, and from there went right to Rochester, New York.
Dan: OK, and what happened at Ellis Island?
Ang: Well, it seems the doctor thought I was sick and he wouldn’t let me out. Finally my cousin who was with me could speak English, and he talked the doctor into letting me out because my brother would take care of me in the event I was sick, which I wasn't.
Dan: OK, and you couldn’t speak any English?
Ang: Not a word.
Dan: Now what reason was it for you to come? Did you have a relative in the country?
Ang: Yes, I had my brother in Rochester, NY.
Dan: Your brother in Rochester.
Ang: My father was also there.
Dan: Oh, your father was also here.
Ang: Yes.
Dan: OK, so you went to Rochester, and then what did you do there?
Ang: Well I was barbering—I took up barbering in Italy so I continued barbering—then one day I had a chance to come to Endicott, NY. Somebody asked me to come. I said, “Yeah.” I figured, make a little change, and I came to Endicott NY, then from Endicott, NY—
Dan: OK, then you went to Endicott. Who did you work for there?
Ang: I worked for James D'Adamo.
Dan: James D’Adamo. In what year was that?
Ang: 1922.
Dan: 1922, OK. So you were only up to Rochester about a year before you came here?
Ang: Just about a year.
Dan: OK, now how many chairs were in that barbershop?
Ang: Three.
Dan: Three—OK, now at that time it was 1922. What was the price of haircuts then?
Ang: 50¢.
Dan: 50¢.
Ang: At the better shops.
Dan: At the better shops, yeah. What were they at the poorer shops?
Ang: 35.
Dan: 35. OK, now you worked for another gentleman who owns the shop, and haircuts were 50¢—did you work on a commission basis?
Ang: Yes, 70%, I was getting 70%.
Dan: You were getting 70% of the 50¢. OK, during that time were there any notables in anything whose hair you cut?
Ang: Oh yes, George F. Johnson, all the time.
Dan: You cut George F. Johnson's hair?
Ang: All the time.
Dan: Is that right?
Ang: Yeah, he was my customer.
Dan: He was your customer, yeah—so in other words, you more or less established your own clientele there?
Ang: Oh yes.
Dan: Now how long were you there in Endicott?
Ang: Oh, up to 1944.
Dan: 1944.
Ang: When I moved to Binghamton.
Dan: Then you moved to Binghamton, and in Binghamton you went to work for who?
Ang: I went to work for Mr. Ferrante, better known as G.G.
Dan: G.G. Is that capital G capital G?
Ang: Yes.
Dan: OK, and how long did you work for him?
Ang: I worked for him from 1944.
Dan: Up until the time you retired?
Ang: Up ’til the time I retired, yes. No, I worked for somebody else after that. Ah, I just can't remember what year G.G. sold out, ’cause he died and then I start working for Frank Battaglia, Frank's Barber Shop. Then from there went to work for Joe Trovalli—he's the last guy I worked for on Court Street.
Dan: Oh, he was the last one you worked for.
Ang: Yes.
Dan: Oh, I thought maybe it was Frank.
Ang: No, no, Trovalli was the last one I worked for.
Dan: Now were the shops unionized, Ang?
Ang: Ah, some was and some wasn't, but last one, no. But when I worked for Frank's Barber Shop it was.
Dan: Frank was unionized.
Ang: Yes.
Dan: Yeah.
Ang: But Joe Trovalli was never unionized.
Dan: Now do you recall now, you retired when you were 62, is that right?
Ang: 65.
Dan: Oh, you were 65.
Ang: Ah, 65.
Dan: Did you notice at that time a decline in business due to the advent of the long hair and the full beards?
Ang: Very very much.
Dan: Very very much, huh?
Ang: Matter of fact, a lot of the shops were closing because of that.
Dan: Yeah, so in other words you got out just in time.
Ang: Just in time—I have this little place here, a few old patients, customers.
Dan: In other words, you built up your own clientele here in Binghamton.
Ang: That’s right.
Dan: That’s good. OK, now at the time you came to Binghamton, which was in 1922, or came to Endicott, rather, were there any tobacco factories in existence at that time?
Ang: Yes, there was one in Johnson City.
Dan: One in Johnson City—do you know anything at all about it?
Ang: I didn't know nothing about it. The only thing I know, they were making cigars there.
Dan: That’s the only thing. You don't know or remember where in Johnson City.
Ang: Someplace on Main Street.
Dan: Someplace on Main Street, OK.
Ang: And off of Main someplace.
Dan: All right, now when you came to Binghamton, your church affiliation was...?
Ang: St. Mary’s the Assumption.
Dan: St. Mary’s Assumption on Court and—
Ang: Hawley and—
Dan: —Hawley and Fayette Streets.
Ang: Hawley and Fayette Streets.
Dan: Right, and the pastor was?
Ang: Father Pellegrini.
Dan: He was the founder, I believe.
Ang: He was the founder of that church.
Dan: And some years later they merged with St. Mary’s on Court Street.
Ang: Prior to that he left for Italy.
Dan: He left for Italy?
Ang: Father Pellegrini died there—then some years later they merged with the Irish church up there.
Dan: Do you know anything about the Committee of Concern at all—how that came into being?
Ang: Well I guess there was a bunch of fellows that thought they should have an Italian church built at the old place, but they blamed Father Conway—he wasn't to blame.
Dan: In other words, they wanted their own national church—is that it? Is that the reason for it?
Ang: Yeah, that’s it.
Dan: That was the reason for it, yeah. How did you happen to have George F. Johnson as a customer? Was that right from the beginning in Endicott?
Ang: Yeah, right from the beginning because we were already on Washington Ave., which was the Main Street in Endicott, and on his way to work he used to come by there, park his car diagonally there. If I call him in he'd come in—otherwise, if I say no, he kept right on going, see.
Dan: In other words, you had to call him to come in?
Ang: No, but you see if he didn't want to wait there very long, see.
Dan: Oh, I see.
Ang: If I call him it means—
Dan: It means that you had a chair open.
Ang: That’s right, or I be, I be ready in a few minutes—didn't want to wait too long. And then when he gets sick I used to go shave him home, cut his hair and all.
Dan: Oh is that right? Where or how often did you do that?
Ang: Well, whenever he call me, whenever.
Dan: Oh, whenever he got sick he called you. You went right to the house and cut his hair.
Ang: Right in his bathroom was all mirrors, all the way around the room.
Dan: Is that right?
Ang: Yep.
Dan: Any of the other Johnsons?
Ang: Yes, George W. and his son Frank used to be my customers and once in a while, I don't recall the other Johnson—he used to be in a different kind of business. But anyway, the other brother, once in a while he used to come in, I don't recall, some kind of business up on North Street there.
Dan: Yeah, yeah, how about the IBM? Anybody from the IBM? Did you know Tom Watson at all?
Ang: I work on Tom Watson Jr.
Dan: Oh, you worked on Tom Watson Jr.?
Ang: I cut his hair and a few of the big boys over there like Don Ross and so many I can't think of them, but I work on a lot of those boys.
Dan: Of course in those days they had facials too.
Ang: Yeah, some days, yeah.
Dan: How were tips in those days?
Ang: Not too good.
Dan: Not too good.
Ang: Not too good in those days.
Dan: In other words, if a haircut was 50¢, why, then the tip would be what? A nickel or a dime?
Ang: Or nothing.
Dan: Or nothing—George F. must have given you something.
Ang: Oh, he always tipped—always.
Dan: And you charged the same if you went to the house to cut his hair?
Ang: Ah, no, we used to charge more, I forget how much—at the house we charge more.
Dan: So you retired in 1965 and you have been working out of your home here?
Ang: Yes.
Dan: Ah, anything else you can tell me at all, Ang, about any notables whose hair you cut? Anything about the barbershops in the old, which are different than they are today, of course, outside of the fact that you've got just hairstylists today?
Ang: That’s all, that’s all there is—the barbers are just broke.
Dan: They're just going broke. Back in Italy you learned your trade?
Ang: Yes, I started when I was nine years old.
Dan: Nine years old.
Ang: Nine years old.
Dan: And learning it or—
Ang: And learning.
Dan: Like did you go to school?
Ang: No, go right in the barbershop over there—it’s different.
Dan: Sort of like an apprenticeship?
Ang: That’s right, for three months I did nothing but leather faces.
Dan: Leather faces.
Ang: After three months I started giving haircuts and shaves.
Dan: Is that right?
Ang: Yeah.
Dan: Where did you get the customers to practice on?
Ang: Well, see, during the summertime over there, was so hot, everybody got their hair cut off, see, so I used to practice on first and then I would just clip them right off. Didn't make any different.
Dan: Yeah.
Ang: As far as shave, it came easy.
Dan: Yeah, OK, now the barbershops, now, are operated under the Health Department—the NY State Health Department?
Ang: Yes.
Dan: And it had to be registered every year, or is it biennial registration?
Ang: Every two years.
Dan: Every two years.
Ang: Every two years, had to have a license.
Dan: Biennial, yeah, and did you have to take any exam when you came over here?
Ang: No, no, I didn't. See, when the license bill came out, all the barbers who could prove they were barbers didn’t have to take exam.
Dan: And how would they prove that? By just—
Ang: Well, just tell them where they worked for year and that’s it—but those that didn’t, then they had to take a test.
Dan: Then they had to take a test, I see. So in other words, it was either serving an apprenticeship for a year and being approved by the State or else you had to take a test, right?
Ang: Well, you serve an apprenticeship for eighteen months.
Dan: Oh, eighteen months.
Ang: Then after they take a test.
Dan: I see.
Ang: If you're OK to go barbering, they let you go—otherwise you go to school again.
Dan: In other words, this gentleman who owned the barbershop in Endicott, it was up to him to approve you as an accredited barber, is that it?
Ang: That I was there over a year.
Dan: For over a year.
Ang: That’s all you needed.
Dan: And then he said you were all right and then you got your license—and how about today? Is it about the same?
Ang: About the same, yeah. Before you get through, I want to say something.
Dan: Go ahead, Ang.
Ang: This will be the last. It seems though, a lot of IBM salesmen came from all over the world, see, and one of these fellows was from Italy and he had a partner, roommate by the name of Smitty, see, and all the time Smitty was kidding him, trying to kid him, but he couldn't kid him—he was so smart, see—so one day they both came in the shop for a haircut, see, and Smitty, he was trying to kid him by calling him “Dago,” “Ginny,” all that, and this Italian fellow, he just laughed at him, see, and ah, so this Italian fellow says to me, “Io lo porto a passeggio,” which is a term we don't use in Italy, and Smitty asked me, “What did he say?” So I said, “Just a minute,” and I have to translate it in English, and I started to laugh, and I laughed and I laughed. He says, “What you laughing at?”
“He says he's taking you for a ride.”
He says, “And how he is.” He says, “I been trying to kid him since I been here, but,” he says, “I always get burned up instead of him.”
Dan: That’s a good story, Ang.
Ang: Yeah, very good.
Dan: You didn't speak any English at all when you came over, did you?
Ang: No, nothing.
Dan: Did you have to pick it up as you went along?
Ang: I went to school, night school, Rochester, for a year, yeah. School #9, Joseph Fallon, Rochester, NY.
Dan: You know, it seems to be, quite a few of the barbershops that were around during the days they were flourishing seemed to have been run by Italians. Was that a very popular trade in Italy at that time?
Ang: I guess they had most, a lot of Italians took the trade. Like for instance me, and my father was a bricklayer or a stone mason by trade, but I was very ill when, during the First World War, had malaria, flu and typhoid fever, so was too weak to learn his trade, so he had me learn the barber business.
Dan: So you served in the First World War?
Ang: No I didn't, I was too young when I got sick.
Dan: Oh, I see.
Ang: Then they had the flu, I also had typhoid and flu, typhoid and malaria.
Dan: What part of Italy did you come from?
Ang: Sicily.
Dan: Sicily. Well, Ang, I guess that’s about it.
Ang: OK, Danny.
Dan: Thank you very much.
Ang: Glad to oblige.
Subject LCSH
DiVittorio, Angelo -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Immigrants -- Interviews; Barbers -- Interviews; Rochester (N.Y.); Endicott (N.Y.); Binghamton (N.Y); Johnson, George F. (George Francis), 1857-1948; Religion
Rights Statement
This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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Interview with Angelo DiVittorio
Subject
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DiVittorio, Angelo -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Immigrants -- Interviews; Barbers -- Interviews; Rochester (N.Y.); Endicott (N.Y.); Binghamton (N.Y); Johnson, George F. (George Francis), 1857-1948; Religion
Description
An account of the resource
Angelo DiVittorio talks about emigrating from Italy and working as a barber in Rochester and Endicott, NY. He discusses working for 22 years in Endicott before moving to Binghamton to work until retirement and that George F. Johnson was a customer. He also speaks about his faith and religious figures in Binghamton and the changing pace of his business.
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Binghamton University Libraries
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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audio/mp3
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English
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Recording 16
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DiVittorio, Angelo ; O'Neil, Dan
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1977-11-28
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2016-03-27
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Broome County Oral History Project
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14:58 Minutes
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Title
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Broome County Oral History Project
Subject
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Broome County -- History
Publisher
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Binghamton University Libraries
Description
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The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
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2
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In copyright
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Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
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1977-1978
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<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
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Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
Elwood, Ann
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview
Dobandi, Susan
Date of Interview
1978-09-08
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2016-03-27
Duration
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16:43 Minutes
Streaming Audio
Streaming URL
<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE55898">Interview with Ann Elwood</a>
Subject LCSH
Elwood, Ann -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Clerks of court -- Interviews; Bridgeville (Del.); Franklin Forks (Pa.); New York (State). Legislature. Senate; Binghamton (N.Y.); Businesswomen -- Interviews; Albany (N.Y.); World War, 1939-1945 -- War work -- Red Cross; Women -- Societies and clubs; Political clubs; Lowell School of Business
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Binghamton University Libraries is working very hard to create transcriptions of all audio/visual media present on this site. If you require a specific transcription for accessibility purposes, you may contact us at <a href="mailto:orb@binghamton.edu">orb@binghamton.edu</a>.
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<p><b>Broome County Oral History Project</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interview with: Mrs. Ann Elwood</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interviewed by: Susan Dobandi</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Date of interview: 8 September 1978</span></p>
<br />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Mrs. Elwood, could we start this interview by having you tell us where you were born and any of your recollections of your early childhood and something about your parents?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: I was born in Jamison, Pennsylvania, and I lived there until possibly I was, ah, five or six years of age, and my father was in ill health and was told that he must go to the Walter Reed Hospital so we moved from there to Bridgeville, Delaware, where he purchased a fruit farm. And that was, ah, operated by a couple that, ah, operate farms—ah, professional farmers—and we stayed there for three years when, ah, it was decided that he had surgery and he wished to move back to Binghamton where he'd be close to his family, as he was born in—ah, he was a Canadian and ah, and then he moved back to his father's and mother’s home in Franklin Forks, Pennsylvania, and we came back to Binghamton in April 1911, and he went in the hospital on April 2nd and had his surgery and passed away on June 25th of that year.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now his business when he was living in Pennsylvania was a lumberman and he disposed of that at the time of moving south. What else? Oh, and I—I attended the Binghamton schools, and after graduation I went to Lowell School of Business and took a business course in stenography, and they placed me with Bradstreets at the time I finished, about the time I finished my course, and Bradstreets was a mercantile agency and from there I went with, ah, the insurance firm of Steel and Powell in the Press Building and operated an Elliott-Fisher bookkeeping machine and took over the credits in that office. And after operating—being taught the operation of the Elliott-Fisher bookkeeping machine, the company wanted me to, ah, go with them and make installation of machines where they sold them in various places, which I did. I installed—err, they installed the machine in the agriculture department in Ithaca at Cornell University and I taught the operator there, and also two firms in Elmira, an automobile concern and a big agriculture business and several other places. Then my mother didn't want me to be out of town so much, so I gave that up and came back and was employed in the County Clerk's office for six years, and I also did credit work in the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for several years before I had the opportunity to go to this NY State Senate in Albany, being the first woman from Broome County to be an employee of the Senate, and that was in 1939 and I was there for 27 years.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Mrs. Elwood, could you tell us something of your duties as a journal clerk in the Senate?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: I went to the NY State Senate in 1939 and l—ah, was given an opportunity to be chosen as a person to study and familiarize myself with the various departments to perform in case of an emergency and my, ah—the principal job that I had was assistant journal clerk. Now, the journal is composed of all the activities of the Senate from the time that the legislature convenes until it adjourns, every action and performance in the Senate Chamber is on record in the journal that pertains to the introduction and the complete procedure of each and every bill until it is passed or—or defeated, or doesn't come out of committee, so to speak. Now the—the importance of that office is to keep the journal for the Senate and it's compiled at the end of the session and is composed of many thousands of sheets. I had to edit the journal to see that all, ah, procedures were followed and that each bill that passed had the proper procedure and, ah, then the committees had to be referred to see that it was properly referred to the committees, and ah, was properly sent to the Governor for signature and then it was returned as a signed bill with a chapter number, and the chapter number had to be noted in the journal when it was signed by the Governor. The, ah—the journal clerk’s office also is responsible for the publication of all journal documents and all of the forms used, which would be over a hundred. They have to be controlled in the journal clerk’s office as to proper procedure and information and data on each form. All, ah—all nominations come from the Governor to the journal clerk’s office and are referred to the Finance Committee before going to the Senate for passage, and after passage they, ah, are signed and returned to the Secretary of State’s Office, but the governor has to submit all his nominations to us first. This, ah, procedure is, ah, very important and it applies only to the top officials of each and every department and those that the governor has the authority to appoint.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Mrs. Elwood, during this time, ah, do you want to tell us about you—you met Mr. Elwood and you were married?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: Oh yes, I met Mr. Elwood. He was, ah—he was, ah, in World War I, and I met him and was married, and he, ah—he was a, a deputy sheriff and ah, also in fact I met him through our office. He was employed in Bradstreet when I was employed there. There is where I met him, and he passed away from a—a disease contracted during World War I. He passed away in 1941 and we had a, one daughter, Constance Elwood, who is now Mrs. Herbert J. Wilk, and ah—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Her husband is the physician?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: Her husband is a surgeon and, ah, operating in the Binghamton hospitals, the Binghamton General Hospital and Lourdes and of course he does work at Wilson.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Mrs. Elwood, could you tell us now, ah, some of the interesting events that you attended or some of the important people that came into your life during this period?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: Well I met many important people, all of whom I just can't recall now, but some of the events that I attended, and I think I got now my invitation because of, my position up here was, I was invited to two inaugural conventions at, ah, in Washington and, ah, two inaugural balls, I mean, in Washington, and ah, I was a guest at an Electoral College, which is a very rare occasion for an outsider, but they're held when the New York Electoral College is held in Albany in the Senate Chamber under the auspices of the Secretary of State, and I had a—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And when I was in Albany I also, was acted in the, ah, Red Cross in World War II. I was a member of the motor corps, and during my experiences there I made several convoys, two to Camp Dix, one conveying, ah, ten-ton trucks to Camp Dix and the other driving Jeeps, and we made two trips to Camp Devan—one conveying, ah, Packard Ambulances, and the other, Ford Ambulances, which was very interesting and something that we all enjoyed. You—you convey the vehicle to the camp and then a large bus meets you there and returns you to Albany. Ah, this work was very, ah, very interesting because it also took us to airports at night when secret airplanes were coming in with either injured soldiers or officers, transferring them from one place to another, and the Motor Corps was called on to respond with coffee and sandwiches and something for them to nourish their bodies, and ah, this was always a secret affair. We must never know only about five or ten minutes before we had to make a trip where we were going and what we were going to do, ah—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Mrs. Elwood, could you recall, ah, for us some of your memories of how Binghamton was in the early days?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: Well, when I came here we used to have streetcars and we went to the park—to Ross Park, which was the most popular playground and place in Binghamton. Every Sunday they had a band concert there and the park was filled with people. Then we used to go to Ideal Park, it was another popular place, and during the summer we belonged to the Orange Circuit, Orange County Circuit of Races, and they had horse racing there each summer, which we attended and ah, the, ah—I know we used to go by streetcar down there, and I think it cost us a nickel, no more than a dime. I know to go all the way from Binghamton down to Endicott I think it was a nickel, and the price on our streetcars were a nickel and the—and now—and then we had the YMCA, which was a popular place for the men, and I remember that vividly because our Republican Headquarters were located for many years in the old Bennett Hotel, ah, then later known as the Hotel Bingham, which was right across the street—of course those places have been dismantled now and torn down and replaced by other types of business, ah—and the Arlington, we moved from the Bingham to, ah, the Arlington, and stayed there as long as they were on top and when they decided to dissolve, why, we moved out and that building was soon destroyed. I mean dismantled and, ah—it seems I have moved around and been in all the landmarks of Binghamton through one way or another and when I went to school we, ah—our school, for a two or three years while they were finishing high school, we went to, ah, the school building in the old police headquarters at the corner of Washington and Hawley Street, and then from there to the new Central High.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Mrs. Elwood, could we go on and have you tell us some of the clubs that you belong to?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: Well, I belong to the Monday Afternoon Club and I'm an active member in the, ah, Zonta Club of Binghamton, of which we have now, I think, the first club in Binghamton, male or female club, that has an international officer, and we have the international president of the Zonta Club of Binghamton and we're honoring her on September 23rd, and that's ah, Evelyn Dewitt, and ah, I belong to the Republican Club, several Republican clubs, and ah, the American Legion Auxiliary. I'm a fifty-year member of the American Legion Auxiliary and also a member of the Eight and Forty and, ah, held all the offices in the Auxiliary American Legion, Post 80 Auxiliary, except the president, and I, ah, was unable to accept that because my mother had died and I had to stay home to take care of my daughter, ah—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Mrs. Elwood, could we go back and review, ah, the part of your life where you mention you had gone to, ah, two of the inaugural balls? Who were the Presidents at that time?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: The President at that time was President Eisenhower—I went to his inaugural ball and also the one for Nixon, and while we're on the subject of presidential officials, I would like to say that it was my pleasure to meet Mr. Rockefeller previous to his being selected, selected as our candidate for Governor. He was chosen in the Senate while I was there as chairman of the Constitutional Convention Committee, and George Hinman brought him in during an intermission in my office so I could meet Mr. Rockefeller, and ah, I told him that I was very pleased because I—I read from the papers that he is going to be our next Governor and I also, and I did neglect to tell you that in November 1977 l was chosen as the Woman of the Year by the Status of Women Council in—in, ah, Binghamton.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: That's fine. You certainly have been a very active lady in this community, Mrs. Elwood.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: Oh! Thank you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: And it's been a pleasure talking with you. Thank you very much for the interview.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ann: Well, I've enjoyed this very much.</span></p>
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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Interview with Ann Elwood
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Elwood, Ann -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Clerks of court -- Interviews; Bridgeville (Del.); Franklin Forks (Pa.); New York (State). Legislature. Senate; Binghamton (N.Y.); Businesswomen -- Interviews; Albany (N.Y.); World War, 1939-1945 -- War work -- Red Cross; Women -- Societies and clubs; Political clubs; Lowell School of Business
Description
An account of the resource
Ann Elwood talks about her moves from Bridgeville, DE, to Franklin Forks, PA, and her final settlement in Binghamton, NY, in 1911. She attended the Lowell School of Business and worked in business before becoming an assistant journal clerk in the New York State Senate and working for 27 years. She also discusses living in Albany (NY) and her involvement in the Red Cross Motor Corps during World War II and several social and political clubs in the community.
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Binghamton University Libraries
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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audio/mp3
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English
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Recording 18
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Elwood, Ann ; Dobandi, Susan
Date
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1978-09-08
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2016-03-27
Is Part Of
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Broome County Oral History Project
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16:43 Minutes
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https://omeka.binghamton.edu/omeka/files/original/f56fb6173268435ba1e46feb34826063.pdf
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Text
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�ACTION FOR OLDER PERSONS
Broome County Oral History Project
March 6, 1978
ABSTRACT
Mrs. Anna Borsuk was born in 1891 in Pittsburgh Penn.
Spent her
early years growing up in Pennsylvania then came to Binghamton in
1915.
She worked in hotels as a waitress and all around girl, i1ent
to work in a hotel in New York City while there learned the beauty
parlor business and opened one of the first beauty parlors in Bing
hamton in the Press Building.
Waving.
Her salon was the first to have Marcel
She also ran a tourist house.
She mentions her poor health
suffering from tuberculosis and her struggle to raise her son alone.
She also mentions the help from welfare later in her life and the
kindness of the people from urban renewal in relocating her in an
apartment at the highrise for the elderly at 24 Isbell St., Binghamton,
New York.
�ACTION for Older Persons 1 Inc.
Broome County Court House, Room 307
Court House Square, Binghamton, New York 13901
Telephone (607) 722-1251
BROOME COUNTY ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
Interview Transcription
Interviewer:
Date: 3/6/78
Susan Dobandi
Address:
Person Interviewed:
Address:
Tape No.:
295 Front St., Binghamton N. Y.
Miss Anna Horsuk
24 Isabell St., Binghamton N. Y.
Date of Birth or approximate age:
87
This is Susan Dobandi interviewer and I'm talking with Miss Anna Borsuk
who lives at 24 Isabell St., Binghamton, N. Y.
The date is Mar. 6, 1978.
( Anna, Could you tell us something about your early beginnings where you
were born, any recollections of your childhood? )
Anna:
Yes, I can - I can remember bh from the age of 5 ·or 6 I guess I
remember.
( Where were you born?)
Anna:
I was born in Pittsburgh Pa. - - We moved from there to Mayfair, Penn.
and I was I guess I must have been 8 or 9 years old.
From there we
moved again to Carbondale, Penn. and I started to work in a hotel. I was there 5 years as a waitress and all around girl. - -
I'm ahead of
my story but lets see I got married before I started working at the hotel.
�Anna Borsuk
Page 2
I was married when I was sixteen years old and a I had my son, my son and
then when he was a year and a half old I left and went to the hotel.
I
went to work as a waitress and I was there 5 years and I met some good friends
there who were salesman - saw how hard D worked and how much money I was
making and they felt sorry for me and I in the meantime my mothers and
fathers home burned down and they lost everything and I felt very badly
while I was working some of the guests noticed me that I felt badly and
they asked why I was upset and I told them that we had lost our home.
We
lost everything and they said why do you stay here in Carbondale and work
in this hotel ?
You work too hard they used to tell me and a I really
don't know whether too - ') 0 ., 1-< >I L ...
h�
Why don't you move to Lestershire?
We'll see.
W" �· '>
So, Mr. Bennett ', a salesman for ladies hats and used to come around and
show his hats around.
In those days the salesman used to bring their stuff
to different hotels.
They didn't have it the way they do now and he travel-
ed by train and then so I came home and,told my mother the good news and
she was delighted to hear it and she said
II
Oh Anna please go to Binghamton.
Your sisters are getting older now and they - they could work and help us. 11
Y,c
l',n,u
My father was a miner and he wasn't getting any money•ott�.
So, mother had
a garden and she had chickens and she had everything we lived off that
rather my family lived of course I was working and I came to Binghamton
and it was June 15, 1915.
-l�n'<-'
I'll never forget that was a rainy da�.
I came
here and I was soaked and raining very hard that day and I was soaken wet
and my sister Julia which was next to me
If you come with me I'll find you a job.
So, while I was here - while I
was here in Binghamton I did not know a soul nobody and I stopped at the
Press building and I looked in the dictionary to find out where the Russian
�Anna Borsuk
Page
3
are - I thought wherever there are Russian Churches then there are some
Russian people and they would help me and sure enough I - I took a street
car and I forget an old factory a cigar factory people were in there and
I could smell the odor from cigars and that was something new - and I got off
at the church right on Clinton St. St. Michael's Church and across the street
I noticed a Russian name and I went in there and I spoke to him in Russian
and he answered me and I asked him that I'm a stranger and I'm looking for
a house for my family and a he said well there is - I don't know anything
about it he said to me I couldn't tell you but my wife is coming home if
you'll wait she'll be here any minute and sure enough she came in and she
��d yes, I'll take you to the lady on the corner of Charles and Grace St.
and the lady is giving up her apartment.
So, I went in there with Mary
Driscoll her name was Driscoll and she spoke to the lady for me and I told
her and she said yes, I'm moving out right now but I thought who owned the
property but I supposed that she was the landlord and she told me that Dr.
Hutchings on Front St. so I went there all in one day I did all that. I went
there and I met this doctor and I told him my story, my sad story and he was
very kind and very helpful and he said a I'll rent you this house as soon as
you can get here and I'll help you all I can.
So, he a I said well we have
nothing - nothing to bring over because everything was burned down.
My
mother was living with her sister and so I - I stayed here one day and then
I went to the shoe factory Dunn McCarthy's and a I wanted to talk to the
foreman or the superintendent and a I met a very nice man and I - I should
remember his name because he was a wonderful to me.
I was a child.
He talked to me like
He said " My dear girl he said you bring your sisters here
and I'll give them a job and bring your father and I'll give him a job too."
So, I felt I was delighted and a a I was on the verge to go back to the
�Anna Borsuk
Page
4
hotel because I know my manager there would be displeased that I left and
a I said a I have to go back to Carbondale to my job and they gave me only
one day off and a so we hurried, we hurried and hurried and I wanted to get
off and anyway I had everything arranged and we said Dr.Hutchings I think
that was a his name Dr. Hutchings - they used to live by up there it's
hard to say up there you know from the corner the third house up there you
know.
I think probably it's still there.
He said,
11
I won't charge you any
rent I won't expect anything from you whatever you can do so I - I didn't
have to pay any rent any - anway I didn't have any money and a see I dont
know what to say.
Yes - so this neighbor the next door neighbor from the house that we were
going to move into they were Slovish people - I think they're name was
Kusmach.
I asked them if my sister could stay there all night with them -
with them while I go home and break the news and my family would come here
right away and then she stayed there she began to cry Julia did she thought
she's among strangers you know and she was oh about 15 years old and a well
anyway Julia you have a job and there are two girls in the family there and
they have supported her too because they were working too so then I said
goodbye to her and she cried and I cried too.
I came to the station.
on my way to the station in the rain the next day.
I was
I had to spend the night
over in the neighbors house and a the next day I was going to the station
and Mr. Hart and Mr. Bennett the two salesman that had told me to come here,
I ran into them or rather they ran into me and he said what are you doing
here Anna?
And I said well Mr. Bennett you told me to go to Lestershire so
I came to Lestershire and I have everything arranged and they were very
surprised that I did it so quickly so then I said a and then Mr. Bennett and
Mr. Hart said to me well where are you going?
�Anna Borsuk
What are you going to do?
Page 5
I said well I'm going back to the American
Hotel because Mr. & Mrs. Mccann will be cross with me that I'm taking off
and they took me by the arm and they said you're not going back there you're
working like a slave there and it's too much for you.
We're going to intro
duce you to a hotel manager here and they took me to the Bennett Hotel.
That's the Bennett at that time and it was a very nice hotel at that time.
They introduced me to the manager I think his name was Mr. Proseman and
his beautiful wife and a Mr. Proseman said that I was a very fine girl and
I was supporting my son and he told them the story and a they gave me the
job right away and I was there for about a year and when some other friends
that recognized me in the lobby some of the people who remembered me from
Carbondale saw me there working there and a Mr. Bennett waiting on the table
that I waited on the manager and his wife I just hadone table just the
family and a so I felt kind of proud you know that they ch'ose me among all
the others you know so I felt kind of well I was I was just a very happy
about it that everything that I had so many friends that were helping me
and I was they just a - they were so pleased I do whatever they suggested
everything.
I and a I a I called well anyway I said alright I'll have to go
back to Carbondale and give my notice that I'm coming and I went back and the
manager and his wife didn't want to let me go.
They didn't want to pay me
but they said you gotta stay here and I said I can't I promised I'm going
there and I said my family is going there and my little boy was you know
with my mother and my son was going to be a year and half old and a I said
wherever he's gonna be I ought to be there too.
reluctant to let me go.
So they were very
They didn't like it and a so as I said in the - I
worked only one year at the Bennett and one of the other guests recognized
me and they said we can find you a better place than this to work so
�Anna Borsuk
Page 6
they went to the Arlington Hotel and spoke to Mr. Turney the old
gentleman Turney was in there you know there at that time.
They spoke
c.\�
to him and told him about me and that I was a hard worker and,a very decent
girl and all that and of course they were giving me all that recommendation
I didn'thave to tell them all that about myself but a they all felt
sorry for me that I had such big responsibilities and the guests were
always very nice to me in every hotel whereever I worked and a finally
a I got the job at the Arlington and I left the Bennett which was not
a nice thing$ to do because they were nice to me I had no reason to leave
to leave but a a they thought that I would do better at the Arlington which
I did because they gave me more money and that helped.
I had to give so
much money to my mother to help her towards my son's support and his
Ir r ,-i-, •
r [,
f>, -
clothes and everything and a of course before that I was separated from my
�
husband but he wasn't supporting me.
He was working on the railroad and
he was drinking and he just didn't care about - about the baby or me or
anything.
He never gave me any money so I just - I just left him - I
couldn't - I didn't want to continue living with him and have anymore
I stayed at the Arlington for 5 years then I went to New York City and
I started working at the Statler Hotel which was only there two years before and
I a
I was there only a year at this hotel and then I noticed they were
opening up a beauty parlor on the mezzanine floor and I had an interview
myself I kept thinking about my poor sisters working in the shoe factory
and I thought what a wonderful idea it would be if they would take a beauty
parlor work and a go into that kind of work.
I couldn't afford to - to
work at the salaries that the learners in those days they didn't have
�Anna Borsuk
Page 7
beauty - beauty schools like they have now cause we had to work in the
beauty parlor as an apprentice and you only got $12.00 a week.
A girl
that just took up hair and keep the box filled and so I got my sister in
New York and she got the job at the President at the they called it
Pennsylvania the Statler Hotel and she was there for a while and I had
to leave her because my mother had a big 12 family apartment in Binghamton
and she thought that I should be with her that I that she couldn't get
along without me being there to help her with the and she wrote me that
I'm breaking up her home by taking my sisters away and I left the Statler
Hotel to be with my mother to help her with that big property she got.
And my sister liked New York so well she stayed and she had been modeling
and - and a she made good money and she stayed about 2 years but while I
was here trying to help my mother with that big 12 family apartment house
and she came back - finally she came back and then I said well I'm going to
look around Binghamton and see if we can find a little place where we can
start a little beauty parlor.
Of course my sister took up marcel waving we were the first people that
had that method you know when we came here.
She took that up in New York
and of course Dorothy too was a manicurist and my second sister and so the
two of them had a little training and so I found a location in a beauty
parlor I ran around Binghamton and asked different people what to do with
it.
Get a good place and my lawyer my family lawyer Mr. Polletta told me
to talk to Mr. Tyler which was the superintendent of the Press building at
the time and I spoke to Mr. Tyler rather Mr. Polletta spoke to him first and
he gave me a little room that had only 2 chairs and two dryers and 2
manicuring tables?course I had to buy my equipment in New York.
They didn't
have any equipment up here in Binghamton and so I had to order it there and
mother came to New York an gave me the money for the equipment and begged me to
�Anna Borsuk
Page 8
come home with tears in her eyes and I agreed to come home and bring the
girls back home and so they my sisters wanted to stay away because the
found more opportunities and finally when I opened the beauty parlor and
Martha and I were the first two that were working there.
( Can you recall any of the prices at that time?)
Oh, yes the manicures were SO� and our shampoo was SO� and of course
the only big item they were the highest was the permanent wave which I
was doing that was my speciality I charged $6.00.
I had the beauty parlor
where I'd have to go to New York to the hairdressers show every six months
take just take up the Eugene Wave by Mr. Eugene himself personally gave
me the instructions.
That was the Marcel wave, the permanent wave they
used to call it a Marcel so then my sister Martha was lliss Martha she was
giving a marcel with an iron you knowbut I was so we made a big hit in
Binghamton and then we outgrew the beauty parlor it was too small for the
business.
It just boomed the first year that we were there.
only a year.
We were there
I spoke to Mr. Tyler that - that I'd like to move into a
larger room and he said that Judge Parson is moving away from - he's giving
th•r
up his position and he's right on a corner he has two rooms. he said I could
take the partition down and you could enlarge it would be an L shaped
beauty parlor for you but you could have as many boothSas you want so I
said that would be fine so Mr. Tyler the superintendent was very nice to me.
He suggested it and I - I thought of course it was a good idea so I said
I'd appreciate it very much I think if you would do that because I have two cth!r
sisters that are ready to come in with me and we wouldn't fit in this little
room we have here.
They did it in a hurray and they did special piping for
us and 9lso drains from each booth from the shampooing booth.
We had seven
�Anna Borsuk
Page 9
shampoo booths and 3 manicuring tables and one barber chair - hair cutting
chair and I have some pictures of that and a we did very good business
and and of course all my sisters were in by that time they all 4 of us - 5
of us and I - I was about I used to give six and seven permanents a day
and I got terribly run down and I got a cold one day and I just thought
well maybe I need a change I'll go to New York maybe I just need a change
I thought you know because I had so much responsibility so I packed my
little bag and I went.
My mother didn't approve, my sisters didn't nobody
approved of me going but I said I'm getting away from everything I can't take
it I didn't realize I was sick although my doctor kept telling me that I'm
going to get sick and he threatened me that I'm going to get sick.
He told
his wife was a customer of mine, his daughter was my customer and his aunt
and they all saw how hard I worked.
I used to work from 8 o'clock until
lo every night and I never had time to eat my lunch and if I did I - I had
indigestion and the doctor said before I go to lunch to lay down for a
minute before I go - he said if you don't be careful you're going to get TB
Dr. Arfonse said that to me and I said a no I said I'm not going to get TB
I'll be alright so I just packed my suitcase and I went to New York and I
went to Sacks Fifth Ave., N. Y. and I talked to the manager there about a
and he gave it to me.
job
I was working there about 4 months when one day I had
a spell while I was on duty and a there were two - four girls there they
were Russian girls there they were from Russia and they were only shampoo girls
they were really they came they were refuges from Russia here and they
didn't know nothing about hair work but the only thing they could do was
wash the hair and they saw that I looked sick and then they took me over to
the clinic it was on the ninth floor and the doctor and the nurse said they
had one room just like a hospital and they found that I had TB.
They sent
�Anna Borsuk
Page 10
me away for a year and then I came back home cured and I couldn't go
back to the beauty parlor because there was something about the cosmetics
that I would cough and I - I thought well I'd sit at the desk and just
get the appointments prepare the customers and let the girls do the rest.
We had 13 girls working there by that time, colored girls too and we
were teaching girls beauty work and I know my uncle came here from
Pittsburgh and he 'd say I don't know why your teaching anybody they're
ti h' .:I,
going to take business away from you b�� they did but it - it didn't hurt us
and a because the business kept booming and a so I a was managing it
from the house and the girls would come home and tell my mother that
Anna's coughing too much and they were trying to keep my condition secrete
from my customers nobody didn't know so then my mother said why don't
you stay home Anna and we have a big house a 22 room house on Court St.
there why don't you do something with this you seem to know what to do
so I said the only thing I could think of is start a ourist house now that
I'm sick and can't work in the beauty parlor anymore for another year
the doctor say I can't go to the beauty parlor for another year until
they pronounce me arrested - my case arrested.
I had to go to the doctor
every month to be exrayed and questioned and so I started the trurist
business and that business boomed you know and I ran that for 13 years.
And talk about my mother got sick gall bladder and she she didn't get up
in time she got this palsey you know so that when she got down here she needed me so I was a nurse I was taking care of my mother and I was running the
tourist house.
I used to have 30 people in my house every night during
the summer and I had to show them the rooms go run outdoors and show them
where to park the cars.
I did that for 13 years and then my mother passed
away and then you know she passed away and a then I had another breakdown
�Anna Borsuk
Page 11
after she died with pleursy on my bad lung and I was in the hospital 11
weeks and the doctor hollered at hlY doctor and he shook his finger at me
that I'm not being fair to my self but he pulled me through - I - I - I
had a 103 temperature for 11 weeks and he called my daughter-in-law by
that time my son was married and he told my daughter-in-law the things
that that I did but a by that the family wanted to sell the house they
thought it was too much for me and they all wanted to get out and on
their own they were getting married and I didn't want to sell it because
I wanted a home I wanted something if I knew I was going to live to this
age I would have fought it more I would have kept it but I thought I'm
finished because my family gave me up so many times then I had a second
breakdown after we sold the house I had another breakdown of my lungs
and I was at Chenango Bridge and I'm still here and but I still didn't
give up I got back on my feet and started working again and a I a the
family pressed me so hard to sell sell sell that I finally gave up and
I sold it.
to do.
So then I wasn't welcome anyplace I - I just didn't know what
What am I going to do.
I - I - - -
( So what year did you come to the high rise?)
Well I came to the high rise in 1968 when they just opened it.
I'm
here 10 years and well well first I - I traveled with a suitcase I went
all over you know and the money that I had from the property you know
17 years I was doing nothing just traveling with a suitcase trying to make
myself live someplace.
I didn't know where I belonged and a as for a
job they said they didn't want anybody at my age which was around 40 and
I was around 40 and a I no matter what I did I was a telephone operator,
I worked on a switchboard worked at the New York City hotel and I worked
�Anna Borsuk
Page
12
at the switchboard in the front here and I had all this experience and
they didn't want to give me a job because of my age so I said what am I
going to do.
I just retired.
Well I lived off the few hundred -
thousand dollars that I got for 17 years but then the money was gone so
I was older and I said what am I goingto do now so I had another good
friend at the Bennett Hotel and he and I told him my story and he and
his wife and he was Mr. Lamb I guess everybody in town knows him and
about my story and he says well I can help you all I can say is a good
work for you to go on welfare so I said yes I will go on welfare but I
didn't my family and my son didn't know anything about it that I was
doing that I was very independent I never went to any of them for a
dollar or a coin - - or anything I'm kind of independent and I was too
spunky you know my mother and father used to say to me I never seen
anything like you if you make up your min� your gonna do it I still do,
but a so then people were very kind to me the urban renewal people a a
Margarette a a what's her name she's in the office over here.
I can't
think of her name now, she was very kind to me and she said I was living
at the Arlington I was on welfare already and of course welfare were
giving me only $85.00 a month and I hadto pay $50.00 rent so what did I
have left so I used to do - I used to help a lot of little old ladies
take them someplace and they'd buy my meal and a or I used to sew I
I was a dressmaker for 3 years and then my eyesight failed t-h�l \.I/.,
failed me and I managed n-i:-eet� ut I always meet nice people that were
couldsew.
always very helpful to me all the time not that I - I didn't go to them
purposefully to tell them my sad story but a I- I wanted to get along as
best I could so then a - a well we were living at the Bennett you know
the place was condemned the Bennett hotel and we were living there -
�Anna Borsuk Page 13
there were about 20 of us ladies living there
and a I couldn't make - I couldn't make ends meet so I used to take
care of another sick lady but a retired from Washington from the Pengagon and
she - I used to escort her around and sheused to buy my lunches for me.
I used to escort her around town and well after that we had to move
out of there.
We were there I was there about 6 years at the Bennett
and then the urban renewal moved us to the Arlington.
We were supposed to
bethere only one year but instead of that we figured two years waiting for
this to be finished so then a the'd moved me here they a urban moved my
furniture and they bought furniture that I have here.
It's from the
Arlington they bought it for me through thewelfare I don't know who paid
for it and some of the odd pieces were given to me that I have but a
so I have been here ever since.
( Well Anna, I think that we can close by saying that you have a very lovely
attractive apartment so that you are comfortable.)
Well a lot of people say that to me but a when a I was runningthe tourist
house you know the guests used to come in and say that I had the cleanest
house that I used to have the cleanest rooms of any tourist house that they
ever had and they always came.
house.
We used to have a lot of flowers around the
I had a lot of boxes and I know I had a hairdresser from New York
City stop and he said he had his family with him and he saidwe went all
over Binghamton and my family wanted to go in that house where all the beau
tiful flowers are so they would come in and they would come in and they
saw - I must say so but I had the flowers and everybody that came in that had
children they said that it was the cleanest neatest place and I had 15 rooms
to rent sometimes I had 30 people in one night in the house and I had all that
laundry to take care of and I had all those beds to make myself.
I was
�Anna Borsuk
Page 14
doing it myself do and but then I did breakdown after my mother died.
( Well now let's finish the story by telling the people how old you are you've
lived throygh a great deal. )
Yes, well I - I'm 87 years old now and I don't know how much longer I'm
going to live because everybody tells me I don't look my age.
( You don't look your age you're a very very attractive woman. )
But a I have this a chest condition - chest pains now and I don't know
lately it's been kind of they've been kind of although I have a very good doctor
he shakes his finger at me.
( Well let's just hope for the best.
Mrs. Borsuk.)
Thank you very much for the interview
�
https://omeka.binghamton.edu/omeka/files/original/d14f8cd82f5d117973cebf43420452d1.mp3
7bb74e2c7b4d9165847b18fc84742e19
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Title
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Broome County Oral History Project
Subject
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Broome County -- History
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Binghamton University Libraries
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The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
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2
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In copyright
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Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
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1977-1978
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<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
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Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
Borsuk, Anna
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview
Dobandi, Susan
Date of Interview
1978-03-06
Duration
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34:55 minutes
Streaming Audio
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<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE55862">Interview with Anna Borsuk</a>
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2016-03-27
Subject LCSH
Borsuk, Anna -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Binghamton (N.Y.); Pittsburgh (Pa.); Beauty shops; Tuberculosis -- Patients -- Interviews; Single mothers -- Interviews
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<p><b>Broome County Oral History Project</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interview with: Miss Anna Borsuk</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interviewed by: Susan Dobandi</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Date of interview: 6 March 1978</span></p>
<br />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: This is Susan Dobandi, interviewer, and I'm talking with Miss Anna Borsuk, who lives at 24 Isbell Street, Binghamton, NY. The date is March 6, 1978. Anna, Could you tell us something about your early beginnings, where you were born, any recollections of your childhood?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes, I can—I can remember, oh, from the age of five or six, I guess, I remember.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Where were you born?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We moved from there to Mayfair, PA, and I was, I guess I must have been eight or nine years old. From there we moved again to Carbondale, PA, and I started to work in a hotel. I was there five years as a waitress and all-around girl. I'm ahead of my story, but let’s see, I got married before I started working at the hotel. I was married when I was sixteen years old and, ah, I had my son, my son, and then when he was a year and a half old I left and went to the hotel. I went to work as a waitress and I was there five years, and I met some good friends there who were salesmen—saw how hard I worked and how much money I was making and they felt sorry for me, and I—in the meantime my mother’s and father’s home burned down and they lost everything, and I felt very badly. While I was working some of the guests noticed me, that I felt badly, and they asked why I was upset, and I told them that we had lost our home—we lost everything—and they said, “Why do you stay here in Carbondale and work in this hotel? You work too hard,” they used to tell me, and ah, I really don't know whether to— “Why don't you move to Lestershire?” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We'll see.” So, Mr. Bennett, you know, he was a salesman for ladies’ hats and used to come around and show his hats around. In those days the salesmen used to bring their stuff to different hotels. They didn't have it the way they do now, and he traveled by train and then, so I came home and I told my mother the good news, and she was delighted to hear it, and she said, “Oh, Anna, please go to Binghamton. Your sisters are getting older now and they—they could work and help us.” My father was a miner and he wasn't getting any money, you know. So, mother had a garden and she had chickens and she had everything, we lived off that—rather, my family lived, of course I was working—and I came to Binghamton and it was June 15, 1915. I'll never forget that was a rainy one. I came here and I was soaked and, raining very hard that day and I was soakin’ wet, and my sister Julia which was next to me—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you come with me I'll find you a job.” So, while I was here—while I was here in Binghamton, I did not know a soul, nobody, and I stopped at the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Press</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> building and I looked in the dictionary to find out where the Russian are—I thought, wherever there are Russian Churches, then there are some Russian people and they would help me, and sure enough I—I took a streetcar and, I forget, an old factory, a cigar factory, people were in there and I could smell the odor from cigars, and that was something new—and I got off at the church right on Clinton Street, St. Michael's Church, and across the street I noticed a Russian name and I went in there and I spoke to him in Russian and he answered me, and I asked him that I'm a stranger and I'm looking for a house for my family and, ah, he said, “Well, there is—I don't know anything about it,” he said to me, “I couldn't tell you, but my wife is coming home. If you'll wait, she'll be here any minute,” and sure enough she came in and she said, “Yes, I'll take you to the lady on the corner of Charles and Grace Street, and the lady is giving up her apartment.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, I went in there with Mary Driscoll, her name was Driscoll, and she spoke to the lady for me and I told her and she said, “Yes, I'm moving out right now,” but I thought, who owned the property? But I supposed that she was the landlord, and she told me that was Dr. Hutchings on Front Street so I went there, all in one day I did all that. I went there and I met this doctor and I told him my story, my sad story, and he was very kind and very helpful and he said, “Ah, I'll rent you this house as soon as you can get here and I'll help you all I can.” So he, ah, I said, “Well, we have nothing—nothing to bring over, because everything was burned down.” My mother was living with her sister and so I—I stayed here one day and then I went to the shoe factory, Dunn McCarthy's, and ah, I wanted to talk to the foreman or the superintendent, and ah, I met a very nice man and I—I should remember his name because he was, ah, wonderful to me. He talked to me like I was a child. He said, "My dear girl,” he said, “you bring your sisters here and I'll give them a job, and bring your father and I'll give him a job too.” So I felt, I was delighted, and ah, ah, I was on the verge to go back to the hotel because I know my manager there would be displeased that I left, and ah, I said, “Ah, I have to go back to Carbondale to my job and they gave me only one day off,” and ah, so we hurried, we hurried and hurried and I wanted to get off and, anyway, I had everything arranged, and we said, “Dr. Hutchings” —I think that was, ah, his name, Dr. Hutchings—they used to live by up there, it's hard to say up there, you know, from the corner, the third house up there, you know. I think probably it's still there. He said, “I won't charge you any rent, I won't expect anything from you, whatever you can do,” so I—I didn't have to pay any rent any—anyway, I didn't have any money and, ah, see, I don’t know what to say.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yes—so this neighbor, the next door neighbor from the house that we were going to move into, they were Slavish [Slavic] people—I think their name was Kusmach. I asked them if my sister could stay there all night with them—with them while I go home and break the news and my family would come here right away, and then she stayed there, she began to cry, Julia did. She thought, she's among strangers, you know, and she was, oh, about fifteen years old and, ah, well anyway, Julia, you have a job and there are two girls in the family there and they have supported her too, because they were working too, so then I said goodbye to her and she cried and I cried too. I came to the station. I was on my way to the station in the rain the next day. I had to spend the night over in the neighbors’ house and, ah, the next day I was going to the station, and Mr. Hart and Mr. Bennett, the two salesmen that had told me to come here, I ran into them, or rather they ran into me, and he said, “What are you doing here, Anna?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And I said, “Well, Mr. Bennett, you told me to go to Lestershire, so I came to Lestershire and I have everything arranged,” and they were very surprised that I did it so quickly, so then I said, ah, and then Mr. Bennett and Mr. Hart said to me, “Well, where are you going? What are you going to do?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I said, “Well, I'm going back to the American Hotel because Mr. & Mrs. McCann will be cross with me that I'm taking off,” and they took me by the arm and they said, “You're not going back there, you're working like a slave there and it's too much for you. We're going to introduce you to a hotel manager here,” and they took me to the Bennett Hotel. That's the Bennett at that time, and it was a very nice hotel at that time. They introduced me to the manager, I think his name was Mr. Proseman, and his beautiful wife, and ah, Mr. Proseman said that I was a very fine girl and I was supporting my son, and he told them the story and, ah, they gave me the job right away and I was there for about a year, and when some other friends that recognized me in the lobby, some of the people who remembered me from Carbondale saw me there working there and, ah, Mr. Bennett, waiting on the table that I waited on the manager and his wife—I just had one table, just the family, and ah, so I felt kind of proud, you know, that they chose me among all the others, you know, so I felt kind of, well, I was, I was just, ah, very happy about it, that everything, that I had so many friends that were helping me and I was, they just, ah—they were so pleased I’d do whatever they suggested, everything. I and, ah, I, ah, I called, well anyway, I said, “All right, I'll have to go back to Carbondale and give my notice that I'm coming,” and I went back and the manager and his wife didn't want to let me go. They didn't want to pay me, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">but they said, “You gotta stay here,” and I said, “I can't, I promised I'm going there,” and I said, “My family is going there,” and my little boy was, you know, with my mother, and my son was going to be a year and half old and, ah, I said, “Wherever he's gonna be, I ought to be there too.” So they were very reluctant to let me go. They didn't like it and, ah, so as I said in the—I worked only one year at the Bennett and one of the other guests recognized me and they said, “We can find you a better place than this to work,” so they went to the Arlington Hotel and spoke to Mr. Turney—the old gentleman Turney was in there, you know, there at that time. They spoke to him and told him about me and that I was a hard worker and a very decent girl and all that, and of course they were giving me all that recommendation, I didn't have to tell them all that about myself, but ah, they all felt sorry for me that I had such big responsibilities, and the guests were always very nice to me in every hotel wherever I worked, and ah, finally, ah, I got the job at the Arlington and I left the Bennett, which was not a nice thing to do because they were nice to me, I had no reason to leave to leave, but ah, ah, they thought that I would do better at the Arlington, which I did because they gave me more money and that helped. I had to give so much money to my mother to help her towards my son's support and his clothes and everything, and ah, of course at that time, before that, I was separated from my husband but he wasn't supporting me. He was working on the railroad and he was drinking and he just didn't care about—about the baby or me or anything. He never gave me any money, so I just—I just left him—I couldn't—I didn't want to continue living with him and have any more—-</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I stayed at the Arlington for five years, then I went to New York City and I started working at the Statler Hotel, which was only there two years before, and I, ah— I was there only a year at this hotel, and then I noticed they were opening up a beauty parlor on the mezzanine floor and I had an interview myself, I kept thinking about my poor sisters working in the shoe factory and I thought, what a wonderful idea it would be if they would take, ah, beauty parlor work and, ah, go into that kind of work. I couldn't afford to—to work at the salaries that the learners in those days, they didn't have beauty—beauty schools like they have now, ’cause we had to work in the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">beauty parlor as an apprentice and you only got $12.00 a week. A girl that just took up hair and keep the box filled, and so I got my sister in New York and she got the job at the President, at the, they called it “Pennsylvania,” the Statler Hotel, and she was there for a while, and I had to leave her because my mother had a big twelve-family apartment in Binghamton and she thought that I should be with her, that I, that she couldn't get along without me being there to help her with the, and she wrote me that I'm breaking up her home by taking my sisters away, and I left the Statler Hotel to be with my mother, to help her with that big property she got. And my sister liked New York so well she stayed, and she had been modeling and—and ah, she made good money and she stayed about two years, but while I was here trying to help my mother with that big twelve-family apartment house and she came back—finally she came back and then I said, “Well, I'm going to look around Binghamton and see if we can find a little place where we can start a little beauty parlor.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course my sister took up marcel waving, we were the first people that had that method, you know, when we came here. She took that up in New York, and of course Dorothy, too, was a manicurist and—my second sister—and so the two of them had a little training and so I found a location in a beauty parlor, I ran around Binghamton and asked different people what to do with it. </span><span>Get a good place and my lawyer, my family lawyer, Mr. Polletta, told me to talk to Mr. Tyler, which was the superintendent of the </span><i><span>Press</span></i><span> building at the time, and I spoke to Mr. Tyler, rather, Mr. Polletta spoke to him first, and he gave me a little room that had only two chairs and two dryers and two manicuring tables—of course I had to buy my equipment in New York. They didn't have any equipment up here in Binghamton and so I had to order it there, and Mother came to New York and gave me the money for the equipment and begged me to come home with tears in her eyes, and I agreed to come home and bring the girls back home and so they, my sisters wanted to stay away because they found more opportunities, and finally, when I opened the beauty parlor and Martha and I were the first two that were working there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Can you recall any of the prices at that time?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes, the manicures were 50¢ and our shampoo was 50¢ and of course the only big item, they were the highest, was the permanent wave, which I was doing, that was my specialty—I charged $6.00. I had the beauty parlor where I'd have to go to New York to the hairdressers’ show every six months, take, just take up the Eugene Wave by Mr. Eugene himself, personally gave me the instructions. That was the marcel wave, the permanent wave, they used to call it a Marcel, so then my sister Martha was Miss Martha, she was giving a marcel with an iron, you know, but I was, so we made a big hit in Binghamton, and then we outgrew the beauty parlor, it was too small for the business. It just boomed the first year that we were there. We were there only a year. I spoke to Mr. Tyler that—that I'd like to move into a larger room, and he said that Judge Parson is moving away from—he's giving up his position and he's right on a corner, he has two rooms. Then he said I could take the partition down and you could enlarge it, would be an L-shaped beauty parlor for you, but you could have as many booths as you want, so I said that would be fine, so Mr. Tyler the superintendent was very nice to me. He suggested it and I—I thought, of course, it was a good idea, so I said, “I'd appreciate it very much, I think, if you would do that, because I have two other sisters that are ready to come in with me, and we wouldn't fit in this little room we have here.” They did it in a hurry, and they did special piping for us and also drains from each booth, from the shampooing booth. We had seven shampoo booths and three manicuring tables and one barber chair—hair-cutting chair, and I have some pictures of that and, ah, we did very good business, and, and of course all my sisters were in by that time, they, all four of us—five of us, and I—I was about, I used to give six and seven permanents a day, and I got terribly run down and I got a cold one day, and I just thought, “Well, maybe I need a change, I'll go to New York, maybe I just need a change,” I thought, you know, because I had so much responsibility, so I packed my little bag and I went.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My mother didn't approve, my sisters didn't, nobody approved of me going, but I said, “I'm getting away from everything, I can't take it.” I didn't realize I was sick, although my doctor kept telling me that I'm going to get sick and he threatened me that I'm going to get sick. He told his wife was a customer of mine, his daughter was my customer, and his aunt, and they all saw how hard I worked. I used to work from 8 o'clock until 10 every night and I never had time to eat my lunch, and if I did I—I had indigestion, and the doctor said before I go to lunch, to lay down for a minute before I go—he said, “If you don't be careful you're going to get TB.” Dr. Arfonse said that to me, and I said, “Ah, no,” I said, “I'm not going to get TB. I'll be all right.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So I just packed my suitcase and I went to New York and I went to Sachs Fifth Avenue, New York, and I talked to the manager there about a job and he gave it to me. I was working there about four months, when one day I had a spell while I was on duty and, ah, there were two—four girls there, they were Russian girls there, they were from Russia, and they were only shampoo girls, they were really, they came, they were refugees from Russia here and they didn't know nothing about hair work, but the only thing they could do was wash the hair, and they saw that I looked sick and then they took me over to the clinic, it was on the ninth floor, and the doctor and the nurse said they had one room, just like a hospital, and they found that I had TB. They sent me away for a year and then I came back home cured, and I couldn't go back to the beauty parlor because there was something about the cosmetics that I would cough and I—I thought, well, I'd sit at the desk and just get the appointments, prepare the customers, and let the girls do the rest. We had thirteen girls working there by that time, colored girls, too, and we were teaching girls beauty work, and I know my uncle came here from Pittsburgh and he'd say, “I don't know why you’re teaching anybody, they're going to take business away from you,” which they did, but it—it didn't hurt us, and ah, because the business kept booming and, ah, so I, ah, was managing it from the house, and the girls would come home and tell my mother that </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Anna's coughing too much,” and they were trying to keep my condition secret from my customers, nobody didn't know, so then my mother said, “Why don't you stay home, Anna, and we have a big house, a 22-room house on Court Street there, why don't you do something with this? You seem to know what to do,” so I said the only thing I could think of is start a tourist house now that I'm sick and can't work in the beauty parlor anymore for another year, the doctors say I can't go to the beauty parlor for another year until they pronounce me arrested—my case arrested. I had to go to the doctor every month to be X-rayed and questioned, and so I started the tourist business, and that business boomed, you know, and I ran that for thirteen years.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And talk about, my mother got sick, gallbladder, and she, she didn't get up in time, she got this palsy, you know, so that when she got down here she needed me, so I was a nurse, I was taking care of my mother and I was running the tourist house. I used to have thirty people in my house every night during the summer, and I had to show them the rooms, go run outdoors and show them where to park the cars. I did that for thirteen years and then my mother passed away and then, you know, she passed away, and ah, then I had another breakdown</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">after she died, with pleurisy on my bad lung, and I was in the hospital eleven weeks, and the doctor hollered at my doctor and he shook his finger at me that I'm not being fair to myself, but he pulled me through—I—I—I had a 103 temperature for eleven weeks and he called my daughter-in-law, by that time my son was married, and he told my daughter-in-law the things that that I did, but ah, by that the family wanted to sell the house, they thought it was too much for me and they all wanted to get out and on their own, they were getting married and I didn't want to sell it because </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I wanted a home, I wanted something, if I knew I was going to live to this age I would have fought it more, I would have kept it, but I thought, “I'm finished,” because my family gave me up so many times, then I had a second breakdown after we sold the house I had another breakdown of my lungs and I was at Chenango Bridge and I'm still here and, but I still didn't give up, I got back on my feet and started working again and, ah, I, ah, the family pressed me so hard to sell, sell, sell, that I finally gave up and I sold it. So then I wasn't welcome anyplace, I—I just didn't know what to do. What am I going to do? I—I—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: So what year did you come to the high rise?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well, I came to the high rise in 1968, when they just opened it. I'm here ten years, and well, well, first I—I traveled with a suitcase, I went all over, you know, and the money that I had from the property, you know, seventeen years I was doing nothing, just traveling with a suitcase, trying to make myself live someplace. I didn't know where I belonged, and ah, as for a job, they said they didn't want anybody at my age, which was around forty, and I was around forty, and ah, I, no matter what I did, I was a telephone operator, I worked on a switchboard, worked at the New York City hotel and I worked at the switchboard in the front here and I had all this experience and they didn't want to give me a job because of my age, so I said, “What am I going to do?” I just retired. Well I lived off the few hundred thousand dollars that I got for seventeen years but then the money was gone, so, I was older and I said, “What am I going to do now?” so I had another good friend at the Bennett Hotel, and he, and I told him my story and he and his wife—and he was Mr. Lamb, I guess everybody in town knows him and about my story—and he says, “Well, I can help you, all I can say is a good work for you to go on welfare,” so I said, “Yes, I will go on welfare,” but I didn't—my family and my son didn't know anything about it, that I was doing that, I was very independent, I never went to any of them for a dollar or a coin—or anything, I'm kind of independent and I was too spunky, you know, my mother and father used to say to me, “I never seen anything like you, if you make up your mind you’rer gonna do it.” I still do, but ah, so then people were very kind to me, the urban renewal people, ah, ah, Margarette, ah, ah, what's her name? She's in the office over here. I can't think of her name now, she was very kind to me and she said I was living at the Arlington, I was on welfare already and of course welfare were giving me only $85.00 a month and I had to pay $50.00 rent, so what did I have left? So I used to do—I used to help a lot of little old ladies take them someplace and they'd buy my meal and, ah, or I used to sew, I could sew. I was a dressmaker for three years and then my eyesight failed—failed me, and I managed that way, but I always meet nice people that were always very helpful to me all the time, not that I—I didn't go to them purposefully to tell them my sad story, but ah, I—I wanted to get along as best I could, so then, ah—ah, well, we were living at the Bennett, you know the place was condemned, the Bennett hotel, and we were living there. There were about twenty of us ladies living there, and ah, I couldn't make—I couldn't make ends meet so I used to take care of another sick lady, but ah, retired from Washington, from the Pentagon, and she—I used to escort her around and she used to buy my lunches for me. I used to escort her around town, and well, after that we had to move out of there. We were there, I was there about six years at the Bennett, and then the Urban Renewal moved us to the Arlington. We were supposed to be there only one year, but instead of that we figured two years waiting for this to be finished, so then, ah, they'd moved me here, they ah, Urban [Renewal] moved my furniture and they bought furniture that I have here. It's from the Arlington, they bought it for me through the welfare, I don't know who paid for it, and some of the odd pieces were given to me that I have, but ah, so I have been here ever since.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Well, Anna, I think that we can close by saying that you have a very lovely attractive apartment so that you are comfortable.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well, a lot of people say that to me, but ah, when, ah, I was running the tourist house, you know, the guests used to come in and say that I had the cleanest house, that I used to have the cleanest rooms of any tourist house that they ever had, and they always came. We used to have a lot of flowers around the house. I had a lot of boxes, and I know I had a hairdresser from New York City stop and he said, he had his family with him and he said, “We went all over Binghamton and my family wanted to go in that house where all the beautiful flowers are,” so they would come in, and they would come in and they saw—I must say so, but I had the flowers, and everybody that came in that had children, they said that it was the cleanest, neatest place, and I had fifteen rooms to rent, sometimes I had thirty people in one night in the house, and I had all that laundry to take care of and I had all those beds to make myself. I was doing it myself, too, and, but then I did break down after my mother died.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Well, now let's finish the story by telling the people how old you are—you've lived through a great deal.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes, well I—I'm 87 years old now and I don't know how much longer I'm going to live, because everybody tells me I don't look my age.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: You don't look your age, you're a very, very attractive woman.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: But ah, I have this, ah, chest condition—chest pains now, and I don't know, lately it's been kind of, they've been kind of, although I have a very good doctor, he shakes his finger at me.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Well, let's just hope for the best. Thank you very much for the interview, Mrs. Borsuk.</span></p>
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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Interview with Anna Borsuk
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Borsuk, Anna -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Binghamton (N.Y.); Pittsburgh (Pa.); Beauty shops; Tuberculosis -- Patients -- Interviews; Single mothers -- Interviews
Description
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Anna Borsuk talks about her early years, moving from Pittsburgh, PA, to Binghamton, NY, and working in hotels in NYC. She discusses opening one of the first beauty parlors in Binghamton, running a tourist house, struggles with failing health due to TB and raising her son alone. She remarks the help she received from welfare and the kindness of people working in urban renewal in her later years.
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Recording 4
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Binghamton University Libraries
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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audio/mp3
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English
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Borsuk, Anna ; Dobandi, Susan
Date
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1978-03-06
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2016-03-27
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Broome County Oral History Project
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34:55 minutes
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Broome County Oral History Project
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Broome County -- History
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Binghamton University Libraries
Description
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The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
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2
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In copyright
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Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
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1977-1978
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<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
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Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
Jewell, Anna
Interviewer
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Wood, Wanda
Date of Interview
1977-12-27
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2016-03-27
Duration
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47:48 Minutes
Streaming Audio
Streaming URL
<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE55951">Interview with Anna Jewell</a>
Subject LCSH
Jewell, Anna -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Binghamton (N.Y.); Farmers -- Interviews; Farms -- Interviews; Motorcycle industry; Typists; Port Dickinson (N.Y.); S. Mills Ely; Dairy Farms; Pickle factory; Honey Bee Dairy Farm
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<p><b>Broome County Oral History Collection</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interview with: Mrs. Anna Jewell</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interviewed by: Wanda Wood</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Date of interview: 27 December 1977</span></p>
<br />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: This is Wanda Wood, interviewing Anna Jewell of 171 Robinson Street, Binghamton. The date is December 27, 1977. Mrs. Jewell, you have lived around—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: That was when we lived over on the other side of the river. I told you over the phone - I was just a little bit of a girl, but I remember when we went to school. We lived over there about eight years on that farm, and that was owned by—</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">then</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—by E.W. Conklin. And, uh...um, my father superintended that farm. 'Course there was no Sunrise Terrace then—that was all farmland through there. And, uh, then he fell into a better job—the same kind of job—with Mr. Ely, who was a wholesale grocer.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Was that Mills Ely?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: S. Mills Ely. Here in Binghamton. And he owned that Honey Bee Farm—what was then the Honey Bee Farm. 'Course he's dead years ago...and we lived there - as I said, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">I</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> lived there, I guess about eleven years—ten or eleven—then I got married. Ah. [clears throat]<br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That was quite a showplace, wasn't it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: We lived in that big house up there and that—the house—there used to be a water tank there between the two houses, but I guess that's gone now. I think I didn't remember seeing it the last time I was up that way. And there was—let's see—one, two, three, four, five—five houses that belong on that farm. The big one where we lived and then the hired men, then in the—a what used to be the old pickle factory—years—'course I—it wasn't when I was up there. It was before that—ah—my father had a man—married man living in there—a hired man and he lived in one end of that. The other end was the creamery where they made—they made the first pasteurized milk that was ever sold in Binghamton. And—um—I think he sold it for something like ten cents a quart and people thought that was terrible—(laughter)—imagine buying a quart of milk today for ten cents. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That was in the building down over the hill there that's gone, wasn't it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: That was what?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That was in that building that was down over the edge of the hill?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes—yes—that used to be—the end toward Chenango Street used to be a pickle factory.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: They made pickles there, in fact there was some there when we first moved there—big vats of them—and uh—but it wasn't running when we moved there. And he had a man that did the creamery work. Made—churned butter and pasteurized the milk and bottled it and everything like that—milk and cream. And they ran </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">two</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> milk wagons and they had a lot of customers in Binghamton that bought it. They used to sell mostly to the lawyers and doctors and professional men. And uh—oh they used to think it was a terrible price—ten cents a quart.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Delivered.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: An awful price.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: How long did you live there?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: My folks lived there—um—lemme see—gee I don’t remember—oh my father bought a—he lived there in a—oh I can't tell you the year now—and uh he went down to what was then called Union—it's West Endicott today—and bought a farm. And he didn't know anything but farming. He farmed it all his life. Come from a family of farmers. He had four brothers and they were all farmers. And uh—</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">good</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> ones, too, I might add.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: They must have been.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: And uh well, he used to help in the creamery some himself but they had all kinds of machinery there to—in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">those</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> days you know it was really quite something ya know, ‘cause you didn’t find that very many places. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: The machinery, you mean?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah, to bottle the milk and all of that. Oh, I don't know as there's anything else of any great interest. This Mr. Ely—they used to be a tower up on uh, I think they called it Mount Prospect in those days. You know the big tall tower up there that he owned. It was—they called it Ely tower and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">now</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> they have converted it into a—places to rent—they have apartments and I guess maybe some people have bought places there but it was quite a job to get up there. I have a granddaughter that's living there—she just moved there a few months ago and she likes it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That's what became Ely Park later?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes. That was—it's called Ely Park now—her address is—ah—apartment something or other, Ely Park—Ely Park Apartments and uh I </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">think</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the government owns some of them. I just don't understand about it but uh—I know she did live over at Chenango Bridge and she had quite a nice apartment there but she had to move because—the man wouldn’t do anything. He kept raising the rent, he wouldn't do anything and uh the toilet was 'bout ready to go through the floor and the water leaked and oh </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">my</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> she had an awful time, so she got a place up there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well this Mr. Ely was quite an influential man in Binghamton at that time, wasn't he? Didn't he own lots of—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: He had a big wholesale store—groceries. He was a wholesaler in addition to owning this farm and I guess—he lived on Henry Street. I don't know whether he owned any property in Binghamton or not. I never did know about that, but my father liked him very much. He was awful good to him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: What was it like growing up on a farm when you were a little girl? What did you have to do?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well, I didn’t know anything else then. I wouldn't want to go back to it today but—uh—I liked it. When we lived on the other side of the river I was just a little bit of a kid. I was only two and a half when my people come here and of course I—later on when I got old enough to go to school I went to Oak Street School. The kids today, ya know, think they're killed if they can’t—can't have a bus to ride on. If they have to go half a mile or so they have to get on a bus, but—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: How did you get to school?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">walked</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: To </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oak Street</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Except when it was stormy and bad weather my father would take me because—uh—and you spoke about that hotel on the corner of Prospect Street. It's still there as far as I know but it's a gas station today. But in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">those</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> days it was a—a—a saloon. And uh—I used to be scared to death to go by there when I was afoot and alone, 'cause I was the only one—well they was a boy that lived about a half mile below me that used to go to school, but uh—he didn't very often go with me. Once in a while he would, but uh—most of the time I walked it and I remember one night I was goin' home and I always was delighted to get </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">by</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that place because if there was anything that I was deathly afraid of it was a drunken man. And this one night—that's the only time I ever knew it to happen—he came out and uh—he saw me coming and he started for me and I—didn't know a </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">soul</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> there, not—well I did when I got up a little farther—I knew a couple of people then, but I thought if I'd just make that house up there I'll run in there until he gets out of sight but he saw me go the other way and he was so drunk he couldn't hardly stand up, so he didn't bother me at all. But you know when they're drunk like that you never know what they will do and uh I thought now if I can just get up to that house I knew the people that lived there. My uncle and aunt lived there in one side of it and uh—two elderly ladies lived in the other part but—uh finally I guess he decided he'd go on and wouldn't molest me. So I waited 'til he got pretty near out of sight and then I started home. I had another half mile to go.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Boy that's scary.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I don't know what ever become of him but I didn't see any more of him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Remember that pond that was Cutler's Pond? That was part of the Conklin farm, wasn't it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: What—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: The pond that became Cutler's Pond?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh Cutler's—that was on the Cutler property.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh that wasn't part of your farm?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: That was just above where we lived there—the next farm. Yes, I used to a—I think it was John Cutler that lived up there. Ah—and he had a brother that lived across the street and um kids used to skate on that pond. ‘Course I was never allowed to skate. My mother was afraid the ice would break and I'd drown. She almost drowned when she was a little young girl and she was—</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">never</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—she would never let my sister or I </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">swim</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">skate</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or be around the water at all. So—we never knew what those pleasures were. I used to love to watch </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">other</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> people do it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Then—a—you finished your schooling at Oak Street, did you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I went to Oak Street fo—’til I was in the fifth grade I think about—well they didn't have any kindergarten in those days, you know. It was calls the first grade when you started. I was probably six when I started because I was sick a lot when I was a little youngster and I think I was around six when I was there. And they called it the baby class—no kindergarten—</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">baby</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> class—and uh—I think I can remember the teacher I had—I think her name was—what was her name? What was it? But a—the Principal of the school, her name was Morey and they were—she was very very—she was a stickler to have everybody vaccinated in the school and my father would not </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">have</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> my sister </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">or</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> I vaccinated. He just, I don't know why, but he just wouldn't have it. So she came in about once a—every week or two—wanted to know if I'd been vaccinated. I said, “I've told ya every time you've been in here that I'm </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">not vaccinated</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">I probably won't be</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">,” but she'd still come and ask me.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Did you ever get vaccinated?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes, yes, when I got to be a teenager. Then my sister and I both—oh and did mine </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">work</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—oh I had the sorest arm and I was sicker'n a dog, but it sure did work, but 'course that was—I was all through at Oak Street then. I was probably about 13 or 14 and I was living in Port Dick and uh going to Port Dick School.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Where was the school then in Port Dick?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Up on a—I believe it was River Street. You know I don't know how long you've been—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Toward the mill? Anna: Down toward the Mill Street—that way?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah. Yeah. The first street this side of the mill. The other side from here—is called </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grant</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. And uh—the school was just about at the head of that street—off to that direction—school was at that time and uh—it was just two rooms was all there was of the school—one big room and a smaller room where the primary children went but of course I went into the fifth or sixth grade when I got up there because I'd already done—I would think I was in the fifth grade when I left Oak Street and went there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Do you remember what you studied then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: In Port Dick? History—physiology—they call it “hygiene” today but in those days it was physiology and I </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">hated</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it. English—arithmetic ah—ah—that was about it, I guess. I don't</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">remember anything else. I love arithmetic. I was never any good in it but I loved it—oh it was my favorite subject, but I </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">hated</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> physiology. I </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">hated</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> history. Oh geography—yes I loved that. I was always good in geography. Geography and English were—and spelling—were my best subjects. I could spell anything. Still can. (chuckles).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Good for you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I think it's worth quite a bit to be a good speller. A lot of people are smart otherwise but can't </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">spell.</span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: That's true. So you got married when you were living in Port Dick?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I was about—oh past twenty-one when I got married and my people still live up there in Port Dick and uh—we got married and lived—we went to housekeeping up on what is now Blanchard Avenue above here. It was called Fremont in those days. That's seventy-some years ago.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Were there many houses around there then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Not near as many as there are now. There was—that big house on the corner was there. And there was a—three or four on the side. We lived on the side toward town but they've built up an awful lot since we were here. That—we only lived there about three months. We didn't like it—so we got an—you could get an apartment in those days. But today you can't hardly find one, but we heard of this one on Green Street. We moved down there and we lived there 3 years and probably would have lived there a lot longer, but the man that owned it wanted the rooms for his </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">son</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. And uh—he waited ‘til I got my housecleaning all done (laugh) and then he come over and told me one day he wanted me—he wanted to—he would like to have the rooms. I said, "Thanks a lot. That’s very nice of you." (laughter). Oh I never—I never was so provoked with anybody in my life. He knew I had cleaned that house. We had a garden too—we had a garden growing. We had that partly planted. And uh—then we moved over on Sturges Street.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: What did your husband do then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Hmm?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: What did your husband do when you were married?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: He worked in a—let me see—when we were married he worked to Babcock’s then late in years he went in business for himself—motor—outboard motor business. He had a store and uh—had a store up here on Chenango Street for a long time and they outgrew that and they moved over up here on Upper Court and that's where they were when he died in ‘61.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: He was connected with Babcock's for many years, wasn't he? I think Al told that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes quite a few—I can't tell you just how many now. I don't remember, but he worked there quite a while before we were married. And then after we were married he was there quite a while—probably seven, eight, nine years something like that—I guess—before he went in business for himself. Oh—he sold motorcycles first. He went in a—had a motorcycle store in State Street right across from the old Bennett Hotel and 'course they kinda went out, you know—not so many people were riding them. Then he got into this motor and boat business. He did pretty good with that—sold Johnson motors and boats.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Do you remember the old motorcycles? Did you ride with him?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: There was a man—a guy by the name of Carver that sold another </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">type</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of motorcycle and if he could knife my husband he'd do it, every time. He'd get around people, you know, and tell them just how much better his machine was and oh he was—he'd even lie to sell something. He was that type. And then he got in the boat and motor business and there was another guy did the same thing to him. They seemed to be after him for some reason. But he did pretty good with that. Oh I don't know—we lived in several different places </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">before</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> we finally bought a place on Judson Street and we lived there forty, forty-one, let's see—we moved there in, ah, ‘21. In 1921 we moved there and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">I</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> left there a year after my husband died and he died in ‘61 and I stayed 'til the following July in ‘62. And then I went up on Bevier Street and my, ah, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">this</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> son—and—uh—three—three of his children.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well let's see what can we—uh oh I was wondering if you would ah—if you can remember contrasts about keeping house and keeping your—cooking and doing your household duties. What was it like?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well I kept it just like anybody else would, I guess.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: What did you have to work with when you were young?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh you mean machinery? Not much of anything at first. Ah—'course that was—ah—when I was first married, we never heard of electric cleaners, you know, we didn't have such things. But I finally had one of those—wore one out and got another one. And uh I guess that's about it. I never had anything like an electric dishwasher or…I washed my dishes by hand all my life and still </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">am</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Ah—I can't think of anything else. I got tired of sweeping—oh I swept with a broom a good many years, before I got a sweeper. We didn't have too much money, you know. And I had to go kinda easy. But soon's we could afford it we got a cleaner. In fact I had two or three. I'd wear one out 'n’ have to get another one.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: How many children did you have?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Just two. Two boys. The one that lives in Florida and this one here.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well I imagine Binghamton has changed quite bit since you used to shop downtown—I say I imagine Binghamton's changed quite a bit downtown?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes. You know I don't know where I am—I haven't been down—I couldn't tell you when I've been downtown. I can't remember. But anytime I have been down I didn't know where I was. It's all so different where the Arena is there and the Marine Midland Bank and all those buildings. It looks so different some way to me. It don't look natural. And I s’pose when they get this—uh—mall—if they ever do—it'll look very different then than what it does now. I think it'd be a fine thing. Just because I'm old I can't have a—I try to keep up with the times. I don't let my brain wither away. (laughter). </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Good. good. You don't live in the past, do you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No. No. What good does it do to live in the past? The </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">past</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">gone</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. I have very pleasant memories, but a, other than that I—I had a very good husband. He was always very good to me. They wasn't anything he wouldn't get for me, and trouble with him he couldn't always </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">afford</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it. (chuckle). We had to do without.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well that doesn't hurt sometimes, does it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: His people lived up at Chenango Bridge.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Now that was the Jewell that lived in the old Macomber house, right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No. Brick. The old brick house that used to be up there. I don't know how long you've lived up around there, but—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: All my life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh, have you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Most of it, yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well do you remember the brick house then just this side the railroad bridges there?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh yes yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: That's where they lived.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: They used to come down 'n’ get my older son, he was their first grandchild and did they worship him. Oh boy he could do no harm now I'm telling you. But </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">this</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> one they never—well his grandfather died when he was only—he don't even remember him. He say he can faintly remember him, but I doubt that he would—just a little past two when he died but the other boy was three years older and he of course remembers him. And uh—his grandfather used to come down and get him, take him up there. He was the only grandchild they had, the first and only, and boy you think they didn't worship and adore him. And he was so good—he was an awful good kid so—ah—he used to have—used to drive a wagon. They called it “Pickle Wagon.” I don't know where they ever got that name for it, but the seat was high and he'd get that little fella, he was about three at the time. I didn't—I didn't like to have him come up and go up there but—uh—his grandfather and grandmother wanted him—so I couldn’t be </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">mean</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, you know. I'd let him go. So they'd be driving out the street and he was such a little fellow and my father-in-law was big—he weighed 280-some pounds before he was sick, and you can imagine, and the seat was high like this, you know, and that little fellow sittin' beside him—now if that wasn't a </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">picture</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: What was your maiden name?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Haney, H-A-N-E-Y. That—you don't hear it very often. I guess there's one or two here in town, I don't know whether they're related, if they are I don't know, very distantly. My relatives all lived in Pennsylvania. 'Course I don't have many left anymore. I've got two cousins that live up in Elizabeth Church Manor. I've got another cousin that lives on the south side—on Park Ave—and I've got one in Vestal and one in Ithaca and that's the extent of my relatives. So I'm glad I've got a big family.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yes, it's a blessing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: That kind of keeps me going, ya know, I'd probably if I didn't have anybody like that around I'd probably just lay down and die. (laughs).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: They keep you sharp, don't they?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh—I love to have them come. And those kids are such good kids—awful good kids.That little Chrissy is something. Boy am I crazy about him. He talks to me over the phone once in a while.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: He talks like an old man.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: And Allan, if Allan’s home, and if he isn't Sandy usually gets him, and the last time I called up I think I talked to Allan and he said, “Wait a minute, Gram,” he said, “You wanna talk to Chrissy?” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I said, “I'd love to.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So he came to the phone and he said ah, “Hello Grandma.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I said, “Hi, Chrissy,How are you?'</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Fine.” So just before he left the phone he said, “I love you,Grandma.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I said, “Well that's nice to know. I love you, too.” (chuckle). I think his father put him up to it. (laughter).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: He's so smart.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Aw he's a cute little thing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Did you ever work before you were married?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Hmm?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Did you ever work before you were married?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes—I worked in a—oh I worked in Barrett Brothers’ music store for about 2 or 3 years and every winter I worked in the City Treasurer's office in getting out the tax bills. Typing them. I worked there fourteen years. Just a couple of weeks in the wintertime when the—January, you know. Coldest part of the year of course, always.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That was where? In the courthouse?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: That was about it, I guess. Oh, I worked in the church office up here. I'm a member of the North Presbyterian Church and I worked there in the office about 8 years, I think. Just afternoons, but that was it. And—my father and mother came and lived with us after—oh—after we bought the place on Judson Street. So of course I had a place to leave my two boys. But they were quite a good size by that time. And a—I'd go down and take—the minister lived on the same street—he lived there on Judson Street and I'd stop in there and take dictation and then I'd go down and get out the letters or whatever he had for me to do.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well you were a secretary then? Where did you learn to do that?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh, I took a course in Lowell Business School years ago.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: When I was about eighteen, I guess I was then. And that's a long time ago.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That's something that's changed a lot over the years, isn't it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes, 'course there's none of them alive that was in there then. Mr.—the Bloomer—Mr. Bloomer was the Principal or whatever you call him. And a—his daughter was one of the teachers—and seems to me he had a son that was in it too in some—he had quite a family. He had two or three daughters and a couple or three sons. Five or six children he had. They're all dead and gone, I guess.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: What kind of typewriters did you have then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Remington.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Big—tall things?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah. Remington mostly. That's what they had mostly there in the school. And—um—I think maybe a few Royals and—a—what's that other one? Ah—it begins with “S”—can't think of the name of it now. That's an old make. They had some of those but I never—I always worked on a Remington because I was—they were easier to operate and I got used to them and I liked them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Did you do—a—bookkeeping? Or anything else?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, I never had any bookkeeping. I just did the—I took shorthand and typing, was all I took. I was always kinda sorry I didn't take bookkeeping because in those days you could get a better job. I mean more money if you could do both, but I never took it up.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Do you remember how much you worked for in those days?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: How much what?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: How much your pay was, the week or a month.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I think in Barrett's—I think it was—ah, something like twelve dollars a week. And—a—when I was at the church—ah—I was paid by the hour. I don't remember what I got there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: But that was a pretty good wage for a woman, wasn't it—then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well it was—nothing today. It'd be nothing today—you couldn't even live on it and when I—when I typed tax bills ah—'course I never was the speediest of them, but I tried to be accurate and not make too many mistakes, because that's really what counts in that business, y'know. Those tax bills have to be absolutely all right. And mine were. I made very few mistakes because they put me in Checking. The last two or three years I was there. They have—all have to be checked to make sure they're absolutely correct 'fore they're ever mailed out. ‘Course now they have—a—machines, I guess that—uh—put them out. They don't have the extra help anymore.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Was that—did you work in the old courthouse then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, I worked at City Hall up—ah—up on the second floor it was. Yeah. Oh I loved it there. I used to look forward to that—just like a party to me. Got me out, ya know, and away from home and I'd go to lunch with the girls and—which I couldn't </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">do</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> when I was home. And it was a change 'n’ I really looked forward to it every year. The only part I didn't like was getting out so early in the morning and waitin' around for streetcars. I've forgot what year I went there. I had a niece that worked there, and she had a steady job there. She worked there quite some time. But I think I was there before she was. I think I—I had a friend that had charge of the typists and the checking and all that kind of work and so she got—uh—put in a good word for me and I got in there. I worked there fourteen years so I guess my work was all right.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: I guess so.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: 'Bout two or three weeks every winter. Coldest part of the winter—in January—uh—no it was in December 'cause they had to get their taxes out by the first of January, you see.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: And that was the County tax office?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, the City. It was all City. Then—uh—I think the last couple years I was there I checked. So that give me a little longer job. I was there an extra week or so in that. They put me in that. I love typing. I just used to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">love</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it. I couldn't—I'd—today I'd have to do what they call the hunt and peck system. (laughter). Hy son's got a typewriter here and—I—well, haven't tried it but I know I wouldn't have any speed. I haven't touched a typewriter in years.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well, if you were accurate once you probably would still be just as accurate.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well I couldn't do any other way. I can't do anything slipshod when I know figures, ya know, have to be accurate. Tax bills had to be right to the penny. And—uh—filing—I did filing too. And if you think that isn't something—the First Ward over there on Clinton Street, names this long, ohhh—what names—terrible—and they've got to be alphabetically filed and let me tell you, you've got to stop to study—you've got to know your alphabet good. (laughs). Oh I used to love—I used to love it down there. I hated to—I hated to see the time come when I was through and didn't have any more work ’til next year. It would only be about two or three weeks. Well, when I checked and filed and did that I had more work to do. I was there maybe a week or two longer then, but just typing—we were all through in a couple of weeks. 'Course they'd have about—probably eight girls typing all the same time, and let me tell you it was something to hear those typewriters all buzzing around there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Then your work at the music store was secretarial stuff too—writing letters and that?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well I guess that was what you'd call it. The church work was more on that order. And they got out a letter every once a month. They used to have a big men's class up there. They had about a hundred members in those days. That’s back in the twenties—and uh—I had all those letters to mail out. I got the—oh they had a mimeograph—so it wasn't so bad to get the letters out, 'cause I'd put them right through that in no time. But I had the envelope to address and that took quite a while. But I liked it—I—was very happy with it, I worked for two different ministers. The one man left or got another charge somewhere else, or didn't he retire? I've forgotten which now. Then this other younger man came, I worked for him a while too.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Did you help with your husband's business too?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes. I used to write letters for him, but at home—I had one of those little folding typewriters at home he bought me, and uh—I used to write his letters quite often for him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well you were quite a career girl, weren't you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well I don't know as you'd call me a career girl. We moved around a lot until we bought that place on Judson Street. We were married in 1908 and we didn't buy that place till ‘21. And in those thirteen years I wanna tell you, we moved a few times. Oh my—I never got so sick and tired of moving in my life. We lived on—well as I told you—started on Fremont Ave., Green Street, and then Sturges, and Ogden. Then we moved on Chenango Street. My uncle bought a two-family house up there on Chenango Street and we lived downstairs there when my boys were small. And uh—let's see, I don't know where else we lived—oh Moffitt Ave., two years. Oh my—I tell you I was glad to get a place where I could stay and I stayed there 41 years on Judson Street. And I probably would still a’ been there, but they took the street, you know, and put an overhead through there. And </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">why</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> they took that street I'll never know, because Sturges Street is a much older street. The houses on that street are all—almost all old. Cary Street is old. But no, they had to take Judson.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: So you had to sell then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Hmmm?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Is that why you had to sell your house?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Did I what?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: You had to sell your house because of the road?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Ahm—they took the—they take you for your property. The State. Or whoever put the road through, or overhead. But ah—I said I don't know why they had to go through this street. Oh </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">dear</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> I hated to leave there. After you live in a place forty years, ya know, it begins to seem like home. That's the longest I ever lived anywhere. Went right straight through from 1921 to 1962, and that's 41 years. Oh I loved it and I knew everybody there and they's lovely people. I— awful nice ones—over here you—I don't know a living human being to speak to except my landlady on the other side. There’s nobody around here. They don't neighbor—this is a bridal shop on this side—a dentist across the street—church on this corner 'n’ the chicken house and the shoe repair shop down here. Now there's nothing around here, it's really a business section and I said to somebody not long ago, I said, “I never lived in a place where I just couldn't neighbor with people and didn't </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">know</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> anybody, as this place.” There used to be a lady that lived next door here that was very friendly—very nice—but she got—uh—I think she developed arthritis or something and doctor told her she'd have to go where she didn’t have to go up and down stairs. But she had the duplex—she's on the second floor over here. But she lived there. Now—now they rent the two top floors. There’s two floors up there. And uh—the downstairs is all the wedding shop. I guess they cater more to bridal gowns than anything.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: How old are you now, Mrs. Jewell?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: How?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: How old are you now?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: How old am I? I was 91 last October.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah? Well you've had quite a life so far, haven't you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh I—well I—I can't tell.</span></p>
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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Interview with Anna Jewell
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Jewell, Anna -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Binghamton (N.Y.); Farmers -- Interviews; Farms -- Interviews; Motorcycle industry; Typists; Port Dickinson (N.Y.); S. Mills Ely; Dairy Farms; Pickle factory; Honey Bee Dairy Farm
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Anna Jewell discusses her childhood living on the Honey Bee Dairy Farm owned by S. Mills Ely in Port Dickinson. This farm also was the site of a pickle factory. She talks about her local education, getting married, her husband's business selling motorcycles, the homes they lived in and taking care of them, her grandchildren and her jobs. She describes working as a typist for the City of Binghamton Treasurer's Office assisting with typing tax bills and later as a secretary at the North Presbyterian Church for several years.
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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English
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Recording 35
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Jewell, Anna ; Wood, Wanda
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1977-12-27
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2016-03-27
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Broome County Oral History Project
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47:48 Minutes
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Broome County Oral History Project
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Broome County -- History
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The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
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2
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Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
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1977-1978
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<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
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Interviewee
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Kern, Anna; Jennings, Marguerite
Interviewer
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Dobandi, Susan
Date of Interview
1978-01-19
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2016-03-27
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31:34 Minutes
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<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE55960">Interview with Anna Kern and Marguerite Jennings</a>
Subject LCSH
Kern, Anna -- Interviews; Jennings, Marguerite -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Johnson City (N.Y.); World War, 1914-1918; Teachers -- Interviews
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<p><b>Broome County Oral History Project</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interview with: Miss Anna Kern and Miss Marguerite Jennings</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interviewed by: Susan Dobandi</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Date of interview: 19 January 1978</span></p>
<br />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: This is Susan Dobandi, interviewer, and I'm talking with two retired school teachers, Miss Anna Kern and Miss Marguerite Jennings, who live at 386 Main St., Johnson City, NY. The date is January 19, 1978. Miss Kern, could you tell us a little something about where you were born, what your parents did, about your early beginnings and things like that?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well I was born in 1893 in Herkimer, it was a village fifteen miles east of Utica in the Mohawk Valley and as—as I grew up—uh um—I don’t know what to say uh—my father was a doctor and in those days of course there were no automobiles. We had to go by carriage in the summertime and sleigh in the wintertime and the sleigh was an open vehicle and temperatures used to get much lower and we used to have much more snow than they do now, even this storm would have been a simple storm at home in those days because as we'd sit in the window and look out we couldn’t see people walking by on the street because the snow had been piled up so high from shoveling and we could see the ears of a horse going by but you couldn't see the cutter and of course they went on top of the snow and at one time Father had to go up into the country. It was ah about 18 below zero. He always—and he wore what they call a Russian vest, which was a padded vest but this one night because it was so cold Mother put newspapers under the Russian vest and a then put on his coat and his overcoat and he had a little charcoal stove in the foot of the—a little charcoal heater under his feet and of course just an open cutter and he had to have his hands be—he had a big heavy fur robe and he had his heavy fur gloves but he had 8 miles to drive that night.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And one time, this was several years later, when his driver was ill for the winter and Mother had to go with him in the morning and then my job was to come home after school to go with him when he made the rest of his calls after his afternoon office hours—and this one—in Saturday morning I always had to help him and that morning I frosted my left hand so that I've always had trouble—it would get cold and turn white ever since then and I guess that's enough about our winters.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I grew up in a normal school and we had outdoor—we were very much interested in all outdoor activities, skating, coasting. As we grew older there was a—one of the boys had a bobsled that held ten people and we would go after school. There was one particular hill, it was a mile long. We just couldn't start at the top because we would get going so fast that we couldn't make the curves and a couple of times we spilled but we could only go once after school. But we would go out after supper and we had to have a chaperone with us and one of the teachers in school, she was a peach and she didn't know how to teach very well but she was such a good sport. She went with us every evening and one time the bob overturned and her face scraped along on the ice but she came to school the next day with burns on the side of her face, her face all scratched but the next time we asked her to go, she was ready, she went with us just the same.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I graduated from high school in 1910 and I wanted to go to kindergarten training school which was in town. My sister had gone to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and a—Father said yes, I could go there if I would go somewhere else afterwards and of course—courses were all two years. In the normal schools, any of the schools were only two years and I promised, thinking that he'd forget it, but he didn't, so after I had been in two years they arranged for me to go to school in Syracuse. Ah—there were very few ah kindergarten, purely kindergarten training, as far as I know there were only two—one in Boston and one in New York. In the normal schools they taught kindergarten along with the grade schools and but—this a school where I wanted to go, they had a kindergarten course, so I spent my two years there in Herkimer and a—Syracuse at that time was training their own kindergarten teachers and the principal of the school was a friend of Mother’s so that they thought that that would be a good place for me to go. Father didn't forget that I was to go away somewhere so they arranged for me to go to Syracuse and I was there—a—from the first of September to the middle of October and I was asked if I would take a class. Well, I was home at the time for my brother’s wedding and of course he told me there and Father said no, I had to continue my schooling. So, when I went back to Syracuse the principal talked for a half an hour just steadily telling me I was wasting my own time and my father’s money so I called him on the phone and he said, well, he'd leave it up to me. I could take it, so, that’s how I happened to come to Lestershire. I was—a—that was Columbus Day and the principal—well the principal came up to school to interview me first and that was Professor Smith, he was the principal—the Superintendent of the school and I came down here the 12th on the train from a Syracuse—from Utica, and Marguerite, who was teaching here two years ahead of me, had come down on the Syracuse train. Well Professor Smith told me at the time that he had made arrangements for me to sleep that night at a boarding house and then I could look for a room the next day. So my train got in five minutes ahead of Marguerite's. Professor Smith met me and we came down on the trolley car and stopped. He took me down to the house on the next corner and a I—when Marguerite came in, the landlady told her I was going to sleep with her that night but she didn't think much of that arrangement, so we weren't very good friends for a while, but uh the next day I did go and look for a room and stayed there two years and before I went to another room, of course this was Lestershire, that I came to.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: How much did you say you paid for your room at the time?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I, my salary was $425 per year but I didn't earn quite that much because I didn't come until the middle of October and that was deleted from the salary and they had increments of $25 a year. The second year that I was here I gained my $25, but Marguerite was given an extra $25 because she was only a $25 ahead of me and she should have been $50 ahead of me in salary and a—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I remember when we first came to Lestershire the pavement went from just down to the E-J shoe store and a out here in front between street, Charles Street, Baldwin Street all along through there it was just a mud hole and the road was very narrow through this section right here. They had to fill in before they could pave it. It was a hollow.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I started in what they call the old Hudson Street School. Later it was named the Franklin Smith School, named after the Superintendent, and I stayed there until ‘25 and then in ‘25 I went over to the Harry L. School on the north side of town and I taught there, well I taught altogether 41 years and—ah—talk about salaries, at the end of 41 years I got $4,600 and now the starting salary is about $8,000 so you get that difference in just these few years since I retired. I retired in 1954 and I did some substituted in kindergarten and also in the grades in all of the schools at one time or another and—Is there anything in particular that you want me to talk about?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Well, why don't you mention the ethnic background of the children that you first taught?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes, well when I went to the Harry L. School, that was not in the Johnson City limits. When that school was built it was in the Town of Union, but the people—E-J was just beginning to build, ah, opening up streets up the hill, back of the school, and well, to go back 2 years there was a need for a kindergarten and a first grade over in that section so a little building was rented. I think it was a little chapel of some kind. They rented that for the week and had a kindergarten and a first grade there for the two years while they were building the school. It was an eight room school at the beginning and two years later they put on a twelve room addition and then of course still later I don't remember just, let’s see, it must have been in 1952 or ‘53 they put on this last big addition and that’s the way that section grew. I don't remember just when they went into the ah Johnson City—when the limits of Johnson City were extended. When I first went there, there were no sidewalks or anything you had to plow through the snow and through the mud and ah well— </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: The point—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: There were in the school—we had a ah—there were Russians, Polish, Czechoslovakian, ah, no Italian happened to move in at that time, I don't know whether or not they did later on, but at that time it was mostly the Slavic, Czech people and very, very nice families, very nice people, anxious to get along and so interested in their children. And I remember one time, of course we didn't have PTA meetings at the beginnings, it was organized after I had been teaching quite a few years, but there was a PTA established soon after the school was built, the Harry L. School was built, and Miss Clark announced at one time they were beginning to have trouble in the Binghamton schools with the children, and she made the remark one time that the schools in Johnson City, there was the least trouble in that school because the parents disciplined their children and there were other children—sometimes the children were brought in in the middle of the year right from the boat, a couldn't speak English and sit down in a chair and—a—the majority of them were ready to go into the first grade along with the rest of the children. They learned English very quickly, learned the customs very quickly, and I had the least trouble with discipline with those children that had come from the old country. Very seldom did we—did I have any trouble in kindergarten. I don't know about any of the other grades but a they were lovely children, lovely families. I used to like to go to visit, we had to make calls on—all of the homes of all of the children. We had in class every year and of course I had two classes so that meant quite a bit of walking and—a—climbing the hills. I used to love to go at Easter and Christmas time because I always had such delicious kolaches and different cookies to be treated.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And—a—some of course—some of the homes the mother couldn't speak English. The children hesitated about—a—what is the word I want?—interpreting, I couldn't think of the word—they were hesitant about it. They didn't seem to want to show that they could speak the foreign language. They wanted to show they could speak English.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Now it's an advantage these days, the more languages that you know. Now it’s an advantage.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes, of course it is and I know at school we try to impress upon the children that it would be very, very valuable for them to keep up with their original language and I think that some of the older children have found that out but I—the smaller children I was dealing with, they didn't want to speak their native language. Well uh um—Any more questions?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Well,you might want to mention some of the things you did during the War.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes, of course, I was here at the time of the First World War and we started knitting before the United States went into the War. We were helping sending things over to Britain—a—knitting scarves and sweaters and things of that sort and then a so Mrs. Harry L. Johnson a started a, and Miss Jeanette Johnson also worked in it later, started what they call the gauze class and they made dressings to be used in the War, this was after we had gotten in the War, and that met once a week over in the third floor of the fire station and they had a very, very big class, lots of people from the factories and married people at home. They were women, the Red Cross had charge of it but Mrs.—the Johnsons were the ones that started the class and then a—one thing during the War, the Johnsons wanted to have their people that were here have some activity, so they used to have noted—a—dance bands and orchestras come, they had different entertainers, singers, and I remember there was one man who played the accordion beautifully. We didn't know anything about him at the time, but he turned out to be a quite a noted artist. I can't remember his name and a—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Do you remember some of the things he did?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I know they had a dance once a week up there in this hall.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: You’re talking about the pavilion, the George F. Pavilion?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, no, the fire station, the third floor of the fire station. No, the pavilion wasn't built, that wasn't built for a long time afterwards, and I can't remember the year that they changed the name to Johnson City but I know there was a big parade and all the people in Johnson City—a—besides working in the gauze class and the knitting—a—we met the trains as the—a—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: —the troops came through.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: —a—the trains that carry the soldiers, I can't think, that’s what they call it. As they came through they would stop here in Binghamton and we would take candy, cigarettes and things of that sort to them and the boys going through and then they'd leave off letters for us to mail and—a—we worked on the bond drive. They had several bonds, a E bonds that people</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">worked on several bond drives with big parades and the Endicott Johnson people turned out very well. IBM workers in IBM also paraded and the time that the War ended there was a big parade and a great, great celebration, that was the first World War. We didn't do too much in the Second World War then, didn't seem to be the need of it. But uh—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: I think that you wanted to bring out good manners.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: About the children.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: About the children, well, that was one thing in kindergarten, if I could teach the children to get them to realize—a to share was one of the things, and to respect the rights of the other children, they could do what they pleased as long as it didn't interfere with the other children doing what they wanted to do, and if I could get that across I felt that I had been successful with the children, and of course there were many things that we did have to teach, words and sounds a a help quite a lot for the first grade. In fact I had to do more than Marguerite had to do for her 1st grade. The teachers asked us to teach the vowels learning these different words.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: We had to teach vowels.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes, vowels. The sound of vowels. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: The sound of vowels. Right and a we had to put in a new reading system. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yeah of course when kindergarten first started—a—each child they were all doing the same things together and it wasn't for several years that we began letting—a—the children choose what they would like to do. That came several years later. Very formal at the beginning, what they call the Froebelian Method. I don't think that anybody now days would even know who Froebel was, but he was a German educator and the one who originated the kindergarten idea, and that was the training we received, the Froebelian method, when we were going to school. Marguerite received the same thing. And I think discipline of the children is so much harder now than it was then. Once in a while there would be a child that needed a little extra help but most of them—as I look back I had very little trouble with discipline in the class. Of course a few weeks if some child got too obstreperous, why trying different ways to get him to settle down, and the child and the children learned there were certain things they could do, certain things they could not do. We didn't have too much trouble like that. But uh—can you think of anything else?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Well, how about you, Miss Jennings?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: I can't add anything that she has added.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: You could start with where you were born.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: Oh I don't feel like it, Ann.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Well, I think it would be interesting for these people to know how long you two have been together.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh well, uh—this was back in 1913 uh—as I said I slept with her the first night and we didn't think too much of it at that time but we became friends and the second year she got a room in the same house where I was and then the third year we moved down on Main Street across from St. James Church, and we lived there for 30 years and before we came here to this apartment, we came here.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: And now if you ladies wouldn't mind giving your ages?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, Marguerite is 88 and I'm going to be 85 in a couple of weeks.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: You're two remarkable ladies, I can tell you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Marguerite was born in Homer. I was just a little bit—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: I was born in Cortland and later moved to Homer.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Her father, I just don't know what his title would be, he does beautiful, beautiful iron filigree work.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: He was a blacksmith but he didn't—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: An artistic blacksmith.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: Yes ah he just worked on very expensive wagons, and if you ever drive through Homer, right near the end of the walk, you come from the Congregational Church, you look up and you'll see a iron and that is a showing of the oh wagon—western wagon.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: That's all iron filigree.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: And he cut every bit of that out. He was excellent in cutting out iron.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: He did beautiful work.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: If you go through you want to look up at it. It's a big, big picture iron.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: She went to Cortland Normal for a few years and then came directly here. We both started teaching.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: We both took classes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: And oh yes all through—all through our teaching.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: You updated your education.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: Yeah. We read the magazines, which were not cheap then either. We had very, very large classes. Now one class I had at Roosevelt, I think it was 45 in one class and 35 in the other class, and you had the two classes in one day. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: And one time before I went over to the Harry L. School, I had 34 children in one class and 43 in the other and we didn't have enough equipment for the 43 to be in one class, so they divided it. I had to have three classes for a, a short time but finally they did get a teacher to come in and help me.After that she took a grade.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Didn't you say something about being a shortage of books for the children too?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well yes. In the other kindergartens the books were—a—furnished for kindergarten, and we both had subscribed to a educational magazines, and then afterwards a list of the new books and a description of them, and so when I—the list was made out once a year and we put in asking for certain books for the library in Harry L. They thought the kindergarten shouldn't have sole possession of these new books, they should be in the library so that they could be shared.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: They didn't look them up, Ann. They didn't find out what to get.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: When I'd go to get the books, especially the seasonal ones I—some first grade teacher would have them and I wouldn't be able to get them, so after that I didn't order any books. I bought all the books myself that I wanted to, best as I can.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: We had two different principals. I think mine cooperated a lot more. Yes, yeah her name was Jennie Frail, she was an outstanding principal, of course Miss Clark was very good too.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes, we both had very, very understanding principals, very understanding principals. A ha—we enjoyed working under them both and a—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: And having retired here, you have lived to see your pupils grow up and have children of their own?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes. Even now as late as this I meet people on the street. I did just the other day—a, “Did you teach school?” and I said, “Yes.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A were you in Harry L?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Yes.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Well then you were my teacher.” And I had the doctor’s assistant that I went to last Tuesday was one that I had, Novesky, and a by the way I can say that I had the lady that is interviewing me, I had her in kindergarten. (chuckle)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: I was going to close with that, Miss Kern, that you were my teacher too. (chuckle—ha ha ha)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: Dr. Harold Maddi the osteopath, of course he's dead now. He was in the first class that I had here. Uh ha—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Speaking of people I had, George Krutz is now Chief of Police in Johnson City. I had John Cenesky, who is a lawyer here in Johnson City, and many others, then I had Edward Sabol who became a President of a university and many others, but I just can't recall their names right now.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: And I had Bob Fisher and his brother and then the Connerton boy, well he's a practicing lawyer now in Binghamton.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: They are all prominent businessmen.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I had Robert Eckelberger, he is a lawyer—a local lawyer.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: And then I had quite a few that became outstanding teachers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: And as pupils I had some of the future Johnson City teachers who themselves are now retired (ha ha). It's been a long time. Anything else?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Do you have anything more that you'd like to say to whoever may be playing this tape a hundred years from now?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: Well tell them we enjoyed every minute of it—teaching.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: We had very fine Superintendents to work under.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: A ha. The Board of Education.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: A fine Board of Education, ah they did everything they could for us except give us big salaries. (ha ha)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marguerite: $25 a year increments. And uh yeah—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Well thank you very much, ladies. I certainly have enjoyed talking with you and it certainly has been nice seeing you again, Miss Kern.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: It's been nice talking with you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan: Thank you.</span></p>
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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Interview with Anna Kern and Marguerite Jennings
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Kern, Anna -- Interviews; Jennings, Marguerite -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Johnson City (N.Y.); World War, 1914-1918; Teachers -- Interviews
Description
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Anna Kern and Marguerite Jennings talk about their upbringings and how technology has changed since their childhoods. Anna Kern discusses attending kindergarten training school in Syracuse, NY and teaching in several Johnson City schools during her years as a teacher. She met Ms. Jennings upon her arrival to Johnson City. She also discusses the expanding limits of Johnson City and how it affected the school districts, the demographics of families living in the area, and establishment of the PTA, as well as her involvement with local groups in supporting the war effort during WWI. The two describe the changing curriculum and how their friendship has grown since meeting. They also name some students they taught who grew to have notable professions.
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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English
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Recording 38
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Kern, Anna; Jennings, Marguerite ; Dobandi, Susan
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1978-01-19
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2016-03-27
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Broome County Oral History Project
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31:34 Minutes
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https://omeka.binghamton.edu/omeka/files/original/e7438169129d1bbb162338672d8ef976.mp3
2e0d7a3b4776c410eb9af64af43ef337
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Broome County Oral History Project
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Broome County -- History
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Binghamton University Libraries
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The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
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2
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Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
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1977-1978
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<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
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Interviewee
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Kinnane, Anna
Interviewer
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O'Neil, Dan
Date of Interview
1978-11-29
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2016-03-27
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21:53 Minutes
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<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE55963">Interview with Anna Kinnane</a>
Subject LCSH
Kinnane, Anna -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Immigrants -- Interviews; Binghamton (N.Y.); Ellis Island Immigration Station (N.Y. and N.J.); Telephone companies -- Employees -- Interviews; Ireland; Cigar industry
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<p><b>Broome County Oral History Project</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interview with: Anna Kinnane</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interviewed by: Dan O’Neil</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Date of Interview: 29 November 1978</span></p>
<br />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: OK Ann, on what date and from what part of Ireland did you emigrate from and for what reason?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: All right, I came from Ireland in May 1925 and of course I landed in New York and then came on to Binghamton and now you want to know?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: For what reason?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: For what reason—well I came because my sisters were here ahead of me and they wanted me to be with them and mostly for employment.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: OK now before your entered the States, Ann, you had to go through Ellis Island.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah, OK, and how were things then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well, I would say the people there were coming—it was fairly good, it wasn't a place you would want to stay two or three days there but to go through which only took a couple of hours, it was all right. Everybody was really very nice and courteous. They gave you a card with your name and address on it, where you were going and your destination. Then when you went to the gate, the fellows at the gate directed you where to go but of course my Sisters met me there which made it easier for me.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah, did they give you any sort of physical examination?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, none whatsoever. All right he asked you how much money you had and you told him and then if it agreed which they wanted, OK they marked your baggage and that’s all.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Now did you mention what part of Ireland you came from?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: County Clare, Ireland.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: County Clare.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah, C-L-A-R-E.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: OK so in other words your sisters were here already?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes they were here ahead of me.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: And ah you came over here to seek employment and then where did you work Ann?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: At the telephone company.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: And what year was that?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: It was 19, let me see I've got it down here.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Just the year.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: It was 1926.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: 1926.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Just a year after I came.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: OK fine. Now at that time you went to work for them, how were conditions? You want to describe in your own words your job?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I would say they were very good. I would say that they were really good—Welcome stations there. We worked of course our 8 hours and we worked ah 7 days a week including Sundays and at that time we only for time and a half for Sunday and a day off for the week. No, no excuse me, we didn't get time and a half, we got a day off for Sunday. A day off for Sunday and that went on for a period of some. Of course I had to be four weeks in the schoolroom in the training department which would be able to go on the switchboard.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Now how were the facilities in those days as far as the switchboard is concerned—in other words suppose that I would want to make a call, what would I have to do?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well you would have to just dial the operator, take the receiver off and well, no you wouldn’t dial the operator. Just take the receiver off and a signal would appear on the switchboard.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: I see. Did you have to flick the ah what do you call the ah—?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: The transmitter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Flick that?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah, flick that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: And ah then what happens.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: You call the operator when you flicked down the receiver, your signal came in on the switchboard.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah and then you gave—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Then we answered your plug right in and say, “Operator,” and you give her the number and she put up the number and dial it for ya. Of course we had letters then you know for it to ring each one's party lines you know to ring and otherwise I mean it were direct lines.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah, in other words there weren’t any of the crank—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, no, none.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: —machines in existence. So in other words any time that year, why, you wanted to make a phone call you had to dial or call the operator—that would be what they referred to them as Central.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Central, yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Central and then you gave them the number and what did you do if you had a long distance phone call?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Long distance we would have to plug into another switchboard and we had to say, "Give your number, 456 is calling long distance!” Whatever, what numbers that was.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: OK and then when you started out, you say after four weeks of training, then that qualified you to work on the switchboard.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Right.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: OK now from there what was the next step, I mean as far as training is concerned, I mean you went from the switchboard to supervisor?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Well I worked five years then as an operator and then I went on supervising.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: And how many did you supervise, I mean how many girls?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: About 12 or 14.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: About 12 or 14. OK Ann do you remember about ah what year they changed over to the dial?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: It was 1931.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: 1931, dial system.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes, dial system.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: And of course that was, you just dialed—was that just for local calls?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: You couldn’t dial for long distance?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, no you had to get the operator for long distance.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Just the operator for long distance, so in other words in 1931 it was just dial for local.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Dial for local, you dialed your own numbers in 1931.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: OK.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Gosh I actually don't remember what year they went to, they dialed long distance—it’s not too long ago. Make sure to look that up.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: That they had the prefix like the SW or RA.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah, yeah although, gosh I don't think it was more than 10 or 15 years do you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: No—when did you retire from there, Ann?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I retired in 1967.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: In 1967, yeah, so that was just 10 years ago. I think that probably you could dial direct then.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah you could.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Now what was the pay scale, that is, as far as in those days in 1926. The pay scale for, not your own salary, but I mean like for somebody that started?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: When it was started, I started with $4.00 a week.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: $4.00 a week.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes, then after 6 months you got a raise of $1.00 and so accordingly every 6 months you'd get something you know. When you got up to the average, I think the average at that time, it was $12.00.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Is that right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I'm sure it was, wasn't nothing you know. Next year and the year after then they'd increase the starting pay would be $5.00 and then the starting pay would be that, but that was what I started with was $4.00.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah, now the equipment that you used was what, Ann, at the telephone company? Just the switchboard and what else, headphones?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Earphones yeah, the headset earphones that's what they were, like they are now.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: I think I saw in the paper not long ago where they ah had a picture of the telephone company where the Supervisor was on roller skates going up and down.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes they did, they had that in some place in New York or Boston.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Oh is that right? They didn't have that here though in this office?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, no.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Now was the office located down on Henry Street at the present location?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No not at the present location, it was next door but the same place, you know where the new hole was put in for the Darling, you know, but the old office was where the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morning Sun</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> went in.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: I see.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: But I mean of course they're back. They have that building back again now so really it is the same place I would say.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: But an addition, addition added on for new dial.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: I see, so how many employees were there approximately in 1926 you know?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Gosh I don’t know. Oh there must have been a couple hundred.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Couple of hundred, and have they increased that number since then?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes, then in ‘31, see before they went dial they had over 300 but of course then that decreased it because you know a lot of ones were working there extra and different things like that and they took their severance pay and got out.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah, ah did they have any retirement program at all, Anna?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: And ah lets see, both of your sisters worked there too at the telephone company?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, no, just Nora.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Oh, just Nora.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Did she work there longer than you did?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: No, she came after me.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: She came after you did. Now to your knowledge, Anna, were there any tobacco companies at all or tobacco factories in the area at that time, 1926?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Oh yes, there was ah down there on Water Street or something, ah what was it now Hummil’s, or wasn’t there two?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Two on Water Street?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes, I forget the name of them—there was two tobacco companies. A lot of women on Pine Street used to work down there. Gosh that would be easy to find out. Did you know the names of any?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: We're trying to find out because our—we can't seem to get much information on it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: There, there, I know there was two because I know around there was a girl there used to come and visit with Delia and my sister Delia because she started in one of those and then she transferred to Sisson’s store, she was there a month or so—she couldn't stand the odor there—and something like Hummils or something else, I forget now. I know that there were two and I think where they were one was across the street from one another. Is that Water Street where the church is down there, that Christ Church?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I think it was that building across the street there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Oh yeah, where I think there was a plumbing outfit, in there at one time, and you think that was a tobacco factory?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: A tobacco factory. I know there was two tobacco factories because there was girls up the street used to work with me when I went to work at 8 o'clock and they were going down to the factory there. I wish I could remember the names of the two—maybe you could find out from someone if they were down there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Now the homestead there on Pine Street, was that where you lived all the while you were here?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Right.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Of course your sisters died and you moved to this location.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: So it was close by to work anyway, wasn't it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Indeed it was. Roll out of bed and get in there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: You know sometimes when 5 or 6 lay off they call you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Let’s see, 1926 to 1977 is 51 years. Now how was downtown Binghamton in those days?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Downtown, really, I thought was beautiful in those days. All the stores and everything.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Everything was filled?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Everything was filled and you could go in the stores and get anything you wanted and everybody was so nice to you. Knew all the clerks and everything was like old home week—it was really beautiful.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan. Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: And you could get anything you wanted in the line of clothes if you had the money to pay for it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: OK, so in other words it was a 7 day a week job and they gave you one day off. In other words, Sunday was your day off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yeah that was your day off, but that meant you had to work every other Sunday.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan. Oh, every other Sunday.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Every other Sunday.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Yeah, well is there anything else, Ann, that you could add?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Let’s see, well then, of course after you were there 2 years you got 1 week’s vacation and then after 6 years you got 2 years vacation or 2 weeks vacation, I mean 2 weeks vacation, and then of course they get 4 now after they're there a certain length of time. They get 4 and 5 weeks vacation and they got double time for Sunday and now they're getting a starting pay of about $200.00.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Is that right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: That’s right.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: $200.00 today and you started at $4.00 a week.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Right, right, when I left after I left in ‘41 that’s when they went up—they, we used to, when we got $1.00 or $2.00 raise we'd think we were happy—now $5 and $10 they get. $5 and $10. They'd think nothing of $1 or $2 raise.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: But an operator starts out with $200 a week?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: And of course going up in a supervisor capacity means more.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: More.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: And still get four weeks paid vacation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: They're getting 5 weeks paid vacation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Is that right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: They got 35 years of service.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: Well, things have certainly changed. ‘Course we got to consider the fact that when you first started, that $4.00 went about as far as that $200.00 today.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: I don't know how we lived on it once but anyway we did.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan: OK so Anna that’s as much as I can cover right now. If I should happen to come up with anything else that I might have overlooked, why I’ll get in touch with you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna: Surely—fine, great.</span></p>
Rights Statement
This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Interview with Anna Kinnane
Subject
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Kinnane, Anna -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Immigrants -- Interviews; Binghamton (N.Y.); Ellis Island Immigration Station (N.Y. and N.J.); Telephone companies -- Employees -- Interviews; Ireland; Cigar industry
Description
An account of the resource
Anna Kinnane talks about her emigration from County Clare, Ireland through Ellis Island and on to Binghamton, NY to be closer to her sisters and for employment. She describes her responsibilities as an operator at the telephone company, her salary, the conditions she worked in, as well as, her promotion from operator to supervisor. She also mentions the local cigar industry.
Publisher
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Binghamton University Libraries
Rights
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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audio/mp3
Language
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English
Type
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Sound
Identifier
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Recording 39
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Kinnane, Anna ; O'Neil, Dan
Date
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1978-11-29
Date Modified
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2016-03-27
Is Part Of
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Broome County Oral History Project
Extent
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21:53 Minutes
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Broome County Oral History Project
Subject
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Broome County -- History
Publisher
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Binghamton University Libraries
Description
An account of the resource
The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
Identifier
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2
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In copyright
Contributor
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Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
Coverage
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1977-1978
Relation
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<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
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Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
Spisak, Anne
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview
Politylo, Nettie
Date of Interview
1977-12-29
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2016-03-27
Duration
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33:37 Minutes; 11:26 Minutes
Streaming Audio
Streaming URL
<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE56029">Interview with Anne Spisak</a>
Subject LCSH
Spisak, Anne -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Endicott (N.Y.); Endicott Johnson Corporation -- Employees -- Interviews; Cigar industry; General Cigar Factory; Perl Bakery
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Transcription
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Broome County Oral History Project</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interview with: Anne Spisak</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interviewed by: Nettie Polityo</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Date of interview: 29 December 1977</span></p>
<br />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: This is Nettie Politylo talking to Anne Spisak of 43 Bernice St., Johnson City on Dec. 29, 1977. I understand you worked in a cigar factory here in Binghamton some years ago. We are especially interested in this industry because we don’t know much about it. Why don’t we start with the time you started work there—just tell me—how you got the job, what you did, what other people did to prepare the tobacco and make the cigars and just everything you remember about the operation of the factory. OK Anne—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I started working I think about 1929, I think I was around fifteen and I went to the General Cigar Factory—they asked our age, I told them I was eighteen which I was only fifteen. Whether I was supposed to lie or not but I don't know but I did. Then they gave me a job which was examiner. I liked the job. There was four people on the machine to work—one was a feeder, one was a binder and a wrapper and I was an examiner. I had to feel the cigars for their size, for their weight and the cigar. I had a box and there was 500 cigars in a box. I don't know what we got paid by the box but our average pay for the week was $12, so I think that it would be about 30 cents an hour. As for as I would figure it now. And I enjoyed it, I had a nice boss named Mr. Lawrence and once in a while he had his brother which his name was Lorenzo which I couldn't figure that out because they were both brothers. One of them bought a restaurant on Front St., a spaghetti place. The cigar factory, I think closed down for what reason I don' t know.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Excuse me, Anne, do you have any idea when that closed down?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I don't know, it wasn't too long after.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Before you tell me about the closing, how about telling me about the operation what you were actually doing?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I had to feel the cigars, it was on a big machine, feel the cigar for size and I had to put them in the box and if they didn’t match just right you had to take them out and patch them up—if there was a little defect in the tobacco you had to patch them up with little glue, we had our glue to put on, and the machine would operate like a conveyor and had to go to a place fast. If I thought I was a little behind, then I would put them in a big bin then I would take my time and when I had recess or noon, I would patch them up again. And if the big bosses came around they would put their hand in and stop the operation—fill those out, patch them up and start working again. The girls on the machine would help us because we could not operate any further until everything was done. And the big bosses were from Pennsylvania, one of the boss's name was Mr. Joseph, a big fat man with a big cigar in his mouth, is all I can remember. They were pleasant, no one was ever harsh. Then when they came around I had age on my mind all the time because I was afraid they were going to throw me out and I did want work and because I had to work. I figure I had to at that time. We didn't have any coffee breaks as far as I can remember.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You never had any coffee breaks?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Not that I remember.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You just kept on working?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Just kept right on working ’til noon, as far as I remember. The windows had to be closed in the place on account of the tobacco drying up.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: For the humidity?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What kind of people worked there—what nationalities?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I think it was all kinds, mostly women. The men had the machine jobs or like repair men.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you have any familiarity with the machine jobs? Any jobs?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: The first one was a feeder—where they put in a big long tobacco into the machine that would feed it. And the other operation was a wrapper—was a machine that you would wrap it, you know, and the cigar would roll. And the third one—was the top of the process already of the cigar and I already had the finished product.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did they pay you—by the hour or by the week?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I think they paid us by the 500 can—cigars—500 cigars. You had to make 500 cigars in the can—to put in a can… You were paid by that—every 500—so it ran about 30¢ hour by the pay I got, so I got $12 a week. That was big money at that time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How did you commute back and forth from Endicott?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Street car. I don't know whether it was a nickel or dime for the street car, from Endicott to Binghamton. Once I got off on the Binghamton line and it was an extra and I didn't have the money. I started crying. Then finally a man gave me the dime. Never been without a dime.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Embarrassing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I didn't realize I had to pay the extra after the arch—in Binghamton.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Certain Zoning.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I didn't realize it was Binghamton—I never traveled before, we never had cars, nobody had a car, so I was never in Binghamton, so I didn't know it was a Binghamton line.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: The men were on the machines and the ladies did the other things?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Right—and the lady bosses—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What were their names?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: All I could remember was Celia Shawn and then she married a Barnes. I don't know if she is living or not.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Many of these people have passed away?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Right—but all I know was her name was Shawn, she married a Barnes and lived in Endwell. I saw her a few times, I liked her.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did they make anything else besides cigars—like chewing tobacco, snuff?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: They must’ve. I don't remember because I was on the machine floor. I don't know the bottom floor—I don't know—so I even asked this man today, "Did they pack them in boxes?" He said, "Yeah.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Cigars? Yeah.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I didn't even know that—you know you don't pay attention too much when you are working—you were only doing your operation. I don't know what was going on the other section.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You were only working—doing your job?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Right—right.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did they ever have a union?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, no not that I know of.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did they ever strike for more money?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, we didn't know what a strike was—everybody wanted a job.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What brands did they make?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: William Penn and White Owl—those two I remember.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Those are familiar. Did they make expensive brands?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, not that I know of.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Well, the conditions in the factory—was it smelly, was it dusty from the tobacco?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Well it smells, but I didn't mind it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That smell didn't bother you—so many of the ladies, it did bother them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: It didn't bother me at all and I enjoyed working there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I guess they had to have the windows closed—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Yes, because of the tobacco—it would dry the tobacco, more.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How about the facilities for women—did they have couches for women if they became ill in bathrooms?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No—I don’t remember—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Everything was crude—wasn't it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, I don't remember at all , I don't remember.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did they have more than one shift? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No I don't remember anything about that, that I don’t remember. And we had to wear aprons, green aprons.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Were they given to you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, we had to buy them—green wraparound with a pocket—you had to wear a dress and apron or just the apron. Some girls just wore the apron. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That was the standard gear at the time?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Green aprons, yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did anyone ever snitch some cigars in their pocket?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Yes, I suppose some did but I never did—I took it if it were a big one—one they didn’t—one out of the ordinary or a little one sometime but that was like a joke—my father smoked cigars but I wouldn't bring them home, he wouldn't want that because that was stealing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you say you had to pack them together—was that a mold?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, the machine is—ok—the conveyor ‘til about here the big machine—that lady would have tobacco this long—tobacco comes this long—when it's dry.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Wasn’t there some sort of center that had to be taken out?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: There was a vein, yeah, it is was too hard, I think, out.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Who took that out?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: It must’ve been on the feeding machine because the feeding starts the process. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: They put that tobacco and then they take the vein out in that feeding machine. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I think if it was rough—it would do it itself—I think the machine would do it itself. Then the next process would go—it was big as this—it would have a layer of wrapper already, the tobacco would come from there and go to another process.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Didn’t you have to do this by hand?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, by machine, no this was all by machine. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: After this was cut, and the wrapper was on the bottom—tobacco sort of skimmed on top of that. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: The next process already was a smaller one—this was another layer and then that process would come to this one—and it would roll it automatically and I would get the full cigar.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How about the wrapper? It’s on the bottom and it would skim to this other machine. What was the third machine?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: She would have to put like a layer—like to make kolachki layer—and then that would wrap around the machine just automatically would roll it. And then through the next process—the cigar would come out a cigar already—and sometimes they were soft or hard—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: —you had to feel them if they were soft or hard—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Then we had this little hole—if you didn't think they were just right you put them through the hole and if it didn't go through the hole you knew it was a reject. Then you had to throw it back to have the right size—because you know if you buy a box you want them to be the right size because you didn't want them to be bigger or smaller—and sometimes if the patches—if sometimes there was a hole on it, the tobacco was not right size—you would put it on that machine and you'd see a hole—see in there—and she would give me a cigar anyway—again—I would have it all—already rolled up then I would see a hole in it and I would take a little tobacco that was a reject and put it on top of reject with glue, and make it look like not a reject and we patch them up. The girls would put it in their mouths, which I never did.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Why did they put it in their mouth?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: They pasted them that way—I don't know how they did it but they pasted them—putting them in their mouth.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I should think if they had the paste they would paste them with their fingers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Right. No, they put it in their mouth.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Do you think they wanted to taste the tobacco?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Maybe. I had the glue just like the white glue, patch it up, cut a piece a little bit and patch so it would be even with the cigar, because cigar is rolled. Then you see that cigar has a big vein that has to go—should have a smooth cigar, you take a little bit of tobacco, cut it up to patch the reject, the way the vein goes—can't go against the grain.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That was interesting. Now after you got the cigar you felt it, after you had to patch it or not, it was hard, it was a good cigar, but if spongy it was a reject—then after a reject you return it to the girl—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: —return it to the grinder and it goes all over—she will have to correct it. Then we have a big can—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Now when you had it wrapped—when do you see the hole—through paper wrapper?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, it was tobacco.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Wait, do you know what I am thinking of—paper wrapper?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, tobacco. Then—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Then they put the bands on.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I don't know what they did. Then I put them in these cans of 500—top of can was open—had sides, back and bottom—you put the cigar in there—there was 500—how we were paid and then the boy come and took the cigars out and then started again. First job—you call it a feeder—long tobacco put into the machine and then it takes the vein of tobacco and chops it off. No. 2—called binder—binds already tobacco for them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What is rollers?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: That—must be another department—downstairs. No. 3 - wrapper for cigars top of tobacco—I got the finished product.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: In other words yours are machine made.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Yes, they are all machine made.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Maybe those that were hand made were the expensive ones.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: They used to make the hand made on Water St.—someplace, someplace.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Now at your place they were machine made? I thought they were all hand made.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, I'd go back—if that was there I'd go back there—I loved that job—that’s the only job I liked. EJ—was one piece work—everybody was always fighting for lousy coupons—I was in EJ too, about a year.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How long did you work there?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I worked there 2 years. You did the same job over and over.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: When did you go to EJ?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I don't know when I went to EJ before or after—I know I didn't work when I got married. I first had a job in EJ and then I went there—I don't know—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did they pay better at EJ?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, I did not like EJ—I liked cigar factory better. I think I liked the work better because I didn't like working on a machine. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: After you left here, you got married?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What did you do after you got married—stay home?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Got a job in EJ again.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Went back to EJ again.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Good ol’ EJ and polished shoes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Where did you work in EJ?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: That was in Endicott.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Where was that located?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: North St.—Fine Welt on 3rd floor with all men—5 women—I polished shoes—how lucky you were.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You polished shoes—were they ladies’ shoes or men's shoes?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Men's shoes. Harry Spry was my boss—I liked that but after I was laid off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: How about telling about your family?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Yes, first he worked as a bed laster then he worked in the tannery—Calfskin Tannery—where he ended up.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I think they paid more.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: He liked working there—he worked nights—he did his work days and go to church. Yes, he was a religious man— </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What church did he attend?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: He attended the church on Hill Ave. Sts. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox—that's where I was baptized.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you say you had a brother who was a priest?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Yes, he went up study to Paris, France—to study to be a Russian priest—Russian Orthodox religion—as they were no seminaries at that time here.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Where is his parish located?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Lakewood, Ohio.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Was he now—very rev—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Archpriest.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: In your immediate family—how many children do you have?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Nine children—5 brothers and 4 sisters.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Are they all living?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: One brother is not, George.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: After you married—how many children did you have?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: 3 girls.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You are a grandma? Ann, could you tell me anything else about the work—or something comical that you can recollect?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: All I know we had no streetlights. We had to walk in the dark—we had to walk to work 2 miles to get a street car—we had no boots, no scarf.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you ever catch a cold, not having boots?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, never had a cold. The furnace went out at 4 o'clock—we got up and got dressed in the cold. We never knew what luxury was so we took things as they came along, we enjoyed everything, we had a happy home life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Happy home life and nice parents—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Right—we always got along. My father used to always say, “I'm wealthy because I got a good family and good health.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I think it is very true. If you have money and no health—that's not good.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: He always made the sign of the cross before he left the house.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: People from that generation were very religious.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: When he was dying he tried to get oxygen, he tried to bless himself, we didn’t know what he was doing but he was taking oxygen off and he was blessing himself.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: And he was always good to everyone—everybody liked him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I remember him some—I can 't remember him too much.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Anne, your husband ran a bakery, tell me about it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: We bought the bakery, it used to be Perl Bakery and we took it over—North Side of Endicott (Squires Ave.) and we built up and got all the Grand Union Stores—the bakery was run down at that time when we got it we built it up. My husband had to go to work to the bakery and stay inside. If the baker did not show up he had to stay inside and bake the bread, rolls and everything was going all over, he had to go help—he had 2 or 3 hours sleep a lot of times. It was pretty tough starting until we got situated but it was hard during the Depression because we couldn't buy anything. It was hard but we still got going. It was hard to get bakers and supplies—but we managed and then after—I worked—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You worked in the bakery?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I iced the cakes—120 cakes a day I iced—I like the back work we got along pretty good until—after a while we [caught] some of them stealing and taking stuff which then after couldn't take any more of the business. I told him, "Let's just give up." And a lady gave me a hard time with a cake and she said, “I don't like the roses, I want them pinkish.” I got so nervous, went in the house and locked the bakery. And my husband came home and asked, "What happened to the bakery?" “Locked it,” because she gave me a hard time—she made me cry—she gave me a hard time so I quit. And I said, "I want to sell it, let's get out of here." And he said, "Don’t let that bother you.” And that's one thing I couldn't take if I saw someone was giving me hard time, and when I saw them stealing—I couldn't take it anymore. I said it's not for us—"Let's get out of here." My husband wasn't feeling too good already. ”I rather have you than the bakery.” So then we sold it to Roma's—now they got it. Even our bakers didn't know we sold it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Fast job.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: They were all surprised.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Well they probably all liked working for you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: So, Billie Shelepak worked there—still works there with Roma—he started with Perl and he is still there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: He is an accomplished baker.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I guess so—he likes the bakery business.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did you do any of the baking?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, my husband was a salesman, not a baker. He used to go on the truck and deliver—come in and help out when a baker did not show up—never gave a notice—just don't come in.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Did he know how to make bread?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: They had to show him and he would do it and I would do etc., bookwork—and whatever the salesman came in—I would either order or tell them George came home. But I saw George was going downhill fast and I couldn't·see it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: You mean he wasn't feeling good?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: No, he was run down and I couldn't see him doing it—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: It doesn't pay to have a business and money when your health is more important to you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: So, then he got a job with IBM—where he was better off—better off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: What did he do in IBM?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: He was putting in the transistors. He started as a maintenance man first and then they put him on transistors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Like an assembly line job?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: He liked it—retired from there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Better he left the bakery—right? It was a pressure job—wasn't it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Right—more of a pressure job. He was 43 when they took him in at IBM—lucky to get in at that age as nowadays it is hard to get in at that age. He didn't know anything—he told them but was willing to learn.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That's what they want—a person willing to learn—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Then when he did get the job—he was rejected for high blood pressure. So he waited a year—finally got in—I always believe—if you wait and you want something real bad—the time will come you will achieve it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That's your philosophy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I believe in it strongly—yeah—because we were going into Scranton one Sunday morning—when Vincent Peale was on—he said, “Just believe in something strongly and it will happen to you.” And a year later it did.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I think Vincent Peale—he stresses positive—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Right—and I strongly believe in that—and believe and hope and things will work out.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Anne, did you have any more recollections? You have a lot of experiences.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: I just can't think—my husband had a lot of experiences on the bakery truck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Like what?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: He delivered bread when he worked at West Side Bakery or Schwab’s—they</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">had the best bread in town.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: They had the best bread—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: He used to deliver bread to Mrs. Rosefsky—her son is the best pediatrician today and he worked his way through selling ice cream.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Who is this Dr. Rosefsky?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Every time my grandchild goes to him today—he always asks about their grandfather. When my granddaughter was ten she had spinal meningitis—we did not know whether she would live or die—it was either death or crippling—but thank God she pulled out and Dr. Rosefsky came to·Perkins—and Dr. Rosefsky told us there that your granddaughter will be ok. That was the best news we ever heard in a long time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That was a miracle.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: My son in law was sick seven years ago—he had aneurysm—Thank God he is ok—which they didn't give him a chance.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Very few people pull out of it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: So I strongly believe in something that if you believe in and hope—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: When you have faith—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Yes, you will come of it strong which way it turns. You just have to have faith—that is the only way it gets anyone going.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I believe that too—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: And a man came over about 10 years after we sold the bakery and said, “I have something to tell you.” He came over and I thought maybe our books were wrong—but he said, “I have a new faith and I have to pay my debt in this world.” He said, “I took stuff from your bakery. I wasn't even a worker—I sold it in the tannery,” and he said, “Whatever I owe you—please name your price.” I said to him, “Light a candle—and that is all you owe and God Bless you and God will see the the way.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Isn't that amazing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: To me I think has been that way—because when you have that faith—I think HE will help you materially health wise, not money wise. And I think in a long run you are doing something doesn’t show there—but it shows in that person that you gave it to and I strongly believe in that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: That is amazing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: That is something I'm telling you. After all these years—we had so many close shaves and every time I think, I thank God—that light is still burning for us.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I think God gives us strength, doesn't he?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: When I see what my son in law went through, what my grandchildren went through so this is the way I see life and when my time comes I think I’ll be ready because when he wants us we have to be ready and if HE puts you to a test, because a lot of these things that we have to go through.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: I think it is really a test—don't you think?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Right—it is mostly a test because my husband had so many close shaves down the hill the brakes failed—coming with that truck and he went through Susquehanna, PA, and his brakes failed and if there was anybody in the way it would have killed a lot of people—but lucky no one was there—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Thank GOD he was OK.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: So, a a window fell once on Harry L. Drive, fell off the 2nd floor and it skimmed him by a half inch—he would have killed him right away.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: So when you see and go through these things—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: You know someone upstairs is watching over you and you are so close and yet you are going on. I don’t know—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Gee Ann, you have quite a few things—I know you could squeeze a few more recollections as I know you have a lot to tell me but can't think of them, at that time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: These are all true facts that happened—how quickly things can happen, that's why I pray. I pray every day that God’s will—that what happens you have to be happy and if you live that way—try to reason—you’ll think of that before you do something.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Anne, do you remember any incidents when you were young—had gone to school—Russian school, etc.?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: When I got my job in EJ I was scared—we were all there in the room—I think about 15 girls or so—all afraid—one day one of the girls said, “Why don’t you go in? Why don't you go in?” Finally I said—my heart is pounding—I said OK—”It’s me, ok, I’m going in.” I had everything I was going to say. So I came in there and Mr. Powell was there—he still lives at Ackley Ave. (I was talking fast) I said to Mr. Powell, "We have 9 children in the family, my father works in the tannery, he cannot afford to feed us so I have to get a job so I don’t know what I am going to do. Mr. Powell said, “You got the job.” So I went to EJ—I went on a stitching machine—I looked on the machine and 5 minutes later—I said, “I'm going home.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Oh come on—you could do that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: Well, I did it, I cut a couple of coupons off—the ladies helped me—they were very nice—they gave me the fancy stitch—where I stitched two pieces together to make a shoe. Well, when you saw two pieces together one side is going to be longer—I didn't know the difference—I just cut the bottom off—I couldn’t imagine what the next operation was—I wasn't working there too long—they didn't want to tell me but that was the reason they let me go. Then I worked in another place and I had to make belts—I had to turn the belt inside out, you know what you were going to have—I poked the hole on the other end—I didn't know about what to do there—so then I didn’t stay too long there—I quit. Them kind of jobs were not for me—they</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">were piecework—and I said, “if I get a job of piecework it's going to be on my own work—what I want do on my own. Finally I got the job at the tag department. I had to do proofreading—I liked it—no pressure—that's where I enjoyed it—that's where I quit from. At my age I think I had it—but EJ was all right—I liked it at the end. And when I was coming home I was crying—as I really enjoyed working there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: After being at home all these years—raising the children—and get a work outside you enjoy it—figure you fulfilled your job at home and now you are going—</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: My husband wanted to quit because he wanted to go to Florida with him so I told him I’d do anything he wanted to—so I quit. And I cried all the way, missed the girls—and left everybody I liked.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: This was when your husband retired and you retired.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anne: After a month we went to the cafeteria in IBM, the man—asked if you like retirement—no—and he went back to work on his old job and after three months—he said, “No—I'm going to retire.” Nobody ever got that because he got the first check—he was jealous of the job of garbage man because he always worked—he was hardworking—he couldn’t see sitting home when I was working. So I have to quit—because I don’t know what would happen—so he told me to quit—now we both retired and living the life of riley and enjoy everything and everyday cause you don’t know when the last day will be.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nettie: Well, Anne, this was interesting—and thank you very much.</span></p>
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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Interview with Anne Spisak
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Spisak, Anne -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Endicott (N.Y.); Endicott Johnson Corporation -- Employees -- Interviews; Cigar industry
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Anne Spisak of Endicott, NY talks about working at the General Cigar factory in Binghamton as an examiner. She describes the products they produced and sold at the cigar factory, lack of a labor union, the process of making cigars and the aspects of her job. She mentions getting married and getting a job at Endicott Johnson Corporation polishing shoes. She discusses the Perl Bakery, which she and her husband owned, but later sold. She also discusses how her religion played a big part in her life.
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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Recording 57
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Broome County Oral History Project
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Broome County -- History
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Binghamton University Libraries
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The Broome County Oral History Project was conceived and administered by the Senior Services Unit of the <a href="http://www.gobroomecounty.com/senior">Office for the Aging</a>. Funding for this project was provided by the Broome County Office of Employment and Training (C.E.T.A.), with additional funding from the Senior Service Unit of the National Council on Aging and Broome County government. The aim of this project was two-fold – to obtain historical information about life in Broome County, which would be useful for researchers and teachers, and to provide employment for older persons of a limited income. The oral history interviews were obtained between November 1977 and September 1978 and were conducted by five interviewers under the supervision of the Action for Older Persons Program. The collection contains 75 interviews and transcriptions, 77 cassette tapes, and a subject index containing names of individuals associated with specific subject terms. One transcribed interview does not have an accompanying audio recording. <br /><br />In 2005 Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Department participated in the New York State Audiotape Project which undertook preservation reformatting of the audiotapes, and the creation of compact discs for patron use. Several interviews do not have release forms and cannot be reviewed.<br /><br />See the <a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">finding aid </a>for additional information.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment of sensitive content</strong><br />Binghamton University Libraries provide digital access to select materials held within the Special Collections department. <span>Oral histories provide a vibrant window into life in the community.</span> However, they also expose insensitive, and at times offensive, racial and gender terminology that, though once commonplace, are now acknowledged to cause harm. The Libraries have chosen to make these oral histories available as part of the historical record but the Libraries do not support or agree with the harmful narratives that can be found in these volumes. <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/libraries/about/collections/digital/">Digital Collections</a> are created for educational and historical purposes only. It is our intention to present the content as it originally appeared.
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2
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Ben Coury, Digital Web Designer
Yvonne Deligato, Former University Archivist
Shandi Ezraseneh, Student Employee
Laura Evans, Former Metadata Librarian
Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Jamey McDermott, Student Employee
Erin Rushton, Head of Digital Initiatives
David Schuster, Senior Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies
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1977-1978
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<a href="https://archivesspace.binghamton.edu/public/repositories/2/resources/44">Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections, Broome County Oral History project</a>
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Interviewee
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Rider, Arthur G.
Interviewer
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Wood, Wanda
Date of Interview
1978-02-23
Subject LCSH
Watch making; Watch repair
Collection
Broome County Oral History Project
Date of Digitization
2017-03-27
Streaming Audio
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<a href="https://eternity.binghamton.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE56091">Interview with Arthur G. Rider</a>
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27:37 Minutes
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Binghamton University Libraries is working very hard to create transcriptions of all audio/visual media present on this site. If you require a specific transcription for accessibility purposes, you may contact us at <a href="mailto:orb@binghamton.edu">orb@binghamton.edu</a>.
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<p><strong>Broome County Oral History Project<br />Interview with:</strong> Arthur G. Rider<br /><strong>Interveiwed by:</strong> Wanda Wood<br /><strong>Date of Interview:</strong> 30 May 1978</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: This is Wanda Wood, interviewing Mr. Arthur G. Rider in the Press Building. Binghamton, New York. The date is 30 May, 1978. [muffled: 78]. Mr. Rider, you've been a citizen around this area for many years, and we'd like to get some of your experiences down on tape. And, ah, especially about your, your jewelry. Wholesale jewelry business. And, ah, could you begin by telling us where you were born?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Oh, I was born up on, ah, River Road [Chenango Bridge], ah, about, ah, almost at the corner of the airport road. And, ah…my people lived there three…I think they were there three years before I was born. And then…and, ah, and I still own the, I still own the house. [clears throat] Well, they, ah…<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: And they - were they farmers, or…?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: They were farmers, ayunh-yuh. Ayunh…farmers. Yeah, we had probably 20 cows, and 50 chickens, and, askah, three horses.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughing] That was a big farm, probably.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well not, very big...I drove a horse to school when I was a kid, to Chenango Forks.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Chenango Forks School.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ayuh.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Where was that, then? Where was the school? Arthur: Well, the school was on the right hand side of, um…on the right hand side of, ah, Main St. in Chenango Forks. It's around, in where the new fire station is now.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh. The building is gone, is it?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yes. The building’s gone. Oh, yes - it's been gone for quite a while.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Did you have to go up that dug-road along the river? Arthur: Yeah, I went up the dug-road.<br />W</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">anda: [laughs]<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Drove the dug-road.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That must have been pretty treacherous sometimes in the winter.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, yes. Ayuh, it was. Yeah. Horse jumped out of the one track into the other where we were in it. I remember we all went down the, down the bank in the [laughs] - horse and all.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughs] Overturned?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: But, I made it. Didn't do any damage, as I remember.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughs] Oh, dear.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: So you went to school up there until, when?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Went to school, and that's where I got an idea that I wanted to learn the jewelry business. Used to go in to see the watchmaker theres every day. Got it in my head I wanted to learn watchmakin’, so then…I…<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur:...Went to…took a correspondence course in it first, and then I went to Lancaster, to Bowman's in Lancaster and studied - took up the watchmaking. Then I came back and got a job, mmm…Russell O'Brien, 54 Court St. I was there about a year…a year, I guess. And then I went...a year, a year… <br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Was that a sort of an apprenticeship?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No, no. I got a job, you know. It was, ah…I think for that age... You see, that was in 19…no, 1918 or 1919. Right? At the end of the war. And, ah, ah, considering, I don't thinkin’ I got such a bad job to start with. I got $20.00 a week.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [chuckles]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Then I raised me to 25, and then I went to thirty. I went down to 20 Court St., and I got, ah, finally got 35 after, after the five years. And, ah, I told you that I, about-a, the…I told you about living in the Hotchkiss? [Hotchkiss Boarding House, corner of Henry and Carroll Sts.]<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yes, I'd like to hear about that. <br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah, on the same...ah, that, that was the time that boarded up there, and I ate there. <br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: It was the Hotchkiss? <br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ah, three meals a day in this boarding house. Linen tablecloths and, and, ah, colored waiters, and three meals a day for a dollar. So you see-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yes, it is-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: I wasn't doing so bad at, ah, on tw-25/$30.00 a week. And only paying out, eh, six and a couple’a, couple of dollars for a room. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughs]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: In proportion, I was doin'...<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">[Both laugh] <br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: -far better than you would these days, that's for sure. <br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: In proportion, I was doing much better. <br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Uh-huh. But anyway, the watchmaking... there was a demand for them, must be, because I don't think - my wife's my same age and I don't think she got, as the secretary for a lawyer, I think she only got $6.00 a week when she started.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm. Well, why - when you were - this job, the second job you had, were you watchmaking, or, or were you…?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Repairing watches. Repairing watches.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Repairing. And then how did you get from there into jewelry?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, [sardonic chuckle] well I got mad that - ‘s’well, I got mad that-s, I wanted to travel on the road, so I applied for a job up to the Pond's in Syracuse, the ones that sell Keepsake now?<br />Wanda: Mm-hm. <br />A</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">rthur: And-a went up there and that's how I got a job. They gave me a job. Traveled on the road…on commission. Straight commission.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Huh. Did you cover one certain area, or…?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, I covered New York State, mostly. Wanda: Is that a fact?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah, traveled around New York State.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: What was that, by train or car, or what?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Part of the time by train. In the wintertime, I traveled by train, wintertime [summertime] I used the car, but, ah, I never traveled on the train too much. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Have some, but not too much.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: And you took your sample cases and…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ayuh, I took samples.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: And went to jewelry stores?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Jewelry stores, yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: I imagine the styles of jewelry has changed a lot since then, hasn't it?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, yes, I guess. Not too, I don't think…not too much, as I know of. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Wasn't jewelry quite, oh, ornate…in those days?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: I don't remember. We sold - oh, used to sell cufflinks, lots of cufflinks, ah, and lots of cuff buttons, and lots of, ah, Waldemar chains [watch chains]'n…and, ah…oh, little pins. Small, little pins for the ladies, a-and, ah…oh, I don't know. Then we sold watches. See, a wholesaler those days sold watches.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Uh-huh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Now, they don't.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh, they don't? It's gone too big now?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, it's gone... see, during the war in 1940, they all switched over from, ah…from wholesalers, direct from the manufacturer to the retailer…’bout 1940.<br />W</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">anda: Oh.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: So that, that, ah, that ended a lot of the big wholesalers.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Cut out the middleman, didn't it?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yep. Few of them, few of them survived. And some didn't. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Down…so…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: What, ah…how did you…? You must know a lot about diamonds. How did you get into that branch of the jewelry?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, I go - I guess…when I worked for the Pond's, ah, I was interested. They seemed to be interested in, ah, I sold the - you see, they had the trade na- mark name, “Keepsake.” </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: And, ah…I sold the first assortment of them I sold down in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. And, ah, Robert Pond sold the first one in, ah, the first ring in, in, ah, Mike Lisson's in Syracuse on Salina Street.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Then I got it in my hea- I worked for them 10 years, then, then I got it in my head I wanted to try it myself, so…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">[Both laugh]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Then I went to, then I went to work at that. Then, then I went to work for an outfit in Lancaster where I sold the same kind of, uh, well, jewelry. Hamilton watches; Elgin watches; every kind of silverware and whatnot. And so then I, then I got it in my head I wanted to go to Europe. I thought, if they could go to Europe I could go to Europe, so I [laughs] the Pond's - I figured, if they go to Europe and buy diamonds, I could, too.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughs]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: So in 19 - lessee…1938. I went, I went to Europe and bought some stones over there.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well, where did you go for that?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, I went to, I went to, um…went to Antwerp first. Then I went, ‘n’, then I went from there to Amsterdam. Went to…they had offices in both places. And I stayed there four/five days and, ah, bought a few stones. ‘N’ I always, ah, I kept the contact for years and years...there.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: So you've dealt with that same-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah, I did for years and years.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: -contact?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah. So then I come back, and I didn't go to Europe again, ah, for another…see…not ‘till about 1960…probably not…what? ‘Bout 19sh…guess about 1970, I guess we went the second time. Of course, the war come on, you see.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: And blocked ya from the, the second war, there. That blocked you from, from going over there. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Did you, was there trouble with supplying, uh, diamonds from, ah, Holland during the war?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Hmmm, well, I…<br />W</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">anda: Do you remember?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, during the war, you couldn't get 'em from over there. They were all bottled up. I mean, ah, eh…the Nazis took a lot of them and, eh, ah…you couldn't get - no. The man I knew, he was, happened to be in America when, when, um…when Hitler marched into Holland, He was in America.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: And, ah, he stayed here several years.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Until the thing got quieted down...yes. No, you couldn't, there was no, no diamonds come outta there during the war.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: None, none at all...then. So I, uh…I dunno. I…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: How did you, how'd you supply your customers, then?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Oh, it was very difficult. Of course, there's an awful - people have awful big stocks of them in America. And, ah, I dunno where they come from. The price was very high then. And, [sardonic chuckle] but it just - I couldn't supply them very good. Wanda: Mm-hm.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Then of course, the government - you couldn't travel because you couldn't get stamps to travel.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That's right.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah. You had to bootleg-<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Strange how we forget, isn't it?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: You had to buy bootleg gasoline.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">[Both laugh]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur:God, you don't remember any of that stuff!<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh, well…a little...<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: A little...<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Some of the fringes about stamping, stamps and so forth.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: That was a disgrace. That's the reason I, I didn't go for this, ah, about this gasoline business this time. I didn't believe there was any shortage. There wasn't any shortage then. They claimed there wasn't any shortage then.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: All they were out to…try to stop you from travelin' or something. I guess they…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: There wasn't any shortage of gasoline; they had gasoline those days. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: And it doesn't seem as though there's any real shortage now. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No, I don't believe there isn’t any, probably isn't any real shortage now. They just…they'd like to have you believe that there was, and...</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Ayuh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: But there isn't - when you see the cars on the road, you know there isn't.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [chuckles] That’s certainly-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: They didn't raise the price of it much.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: No.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No. Now, that’s been-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: So now you, now you, ah, you've been in this one particular spot here for, what? 35 years?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: About…I guess about 35 years I've been here. I'm not dead sure, but I think about 35 years.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: When you first started on your own, where did you set up business?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Over in the old Savings Bank building, back of the Marine-Midland Bank. You know-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: The one between City Hall and, and, ah...I, I rented a room over there for, ah…for, ah, $20.00 a month.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughs]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: And I…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: To start with? </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: And I finally got in two rooms, then three rooms. And, ah, they bought, and, ah…that's when the old, that's when the old Binghamton Savings Bank was there.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Then they bought, then, uh, then they took over the, ah…which bank was it there? Um…another savings bank pretty near went flooey? Um, or over in the location where they are now. I can't name the bank. I oughta be able to.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: It wouldn't be the Citizen's…?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: …Bank?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur -the Citizen's was up along here. [Chenango St.]<br />Wanda: The People's Bank?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No, the, um...</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: People's Bank?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: There was a savings bank - another one, over there.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Huh. I'll have to look into that.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No, I can't name ‘em. But, they were going to go flooey, and, ah, the Binghamton Savings Bank…ah, took them over.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Then they eventually moved over there. Eventually moved over there.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: And that's now the Marine-Midland building, right? Arthur: No, no, no.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh, you’re telling-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Over - where the Savings Bank is now.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh, I see.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: There was, there was, there was, ah…another savings bank over there. Somebody could tell you that. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: But I, I can't.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: We'll have to look that up.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: ‘Cause Citizen's Bank was right along in here some where. They went flooey, too.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: They really folded, didn't they?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ayuh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Ayuh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ayuh, but the savings, the other one [Chenango Valley Savings Bank- 66 Exchange St.], was gonna fold, I guess. But they went.. the Binghamton Savings Bank took ‘em over…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: So that saved them.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: How did, how did the Depression affect your business? Were people willing to spend [unintelligible]?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: They didn't have any money and you couldn't, ah…no. There wasn't any business, hardly.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Bad times, huh?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah. Yes. Very, very...bad. 'Course, you could travel around the-then. I could travel around for, say, $35.00 a week. I could travel around and go, and be gone five days probably, for 35, $40.00.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: And, ah, now…now you go out 'n in one day you spend $50.00. Ridiculous!</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda:...Motels and that sort of thing.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: I stayed down in Corning the other night. And, ah, their rate, um…normally, maybe I'd get in there for 24 or $25.00. But, I ended up paying 30. And, ah, they said that's all they had.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: I hope that was a good night's sleep.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well…[chuckles] I slept pretty fair. I told them they could give me a room on the back 'n they gave me one on the front, but it was all right; I slept.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughs]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: It's a very beautiful hotel - or motel.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yes.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: That Hilton in, ah, Corning.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: It's very nice. It's a nice…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Do you do much traveling now?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Oh, I travel. Oh, three or four days, three or four days one week. And then maybe not much the next.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: And, ah..no, I keep, I go around... keep goin'.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: You to- you've had a very successful career, I should think.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No, I wouldn't say so.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well, I know you're a well-respected businessman in Binghamton.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: [laughs] I don't know about that.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: …Who do you think influenced you the most... during your life? </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Hm…I…well, I think it was, ah, probably those people I worked for in Syracuse. I think, ah…they probably did, ayuh, in a way. Because they were quite, quite sucs, quite successful, and they were…kept themselves up in very good order, and, ah, and, ah…very, they were very successful. 'Course they, they built that business. When I worked for ‘em, they were doin', ah…oh, when I started, probably doing a half a million. And now they're doing 18 million.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That's Keepsake Diamonds?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ayuh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: There's one right there. [laughs]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ayuh. Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well, it did-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, and so that probably influenced me. And the man in Europe taught me more about stones than anybody else. He’s…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: What is there to learn? I'm absolutely...I don't know anything about them. What is there to learn about diamonds, cutting and all that sort of thing?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Oh, there's so much to know that it's, it's, ah, pitiful. I mean…</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughs] Not enough time today, eh?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Oh, no. You couldn't, ah…but it's color, and, and, ah…color and make and imperfection and, and everything goes into the, puttin' the value on ‘em. Everything. Very complicated, very complicated thing.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: I notice you have some pretty complicated looking machinery here, too. [chuckles]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Well, I - yeah. Yeah, a microscope. Yeah. On some of ‘em. And scales, and, and, ah…there's some of ‘em, ah…have more then I have. Now you're coming along to a period where they're bringing in these diamonds that are not diamonds, but, um…this, ah, uh, cubic zirconia. Ah, is a new material. And the hardness is way up there, and, ah, refractive index is, was, was way up, too. and that's, ah, that's really a fooler. More, a bigger fooler than they've ever had.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Is that right?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah. Bigger fooler than they've ever had.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: You mean there’s been others? [unintelligible]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Oh, there's other, been other things, sure. But this thing…this thing, it’s really got 'em a little worried, I think. [chuckles] </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Do they sparkle just as good as the other ones? Arthur: Well, ah, they can be a…it would be a job to, to separate ‘em.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Is that a fact?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yep. I don't own one; I'm gonna buy one. I'm gonna buy one or two of ‘em. But, I haven't.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: They aren't anywhere as near as, as expensive as diamonds, right? </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Oh no, no, no, no. No. No.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Diamonds are still good, solid investment, aren’t they?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ayuh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Always probably will be.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Have been, I guess. I hope so.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Price goes up and up and up.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah. So much that you can't believe it.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well, would you advise young people these days to get into the business that you're in?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No. I wouldn't.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: You wouldn't?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No. I think it's too, I think it's too difficult. Stores, you see, there’s, it's getting so there are very few stores.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah, very few stores. When I started out, you could go to…well, now the fellow from Greene does pretty good, but there was a store in Oxford that, they did just, just as well. Of course, the store in Norwich, that's all right. But, then there was Sherburne, there was Earlville, and there was Hamilton. Always had jewelry stores...and they don't now.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: That's true.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No. When I was a kid, you used to go to - or when I started, I’d go to Newark Valley and stay half a day. And, ah, then I'd go to Nichols and stay half a day. And, ah, get an order.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Is that right?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: But, you couldn't do that now.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Huh. Well, that's kinda sad, isn't it?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: In a way, yes. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yeah. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Those towns have...gone down markedly.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: How ‘bout this…original man that you said inspired you to become, get interested in jewelry in, in, ah, Chenango Forks…what kind of a place did he have? A jewelry-?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Oh, a little bit of a, of a, ah…watchmaking shop.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Was it in the old hotel there or what?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No, it was the next building beyond that hotel, and it's, eh, where the post office is built out - ah, the building is, ah, the front built out on it? </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Mm-hm, mm-hm.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: That's where - Al Elliot, his name was.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: And, ah…ya know, he was…he was a pretty good watchmaker. He was a general mechanic.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Huh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ayuh, he was…he was very, ah, good watchmaker, I think - but not a very good businessman, I don’t think. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughs] That’s-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Hey, he was long on guns. He could shoot…and, ah, he really could. He was a terrific marksman.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Huh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Yeah.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: So his store probably had a lot of other things besides watches in it, then.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Largely. Largely, I'd say. 'Twasn't much of a store.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [chuckles]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: As you think of it now, not much of a store. But, he made a living there. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Uh-huh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Had one of the first cars in Chenango Forks; an old, Maxwell car. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: [laughs]</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: Ayuh.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: I'd like to see that again.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: You wouldn't see that, no.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well, what, uh…anything more you wanna-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No, I don't want to-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: -tell us about, to…?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: I don't want to tell you any more.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: I've taken up quite a bit of your time already, anyway.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: No. I don't care about that.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Well, it's been very enjoyable and I want to thank you very much.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: But I didn’t tell you much.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Oh, I think you did.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur: You do think so?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wanda: Yes. </span></p>
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Interview with Arthur G. Rider
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Rider, Arthur -- Interviews; Broome County (N.Y.) -- History; Chenango Bridge (N.Y.); Lancaster (Pa.); Jewelry; World War, 1939-1945; Diamonds; Jewelry trade; Jewelry stores; Wholesale trade
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Arthur Rider speaks of his childhood in Chenango Bridge and of becoming interested in watchmaking. He went to school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for training. He became a jewelry salesman for a company in Syracuse and travelled thoughout New York State. He later opened his own wholesale jewelry store in . He discusses the impact that World War II had upon his business, as he purchased diamonds from suppliers in Europe.
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Binghamton University Libraries
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This audio file and digital image may only be used for educational purposes. Please cite as: Broome County Oral History Project, Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries, Binghamton University, State University of New York. For usage beyond fair use please contact the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections for more information.
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audio/mp3
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English
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Recording 73