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Angela Varesano
7/28/72
Frank Zahay

30

Girls were under the control of their parents when they
were in their teens. When they got married, they were
under the control of their husbands. There were varying
degrees of strictness by the parents and family. For
example, at the age of sixteen, when he was "runnin' around
with" or seeing and talking to regularly a girl in town,
and he was talking with her at the front gate, her older
sister came out and called, "Mary, come in. Your father
wants you immediately." This family was considered very
strict and didn't allow their daughter even to talk with
a boy for fear of her being considered too free.
A boy was considered a man when he reached eighteen.
Then he was also old enough to be married. When he first
brought in pay, this did not mean he was considered a man.
Around their twenties boys were considered old enough to
drink with the men. They would go to bars such as The Blue
Eagle and The Blue Pig which were outside of Eckley.
Around sixteen or seventeen they were allowed to come
in at whatever time the chose, as long as it wasn't "too late,"
11 or 12 o'clock. Before that parents told them that they
had to be in at a certain time. Boys used to hang around
in gangs on street corners.
At Buck Mountain the boys built a bummin' shanty in
one of the members' yards this was built from gathered
boards from old houses. They used to sit around and tell
stories. They shanty was equiped with a coal stove. In
winter the boys used to make their own sleds with iron
work done by a member's father.
Many unmarried boys from Eckley left for the bigger
cities and better jobs. Most came back to work in the
mines since they were used to the place, having been born
and brought up here. Here, everybody associated with each
other, and there was a friendlier atmosphere.

Weddings were cdelebrated more for a good time than the
religious aspect. There was lots of food at these affairs and
lots of drinking. The groom provided the drink. When he
got married, he paid for everything, even an orchestra.
The celebration was held i the bride's house. Women
cooked the food bought by the groom. A day or so before
the wedding they plucked, fried, and roasted chickens.
Drinking included lots of beer and whiskey, beer by the
keg. There was a gypsy orchestra from Freeland for dancing.
The couple stayed with the bride's parents until they
got their own home. Sometimes this took a long time. It
depended on whether you had contacts in the company. Those
couples married in town usually stayed in town,

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