43

A. Varesano interviewing Anne Timko -8- 7/19/72
Tape 22-2

AT: Yes, she did, but the children were never afraid of the mother. They were afraid of the father just by looking at them! Instead of the mother. Because the father didn't punish them much, but when he did, he gave it to them, so everybody was afraid of the father, more the father than they were the mother. And the mother would smack them once in a while, but that didn't mean anything. They were used to that stuff!
AV: In your family, was that the case?
AT: Yes. Um-hum.
AV: So, the mother was with the kids all the time, though?
AT: She was with the children all the time, and she was trying to discipline them and teach them whatever was necessary, that was all the mother's work.
AV: And she would smack them when they did something wrong?
AT: Oh, yes, she smacked them.
AV: But, your father had no hand in raising the kids, sort of teaching them, or anything like that?
AT: No, everything was the woman's work. The women used to take over. As far as I know. Maybe someplace there was a man that did it, I don't know. But mostly it was the woman's side, part, of the job. To take care of their family and the upbringing and the care of them and everything else. But still, they were afraid of the father. If the mother would tell the father something about the children, that they were wrong or something, well they would give the punishment, too. And they were more afraid of the father than they were the mother. Well, they didn't get punished very often. But they were afraid of the father. He really dealt with them strictly, you know, if they deserved it.
AV: What kind of things would the mother tell the father, so he could discipline them? Mostly they were pretty important things?
AT: Well, it guess it was something that was too much, that she couldn't control, so she'd complain to the husband, then, about it. And then he'd get after them.
AV: Did your father do much of that?
AT: No. Very seldom that he would smack us. Very seldom. But he had a strap. Used to call it catty-nine-tailer. There was a handle, and there were like strings, like a strap, about that wide, you know. And we used to get it with that, then! And that used to hurt!
AV: Strips of leather on it?
AT: Um-hmm. Strips of leather on it. I don't know if it was seven straps - we used to call it catty-nine-tailer, but I don't think there were nine tails on. See, they were like tails, they were long strips.
AV: Not with knots in them? Just strips.
AT: No, not with knots in them, only they were fixed on a handle, you know, see, for instance this, you know, they'd be attached around here, and these things were hanging loose, like hair or something.
AV: And what did he use that for?
AT: To spank us.
AV: Oh, he didn't use that as a razor strap at all?
AT: No, he used to spank us with that. That hurt, too, see, because they were thin, and if he'd spank you, you know, put the pressure on it, that would hurt.
AV: So, he made that on purpose?
AT: Yes. That was on purpose. When we'd see the catty-nine-tailer, we'd hide!
AV: Where did he keep that thing?
AT: Anywhere! He had it around anywhere. Then when the boys got bigger, they would be hiding it, they'd hide it! Pick it up and hide it!