45

A. Varesano interviewing Anne Timko -10- 7/19/72
Tape 22-2

to fourteen. And if you couldn't make your test that they give you, if you couldn't make your test, you had to go til sixteen. So I can't understand so many of them I hear that tell me they went to third grade, or they only went to fourth grade. How could they get away with it? Such kids can't do anything at home, that they could say well my mother needs me, or something like that, you know? Already when you're older, say about twelve, thirteen, maybe you could say well, my mother needs help, or something, well I have to stay home and help my mother. But what can a little child do, from third or fourth or fifth grade? At home, you know, to help her parents. So I don't know how they got away with it.
AV: Well, you mentioned Mrs. Cox twice now. What did she do for the school kids?
AT: Well, she didn't do much for the school kids. She used to come before Chirstmas, and then we'd get Christmas presents, everybody was looking forward to that. And then she'd come to visit the school before Christmas, and we'd be looking forward to that, too. She always came with four horses and a buggy, I guess that was a cab they called it, and with four horses. But she was always dressed simple. She had a little black bonnet, you know, with black strings underneath, it was cute. She was a wonderful person.
AV: What did she do for the people around here?
AT: Well, some got help, but not too many. But they say in Drifton - whether it is true or not. I don't know, because she lived in Drifton - they say the Drifton people, that she supported quite well. Whether it is true or not, I don't know, because I didn't live in Drifton. I can't say.
AV: What kind of Drifton people did she support?
AT: ALl kinds. Even here, I remember, when I was goin' down to the school, down there, and I was a kid yet, and there was a, I think Mr. Fry they called him. I used to see him many times, going with big suitcases into homes, you know, I'd be comin' home from school, and they said that that's from Mrs. Cox and he was bringin' clothes for certain people. So, there was just a few that I know, for instance, Spires, and I think or somebody, I forget who the other - several families, like that, you know, that he'd stop, and whether that was it, or not, I didn't see. I just seen him go with the big luggage, you know, with big suitcases into the homes, and they were saying that's what he'd bring. But then, I remember there was a woman up here living, a widow, the children, some of the children are still living yet. And their mother was very sick and they had no father. So she was supporting them, too, and then that she brought wool, red wool petticoat for the mother. And she told the mother, she said I wore this myself, so, she said, I'm gonna give it to you now. And then I heard that this lady compained - I didn't hear it from her, but I just heard other people say that this lady complained then that Such old things she brough her! So she wasn't satisfied with it. I says, I guess people don't look at the donations, that, you know, that it's free. Just then want something perfect. I guess. And the way she put it to her, she said, well, I wore this myself. Well, if she oculd wear it, why couldn't this poor one wear it, that she can't afford it? But she didn't appreciate it.
AV: Did Mrs. Cox do anything special for, people liek your mother, who was a widow?
AT: We never got anything. Some of them did, but we never got anything from Mrs. ...Oh, we did, to tell the truth, first we did, I think for about six months. That wasn't from Mrs. Cox, though. That was, well, what a Poor Director was, I don't know. I don't understnad what a Poor Director was. Was he from Mrs. Cox, or what he was, I don't know. But there was somebody that called him a Poor Director. He was directing us, well, the poor people. So she used to