73

A. Varesano interviewing Anna Timko -18- 6/23/72
Tape 16-2

you'll catch fire. So practically every two years - I said that was very expensive, you know, for maybe say five, eight dollars, one, see it cost you, you know, for once. In them days that was awful lot of money! So then when the plasterboard came out, that was wonderful. You put that up once already and there it was.
AV: When did it come out, that plasterboard?
AT: I don't know when it came out. But it wasn't when, I said, for the longest time I was using the material. Not only I, everybody else was, you know, to cover the ceiling, because first it was just exposed beams, that's all.
AV: When was the first time that you remember that anyone put up any of this print material?
AT: Oh, well most people were using it, you know? Somebody wanted a change, so they would just put that. Then some of them tried table oil cloth, you know. But that was awful hard to put up. Because you take, say, for a whole room, take like that room, maybe you needed about eighteen yards. Well, to put that up, that's so heavy, you couldn't stretch it or anything, because it was too heavy, it was hard to handle. But some people had it, though.
AV: Who had it that you know of?
AT: I think my sister-in-law had it, too.
AV: Was she living here?
AT: Yes, the one, I believe that, was it her or was it my mother, I don't remember. And a neighbor had it. She's dead already, they're dead already, the neighbors that were living next door here. Gyurko.
AV: When did they first get the idea, what year was that, to put up the material?
AT: I don't know.
AV: Was it after the first war, or before the war?
AT: I don't know, I couldn't really tell exactly when it was.
AV: No? Did you put any up yourself?
AT: Yes.
AV: After you were married.
AT: Well, I didn't put it up, that's what I'm telling you, I was living here already. And when they just started. Well, then we had to get ladies to do it, because we didn't know how to do it ourselves. But then when we seen how the other ones were doing it, then you'd get the act of it and you'd try it yourself.
AV: Printed material. You mean like wall-paper-type pring?
AT: Yeah. Something like that, with some kind of flowers on it, or something like that, you know.
AV: Who were the first ladies in town to help you out?
AT: Mrs. Brunowski, and...I think it was only Mrs. Brunowski. She's dead a long time ago. Or was it Mrs. [?] helped, but I don't know, I remember Mrs. Brunowski's name. I rememeber her. She was the one that used to put most of them up. And then after while, they seen how she was doing it, well then people started doing it themselves. Who couldn't do it for themselves, they'd get some relative or a friend or somebody to help them, and they'd put it up. Because, see, this lady had to pay her, you know, she couldn't expect her to spend her time and doing that strong. But for herself, she did a wonderful job for the women, you know, she did a wonderful job.
AV: Well, how much was she paid?
AT: Oh, maybe a dollar or so, I don't know exactly, but it wasn't much she was paid, because money wasn't plentiful, so nobody got too much, because there wasn't enough to go around!
AV: And who were the ladies who helpedyou out, to put up the ceiling?