00:00:00Interviewer: Ed Cadenhead (EC)
Interviewee: Mrs. Annie Slyman (AS), Edmond "Tex" Slyman (TS), Nellie Slyman (NS)
Date of Interview: June 21, 1979
Location: Unknown
Transcriber: Melissa Holderby and Macy Shields
Organization: Bristow Historical Society, Inc.
Length: 00:00-30:51
Abstract: This 1979 interview discussing Deeb Slyman includes his wife Annie,
nephew Tex (Edmond) Slyman and niece. They share about the journey from Lebanon
and their settlement in Bristow. They discussed Deeb's days in business, the
acceptance of foreign people in town, and the many different Lebanese families
that settled in Bristow.
Preface: The following oral history testimony is the result of a cassette tape
interview and is part of the Bristow Historical Society, Inc.'s collection of
oral histories. The interview was transcribed and processed by the Bristow
Historical Society, Inc., with financial assistance from the Montfort Jones &
Allie Brown Jones Foundation. Rights to the material are held exclusively by the
Bristow Historical Society, Inc.
The reader should bear in mind that he or she is reading a verbatim transcript
of spoken, rather than written prose. Insofar as possible, this transcript tries
to represent the spoken word. Thus, it should be read as a personal memoir and
not as either a researched monograph or edited account.
To the extent possible, the spelling of place names, foreign words, and personal
names have been verified, either by reference resources or directly by the
interviewee. In some cases, a footnote has been added to the transcript in order
to provide more information and/or to clarify a statement. Some uncertainties
will inevitably remain regarding some words and their spellings. In these
scenarios, a (ph) follows a word or name that is spelled phonetically. The
notation [indecipherable] is used when the transcriber has not been able to
comprehend the word or phrase being spoken. The notation [inaudible] is used
where there is more mumbling than words, or when interference on the tape has
made transcription impossible.
EC: Mrs.--
TS: Mrs. Deeb Slyman.
EC: Mrs. Deeb Slyman.
NS: And do you read Arabic? I--
EC: (Chuckling) No, I can't read Arabic. What is this? June 21, 1979. Okay, I
was going to ask, now--your husband came about 1900, is that right?
AS: Yeah, that's right.
EC: And, so you just said his brother came first?
TS: His brother came before him.
EC: And his brother was?
TS: Ellis.
EC: Ellis Slyman. Right.
TS: (Inaudible in background)
EC: Right. Well what kind of business were they in when they first came here?
AS: (Inaudible in background)
EC: A general grocery store? Yeah.
TS: When they first came, what did he do?
AS: (in heavily accented English) When he first came this way he used to have a
little place downtown, called it (indecipherable). He used to have little
00:01:00(indecipherable). He said he ran it for (indecipherable).
NS: When he first came, he was down and out. And I think he had around
twenty-five dollars in money. So he goes in--goes into this little stand down
there on Fifth Street somewhere. Was it on Fifth Street, down there where the
old store was?
AS: Huh?
NS: He started on Fifth Street? You know, where the--
AS: (Indecipherable)
NS: Oh, he started on Main Street.
AS: Yeah, on Main Street.
NS: Oh! Well, I--
AS: He used to (Indecipherable) and he worked with Ed Abraham. Then he bought
the place from Ed Abraham for fifteen dollars.
00:02:00
NS: Fifteen dollars. Oh.
EC: So, the real--the real reason he came was because of Abraham?
NS: He came when he was real young. Why did Uncle Deeb come to this country?
Because he couldn't live--make a living over there?
AS: When he come from (indecipherable) country?
EC: Yeah.
NS: Why? Do you know?
AS: I don't know him that time. I don't know.
NS: Oh, you don't know why, he just--they were young--the way I understand, they
were young, adventuresome guys. They wanted to come to this world. And they
came, and he lived in Massachusetts for a bunch of years picking cranberries.
'Cause he said, We used to go out there and pick cranberries and we didn't even
have anything to keep our feet warm. We'd put gunny sacks and paper sacks on our
feet to keep us warm. These are stories I've heard from them.
EC: Sure, sure.
NS: And then, when they did come to this part of Oklahoma--I don't know what
00:03:00made 'em come to this part of Oklahoma. But--you know, she's talking about this
fifteen-dollar business he started out with: he wanted the--the workers around
there wanted to eat. So he'd get up and he'd make a pot of stew or soup. Every
day he'd make a pot, and they'd come in and eat with the family. He started a
little business like that. And as far as I know, he went in from that into what
they called a mercantile business, with Mike--or Frank Mike (ph). And they had a
nice--one of the best stores in town then. With Frank Mike (ph). But I don't
know of the years. See, this is all before my day.
EC: Yeah, sure.
NS: All I know is historical, you know.
EC: Well--
NS: And--
EC: Yeah, go ahead.
NS: And they run this--these stores. And of course, you know, it was like--you
buy now and pay when the cotton come in, you know.
00:04:00
EC: Mmm-hmm.
NS: That's the way it was up until--I'm gonna say in--let me see. After he got
through with Frank Mike (ph), he went into a business by himself down on Fifth
Street. And he was still catering to the farmer then. And--
TS: To the Indians and the farmers--
NS: Well, Indian--well, anyway all these people that can't buy--can't pay but
once or twice a year, you know.
TS: Mmm-hmm.
NS: And he would give them credit for the whole year--big families come in, buy
groceries. And he had dry goods, too. Like overalls and you know--whatever they used
TS: (Inaudible in background)
NS: --gloves and stuff that they used--the farmers would use. And they'd come
and pay him once or twice a year. There's one thing about Mr. Slyman that he
didn't do but other business people here in town did--he did not foreclose on
00:05:00anybody. He did not take anybody's cow away from them, he did not take anybody's
horse away from them because they couldn't pay their bill. He just--Okay, son,
you do the best you can and pay me when you can. Of course, when he finally did
finish his business, he had enough money--if he had the cash he could've built
half of Bristow. But he did not fore--he wasn't--he didn't foreclose on anybody.
EC: When did you come to Bristow?
AS: Nineteen twenty-four.
EC: Nineteen twenty-four.
AS: Yes.
EC: You came from Lebanon?
AS: Yeah, Lebanon, yes.
EC: Uh-huh (in agreement).
AS: (Inaudible.) citizen and the law changed. So they told him, the consul--the
American consul told him (inaudible). He never asked him why. And the consul, he
says he know why. So, we come and we slept in Paris for--for four months. So--
00:06:00
EC: What do you remember about your first days in Bristow? Anything--can you
remember the first time you saw Bristow?
AS: Yes. First time I saw Bristow, yes. On my way to Bristow from
(indecipherable), we make the (indecipherable) and the train. And we came and
Frank Mike and Alice Coby (ph) and Alice's landlady. They meet us in the, in the
train. At the depot.
EC: Mmm-hmm.
AS: And I come home that night. On twenty-six of September.
EC: Uh-huh!
NS: She was stranded in Paris for--how long did you have to stay in Paris when
you--coming from--you had to stay four months in Paris. Because she wasn't
American citizen and he wasn't, either. And they kept her in Paris. And he came
00:07:00on to Bristow.
AS: (Inaudible in background.) So we brought--so, Slyman, he had a cousin in our
country, he was like (indecipherable). So one time Slyman said--we used to write
letters to the our country to see if we can come. So (indecipherable), he sent
word to the American consul in Beirut. And told him that if he can permit me to
come. The consul in Beirut, he wrote to the consul in France-- in Paris. So they
let me come.
EC: What was the name of your village in--
AS: Hmm?
EC: What was the name of the village in Lebanon?
NS: Why, his village was Bdadoun. B-D-A-D-O-U-N. That's where he came from, Mr.
Slyman. She came from Juneau. J-U-N-E-A-U.
00:08:00
EC: Now, am I correct that most of--if not all the Lebanese families here--came
from those two villages?
AS: (Inaudible in background.)
NS: Well, let's see, the old timers?
AS: (Inaudible in background.)
EC: Mmm-hmm.
NS: I see. No, that's the old-timers. Where did--where did Joe Abraham come
from, Annie? What part of Lebanon?
AS: Bdadoun.
NS: He came from Bdadoun, too?
AS: Bdadoun.
NS: Joe?
AS: Joe Abraham and Ed Abraham.
NS: Mmm-hmm.
AS: --family--
TS: Oh, they're all from--
AS: And the Eliases. They're all from Bdadoun.
TS: Well, (inaudible).
AS: (Indecipherable.)
TS: (Indecipherable.)
AS: Bdadoun.
EC: I--you probably can answer this, I don't know. It's not unusual, of course,
for a number of people from--immigrating to this country to come to one place
because they have friends or relatives, you know. But is it unusual in Oklahoma
00:09:00to find this many Lebanese families in one place? Or are you aware of other
places in the state where there are--
NS: I mean, this time, Oklahoma don't have anything compared to the east.
EC: Right. But what about Oklahoma, though? Are there other centers--
NS: Oh, other? Oh--in Oklahoma--in Oklahoma City there's a big bunch of Lebanese.
EC: Oh, there are?
NS: In fact, they--part of 'em's lived here in Bristow.
EC: Well, but they--some of them came from Bristow. Some of the ones in Tulsa
came from Bristow.
NS: Yeah. Uh-huh (agreeing). They came--they (indecipherable). But this
wa--this--into that like--they started the--these old timers started first on cotton.
EC: Mmm-hmm.
AS: (Inaudible in background.)
NS: (Inaudible in background) --my husband came to Creek County. But talk
about--they came, then they started speculating, these--they took chances. They
couldn't write their own name. Joe Abraham was a millionaire--he died as a
millionaire--but he could not write his name. He has X's on there. Deeb--that's
her husband--my husband's uncle. He could write his name--I couldn't find
00:11:0000:10:00anything with his signature on it around here, but there is some writing in
there, but it's all in Arabic. He could barely write his name. He
actually--before he died--he was ninety-some years old before he died--he got to
where he could read the newspaper. And he'd negotiate all his--he did all his
bookwork himself. No--no bookkeepers.
EC: Mmm-hmm.
NS: And business. And--but they're all self-educated, on their own. They didn't
none of them go to school.
EC: Mmm-hmm.
NS: Not even in Lebanon, I think. Now I don't know about Joe Abraham, if he had
any Leban--any education from there. He came awful young. Joe and--well that was
Herb. Herb could tell you more about his dad.
EC: Well, I--I was still kind of wonder--why they're--
NS: Why, why they chose this part--
EC: Why--or is that unusual? Are there other communities in the state now--
NS: No.EC: Where you can find--
NS: No, no--
TS: It seems like one at a time they followed each other--
EC: Right.
TS: And just, I think, their philosophy was just--this is kind of a new
territory, territory -(indecipherable), and they did a lot of--lot of trading
with the Indians and the people around here. And they were--most of the
tradition of the Lebanese people then was very business-minded.
EC: Yeah.
TS: I mean, they didn't believe in an eight-hour day, they believed in
eighteen-hour-a-day, work day. And this is what the one thing that they
succeeded in was hard work. And their--their enjoyment was getting with each other.
EC: Sure.
TS: And having a--reminiscing the old--the old country more than anything.
EC: Yeah.
TS: That was their entertainment.
NS: They formed what they called the League of Americanized Syrians there. That
was--that was just some organization like Rotary Club or--
TS: Here in Bristow.
NS: They had--yeah, it was in Bristow. And of course the League of Americanized
Syrians would come from Drumright. Would come from Oklahoma City. They would
come from Oilton. And Shamrock. Now, see--there was some Lebanese
(indecipherable). That I know of. Of course, most of the Lebanese came in--they
00:12:00were mostly mercantile people. Now, the ones in Drumright--they had what you'd
call a dry goods store. The (indecipherable), they call 'em.
TS: (Inaudible in background)
NS: There used to be Farhouds (ph). There used to be Marquettes (ph). I
could--now these are all from Drumright. I'm from Drumright.
EC: Oh, are you?
NS: I was born in Pennsylvania but I was raised in--reared in Drumright.
EC: Mmm-hmm.
NS: And then--
EC: Well, now--help me with Lebanese names. The name Fogaley is--
NS: I came from the Fogaley family. My father--
EC: But that's more like a--a clan?
NS: Oh, oh--okay.
EC: Yeah.
NS: Fogaley is like this one family back there when in, maybe the 1500s. A whole
family of boys named Fogaley. And they all went out, you know, and had their own
families. Now that is what we call the clan of the family--like the Naifeh family--
EC: Right.
NS: --I don't know if you're heard of the Naifeh family--
EC: Yes, I know. Yes.
NS: Okay. Now that's where the Fogaley's from. But here's how we lost our names
00:13:00is every time a child is born, they were named by their father's first name. My
father's name was Henry Joseph. Now, he was Henry Joseph and his father's name
was Habib Fogaley (ph), see. So that goes back, right now--I lost Fogaley --the
situation, by--I was raised a Joseph.
EC: Now, the Slymans were not Fogaley.
NS: Slymans were Howayek. H-O-W--how do you spell it? H-O-W-Y-E-K. Y-E--
TS: Y-E.
NS: Y-E.
TS: I just repeat it how they told me to spell it, so I don't know if it's H-O-Y-E-K.
NS: H-O-Y-E-K.
TS: And I don't know if I made it right or not.
NS: Mm-hmm.
EC: Well--
NS: And that's (indecipherable).
TS: See, what I understood is the name Slyman came--
NS: From the (indecipherable)
TS: From--was Uncle Deeb's dad's name. And our name was--
EC: Okay--
TS: And he put down Deeb Slyman when he came into the country as his name.
00:14:00
EC: Okay.
NS: And then--then he always added Howayek. Now, when he wrote papers for the--
TS: When he wrote papers to the old country, he always used the Deeb Slyman
Howayek, okay.
EC: So, at one point I was told, and maybe you know something different--there
were twenty-seven Lebanese families in Bristow.
TS: Oh, I (indecipherable)
AS: (Indecipherable)
NS: Now?
EC: No at some point.
TS: At one time?
EC: Yeah, but most of those were then, Fogaley's.
NS: Fogaley clan!
EC: Yeah. Most of them--
NS: We have the--we have the Feghalis and Slymans and then what--Fogaley's and
Slymans, now they call it Feghalis--some go by Feghali, some go by Fogaley. The
real--the first was F-O-G-A-L-E-Y. The Fogaley family. And that's what--see, my
father was a Fogaley.
EC: Right.
NS: And--Deeb was not a Fogaley. He was a Howayek.
EC: Yeah.
NS: And I don't know--
TS: Howayek, yeah. The Howayek name in the old country was a very dominant name.
EC: Right.
TS: It was a very strong name.
AS: Howayek--(indecipherable)
NS: Patriarch.
TS: It was--yeah. Well Khazin (ph) Annie was a Khazin (ph). Annie was--
NS: Political.
00:15:00
TS: She was of a more of a political family-- from a political family-- the
Khazin family.
EC: Right, I see.
TS: The Howayek name and family was a-- is a large family.
NS: They had a (Inaudible) was well known was because they had a patriarch--
Howayek (Inaudible).
EC: Now then-- let's see.
(Inaudible talking in the background)
AS: (Indecipherable)
EC: The Shamas's are folks?
NS: The Shamas's are mom's folks.
EC: They're what?
AS: They're from Bdadoun.
NS: The Shamas's are mom's folks (inaudible).
TS: (Indecipherable)
NS: From another part in Lebanon like--
AS: (Inaudible).
EC: The Eliases?
AS: The Eliase's are from Bdadoun.
EC: They're--
NS: They're Fogaley family and they come from Leban.
EC: Right-- and then the (Indecipherable) came later.
NS: (Indecipherable) I don't know where they're from.
EC: From--they're from--
AS: They're from Wabisaaiour (ph).
NS: They're from Wabisaaiour (ph)?
AS: From Wabisaaiour (ph).
NS: That's where my daddy's from.
AS: They're from Wabisaaiour (ph).
NS: Wabisaaiour (ph)
AS: (Inaudible)
NS: Mmm-hmm, W-A-B-I-S-A-A-I-O-U-R-- Wabisaaiour (ph)--
00:16:00
EC: Alright.
NS: That's where my daddy's from.
EC: Then there were the-- I'm trying to think of some of the others families
here that I've--
NS: Oh well--
EC: Beshara'sNS: Oh, Sam Beshara!
AS: (Inaudible)
NS: Sam Beshara.
AS: (Indecipherable)
NS: Sam Beshara from-- you remember?
AS: Sam Beshara and (Indecipherable) Beshara--
NS: (Indecipherable) Beshara They're from Wabi (ph) too?
AS: Mmm-hmm.
EC: Okay-- and hmm--
AS: (Inaudible)
NS: Yeah, I know. There's two I'm trying to think of some more.
EC: You remember some of those other things?
NS: Old timers (Inaudible)
AS: (Inaudible)
NS: Mmm-hmm. Okay you got anything on the Horany's yet?
EC: No.
NS: The Horany's were Marjayoun. Weren't they? Horany's!
AS: Horany's?
NS: Yeah.
AS: From Marjayoun.
NS: Yeah.
AS: (Inaudible).
EC: Now what about, Forey (ph)?
NS: Umm Annie, how about Frank Forey (ph)?
AS: Frank Forey (ph) is from Bdadoun.
NS: He's from Bdadoun? See Frank Forey (ph) would be a cousin-- umm an uncle to
Paul Gillismon (ph). Have you talked to Paul Gillismon? (ph)
EC: No, I have not.
NS: He may not give you too much history. No one will give you more about them.
See they're related.
EC: (Indaudible)
NS: Uh-huh. Paul Gillismon's (ph) mother was Joe Abraham's sister.
00:17:00
EC: Okay-- Yeah.
NS: Now, let's see. I was trying to think of who else.
EC: I'm trying to think of some of the other names that might--
NS: Me too.
AS: (Inaudible)
EC: Oh yes!
AS: (Inaudible)
NS: Oh!
AS: And then-- when the consul (Indecipherable) and he told the consul when you
were away from Lebanon we used to make Lebanon women work, but when you come to
Lebanon you play to (Indecipherable)
EC: (Laughter) Most of the Lebanese were and are Catholic. Is that correct?
(Everyone talking at once)
TS: Greek Orthodox.
NS: Greek Orthodox.
EC: Or well yeah, Greek Orthodox, but here they would tend to be Catholic.
NS: Well, there's more Greek Orthodox--
EC: Oh really!
NS: I don't know why. They built a huge Greek Orthodox church in Oklahoma City
and they just built one here.
EC: Oh, I see.
NS: Uh but um-- I was gonna say if you can make contact with Homsey. H-O-M-S-- H-O-M?
00:18:00
TS: H-O-M-S-E-Y.
NS: Uh-Huh, they have the--
TS: AMC
NS: AMC
TS: You know that-- it is called AM-- American
EC: Yeah.
TS: It used to be called American (Inaudible) but its AMC in Oklahoma City.
EC: Mmm-hmm
NS: And they have a lot of Bristow--
TS: And they have a lot of Bristow (Indecipherable)--they moved from Bristow to
Oklahoma City.
EC: Oh, I see.
TS: They're very, very special people there. They employed four hundred people
in that place.
EC: Let's see is the name Hamra--
TS: Hamra.
NS: Ok, you're gonna get more information on the Hamra's?
EC: Well I just kind of fit them in to this whole--
NS: Yeah I'll tell ya--Madellia Hamra, right now that's the woman-- the
daughter. Is running the (Indecipherable) Rainbow Nursing Home, down-- you know.
EC: Right, that's where I was headed.
NS: Uh huh.
EC: Farha?
NS: Yeah, the Farha's are-- they're Greek Orthodox from Marjayoun. They came
from Marjayoun.
TS: Where did the Farha's-- where did the Farha's come from?
AS: From (Indecipherable)
NS: Annie! The Farha's come from Wabi?
00:19:00
AS: The Farha's were from Marjayoun.
NS: That's what I thought.
AS: (Indecipherable) from Marjayoun.
NS: Yeah.
EC: Okay.
NS: Farha's.
EC: Okay, tell me some of your experiences in Bristow. What was life like for
you after you came here.
AS: Well I (Indecipherable) we don't have it back then (Indecipherable).
TS: (Inaudible discussion in background)
NS: She had to learn English too.
AS: I don't know how to spoke English.
EC: Right.
AS: They used to (Indecipherable) to ask me something. Do you know English?
EC: Mmm-hmm. Well did you work in the store also?
AS: No sir. (Indecipherable) then my house work wouldn't get done.
EC: Now the oil boom was really over by the time you came here.
AS: Yeah. (Indecipherable)
19:55- 20:11- Inaudible
00:20:00
NS: Uphus Abraham (ph)? Uphus Abraham (ph)?
AS: No. (Indecipherable)
NS: Oh! (Indecipherable) Slyman?
AS: (Inaudible)
NS: Uncle Deeb's?
AS: (Inaudible)
NS: Oh.
AS: (Inaudible)
NS: Well that-- I don't know anything about that.
AS: (Inaudible)
NS: Well I've got a funny story of what happened to Mrs. Horany that's Helen
Shamas's (ph) aunt. She came to this-- you know, territory here and she wanted--
wanted a room, just a one room to sleep in. And that was the relation with his
dad's sister. Whoever had the house was looking for a bedroom you know and
00:21:00everywhere she goes, in her best English asked for a place to sleep and they
would say no room and room in Arabic means Greek Orthodox and she (Indecipherable)
EC: (Laughter)
NS: She thought they were telling her that they don't-- that they don't want no
Greek Orthodox.
EC: I see.
NS: (Laughter) that was so funny.
EC: In that connection and I'm sure this is not an easy kind of a question to
answer but from what you have heard or experienced, how much anti-foreign
feeling was there in Bristow or anti-Catholic feeling which of course was
present all over the country in the 20's--
NS: Well in Drumright when I grew up in school--
EC: Alright--
NS: They isolated us, they didn't like-- they did not like Catholics. Especially
if you let em' know you're foreign. In school it was very, very hard to make--
EC: Was that true in Bristow as far as you know?
NS: Well I-- it wasn't when my kids growing up. Was it Edmond, did you ever hear
00:22:00of that?
TS: It wasn't so much so whenever I went to school but I know it was (Indecipherable)
EC: Yeah.
TS: In the older people that were--
EC: Right.
TS: -- foreign--
EC: It's hard to pin down whether this was anti-foreign or anti-Catholic. That's
what I'm wondering.
NS: (Inaudible)
TS: That was a real question for a long time. Everyone thought that it was
anti-Catholic but there were you know other Catholics in town besides Lebanese people.
EC: Right.
TS: And so of course we felt like it was a lot of anti-foreign also now one of
the reasons was normal human--
EC: Sure, sure.
TS: I think--
EC: It wouldn't be unusual.
TS: No huh-uh, because of the fact of outsiders coming in (Indecipherable) and
they were--
the Lebanese people really did cling together. In fact, they still do to a
point. They can-- we have an organization in Tulsa still. It's not as, you know
it's not like it was-- very secretive and no one else could get into it, but the
Lebanese people had a tendency to stay together because they believed in unity.
They believed in-- in trying to work together. Now this was -- I would say this
00:23:00would be the philosophy of the older Lebanese. Now I'm talking about my aunt and
they had--
EC: Right.
TS: -- progressed and you know, you become more Americanized.
EC: Yeah--
TS: They changed--
EC: Are you aware-- or have you heard from your aunt or other relatives whether
or not any of this carried over into business? For example, did Lebanese
families have any more trouble borrowing money, let's say-- at the bank.
NS: Oh.
TS: No, no--
NS: No, not--
TS: --I don't feel like that. I don't think so. I felt like that there were
times that because they were very frugal with their dollars there were times
that as time progressed they realized that the Lebanese people were-- they were
business minded people--
EC: Right
TS: --And this has been kind of a national thing from the old area and I search
the web for the whole area--
EC: Sure.
TS: --they're very business minded and I think that over a period of years-- I
think they had to change--
EC: Right.
TS: -- in fact I think there were times (Inaudible)
NS: (Inaudible)
00:24:00
TS: And it became a-- they became a-- they gained a lot of confidence.
EC: Yeah.
NS: They had a very good relationship with the banks at that time. I mean
because his Uncle Bill-- he's eighty and he built a good relationship. In fact,
I think our kids are being helped. Our own-- my generation, my boys are being
helped and my children from his reputation when he was there. You know, and the
banks and anywhere.
EC: When did you come to Bristow?
NS: In thirty-- 1933. (Laughter)
EC: 1933.
NS: Uh-huh.
EC: The depression was going on then.
NS: Oh yeah, I raised six kids (indecipherable) the depression. They know it, I
didn't hurt em'-- it didn't hurt em' a bit.
EC: What--
NS: My husband was--
EC: Yeah--
NS: a-- he was a butcher in a grocery store and working with (Indecipherable)
TS: (Inaudible)
NS: (Indecipherable) thirty-five dollars a week and we raised six children. By
being very economical and all six-- all four-- the four boys helped down there
00:25:00in the grocery store. If nothing else, just to keep them off the streets. They'd
dust cans and be sitting in the store helping you know. For maybe a quarter a
day or something like that. (Laughter) And I don't know whether-- I don't think
it hurt them, as far as I know I don't. Maybe they feel like they got hurt but
they didn't have all the luxuries. They didn't miss what they didn't have. They
didn't miss what they didn't have.
EC: Right.
NS: They had their own-- they wanted their own ballgame and ballfield. They
formed it themselves, no organize. We didn't have any organize play like they
have now.
EC: What about special occasions? Did they still have something like Fourth of
July picnics and--
NS: Yes.
EC: -- parades or--
NS: Uh-Huh
EC: --did the circus still come in those days?
NS: We didn't have those but we would have a special occasion on the holidays.
My own personal family-- let's say. I came from a family of eight brothers and
sisters and we managed once or twice a year to get together and there is usually
about fifty or sixty of us of immediate family-- that means children and
00:26:00grandchildren, you know--
EC: Mmm-hmm.
NS: --In-laws and outlaws and all that. We all have that, and I know-- I was
reading about the Naifehs have that too. They call it you know like a convention
or something. We don't have-- we plan it at holidays like Christmas and
Thanksgiving and Easter. We get together-- covered dish dinners and be together.
Then of course-- I don't-- I don't know if there's anything organized anymore
like that as far as--
EC: I was thinking more--
NS: These oh like the League of Americanized Syrians, they don't have that anymore.
EC: I was really thinking of Bristow itself.
NS: Of Bristow itself--
EC: Did the city have a Fourth of July--
NS: No we don't have enough--
EC: --picnics and stuff when you came here--
NS: We don't have enough people here anymore to do anything like that. They did
at one time we'd just go to the artesian wells when I was about fourteen,
twelve, ten, eleven years old. See I don't know where the artesian wells--
between here and Depew all I know. (Indecipherable) Best spring water ever came
out of it and this whole-- the League of Americanized Syrians would go over
00:27:00there and oh I mean we were about like a hundred of em'. Come from all the
surrounding areas and spent the whole day on Fourth of July. But that was in the
past, I just wanted you to know.
EC: What has been some of the things that you remember that were really
interesting or funny to you. What's happened to you in Bristow? Anything special
that you can think of?
AS: No sir.
NS: Annie! Well, tell him about the time you flew on the airplane.
AS: Huh?
NS: Tell him about the airplane! You tell it to me a hundred times.
EC: Tell me--
NS: You remember when you flew on the airplane?
AS: Yes, we flew the airplane. First thing I see is the (Indecipherable) we was
in Arkansas and they told me that I could fly. He said (Indecipherable) would
you wanna fly. First time I flew was in 1920-- 1950. I went (Indecipherable)
00:28:00then I come back here. I went to our country with my husband and you see he did
not want to go on the airplane. He wanted the ship. He said he didn't want to
die. I told him if you go on the jet you will die and if you go on the ship you
will die, if you are on the airplane too.
(Laughter)
AS: I told him if you're on the airplane and you die you don't know it. But if
you're in the ship and you the big ship sunk and you go under the water and come
up (indecipherable) come to the rescue.
EC: Right.
AS: And he never flew in the airplane but when we start to come back his ship
was on (Indecipherable). We had to come on the airplane. He enjoyed very much.
In 1960 we went another trip, me and him. We stayed out there for six months and
come back.
NS: Tell the one about the (Indecipherable) Oh, look at that eggplant up there!
EC: (Laughter)
NS: And that lady laughed and said that's not eggplant, that's an airplane. You
00:29:00know she said-- she said it wrong. I wanted her to tell that one. She always
used to tell me about it all the time. Called, eggplant (Laughter).
EC: Right.
NS: About the eggplant!
(Laughter)
AS: I used-- we used to have neighbors living in the attic. We had to move them
to the garage. They used to live upstairs. His wife and (Indecipherable) were
spoken to me and I heard that there's some airplane (Indecipherable) because I
told her, "Some eggplant passed" she laughed. She said "That's not eggplant
that's a vegetable you eat."
EC: Laughter
AS: Airplane is when you fly on it.
EC: Right.
AS: And she used to correct me when I spoke English, her and her husband.
EC: I see.
AS: And (Indecipherable) used to live next to (Indecipherable) our house.
EC: Mmm-hmm. What are some of the oldest buildings in Bristow that you remember?
What are-- are there some still around? Buildings or houses that were here when
00:30:00you came?
NS: Our house from the 1900s.
(Inaudible talking in the background)
EC: Your house? This is--who built it?
NS: Well he used to be the mayor but I don't remember. I don't know if-- you
know who knows? Who built it. (Indecipherable)
EC: Okay.
NS: She knows who built the house.
EC: And that's-- what's the address of it?
NS: My house?
EC: Yeah.
NS: 229 West seventh.
EC: 229 West seventh.
NS: Uh-huh.
EC: Okay.
NS: But she came over the other day and told me that her happiest days were in
that house. She grew up as a teenager and they would go over there and there was
some teenage girls--
EC: Oh, Uh-huh.
NS: And they'd-- and she'd-- and I think she-- and if I remember I think she
said she took music lessons--
EC: Yeah.
NS: --in that house.
EC: Mmm-hmm
NS: It was built I think by one of the first mayors, but I don't know the name.
See that's one thing I don't know.
End of interview
