Latah County Oral History Collection

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, and you sat there and picked up the skulls.

Sam Schrager: Or were they just, with the whole thing? Was it?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: It was. No.

Sam Schrager: The Bell stock was moving.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: It was moving all the time. And somebody down below.

Was a copper.

Tender that emptied and let them down into the bin below. When it got rolled and old.

Ladies seemed.

Or not, old.

Ladies were girls and, young married women. All work.

People.

And, they sold them for seed, I guess. Shipped them overseas. Well, guess what they did do it all.

Sam Schrager: So each person got his own piece of rope. He's got wood. nobody else would check years. You'd have to know.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Just the hopper down below.

And if you let too many men, probably. Then next year you wouldn't get called back if you didn't do a pretty good job.

Sam Schrager: Was it hard?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: No, not after you got.

It was a little bit, Oh, you get a little.

Dizzy when you first.

Start in your first year or so, but after you got.

You got immune to that, and you could just sit there and we didn't dare talk. But it's like school, you know, everything was quiet and didn't dare go to sleep or anything on the job.

Sam Schrager: I mention it might have been tempting the sleep.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, sometimes for some of them it was if they'd been up.

Late or something.

But there was always a floor boss going.

Around that.

Wanted to talk to you. If you thought you were getting sleepy.

One woman.

Who passed.

Away now.

She was.

What did they call her? Well, you just call her boss, but she was a floor walker. Mrs.. Blaylock for 31 years at one place.

And so she seen lots.

Of people come and go.

60 women.

Sometimes work. If they had a full crew, it was 60 women.

Sam Schrager: All women working.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: On a crew. Yeah.

The man worked in the warehouse.

And they had to keep the bins.

Full in order to.

Keep those,

Places for us to pick. Yeah, it was all pretty fine. Pretty good method.

The woman's job? Yeah.

Yeah.

Never any man picked peas.

That I know.

Sam Schrager: What kind of pay?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Pretty good pay. of course it wasn't started out at.

Probably $0.25 an hour when the seahouses.

Started.

And then that.

Got up to about, I don't know what at the last, what we did get probably.

Oh, nothing like they get now. Not to, $3,

But probably up to a dollar.

I can just remember.

Going to be a dime.

Sam Schrager: You know, there how many days? Six. Five?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes. if it was in,

A season.

Why, it would be five days or six. Five days a week.

Didn't very.

Often work Saturday, on Sunday, although.

Sometimes I have a rush order in my desk. Whoever would come back could.

Come back on Saturday.

Sam Schrager: Did they give you overtime?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, yes.

Overtime was always time. Hey, you know them days and like it is now.

I guess I.

Don't work enough to know.

But I'm sure that was an overtime.

With those days are all.

Gone now, I don't know.

Well, there's.

Other jobs, I guess.

I tell you now.

They all get a job up. The university secretaries and file clerks and what have you. That's where all.

Not the same bunch.

Of figures. They're most all dead, but this new.

Bunch of young ones that want to work.

That's.

Where they do.

And that's.

What they always said about the.

farmers when they got.

Too old to do the hard work.

And milk.

Cows and things where they moved.

To town and went.

To work at the university.

And work in there. There's more men doing.

Well, a man and women both.

Though.

We know.

Several of, work.

partners in general.

Sam Schrager: But you say there's a lot more women now working at the university as compared to what they used to be. Sure. Yeah, yeah, used to be. Most of them would have to pick pears.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes. Everybody was picking things. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: Did you do that for very many years?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I probably only done it about ten years.

Did I.

Till Social Security, till I got old enough for Social Security. Then they won't let you work if they know you're that old.

But, But there are many, and.

I think,

Agnes and Bess and all that bunch.

I'll bet they.

Work 25.

Years in the field.

Sam Schrager: They've from biology. Oh, no.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: They're from town. But they're all large people.

And, Rebecca know they're royal neighbors.

Sam Schrager: Well, so.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, that didn't mean.

Anything connected with the.

Peas. It just.

Happened that that bunch that I know.

Did work in the peas.

Sam Schrager: can you just tell me what the techniques were that you had that you used to pick them?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, nothing.

You can spot, shriveled up or a black pea or just let the good ones go by.

Sam Schrager: There wasn't. There were hardly any in there.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Some batches. It would be just like anything else.

I'm.

Batches were.

Good. Not much.

To pick.

Out, and some batches.

Would be poor by they by the peace.

From all the farmers, and some would.

Be good peas.

And some not so good.

Sam Schrager: Usually. Was there, bunch of different kinds of, peas that would get in or just 1 or 2.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: you know, I.

Think there were Alaska peas that we used to pick. I think Alaska is the popular pea around. I'm not sure.

And then long ago in the day, you know, and mad and.

always packed.

Fruit in the fall, you know, until this country went to wheat farmer.

It was bigger, George.

And I was packing houses all around.

And all.

The young.

People, them packed.

Apples there and what have you. They still down to Yakima, I guess, but I think down there they have more stations to to start and everything.

Sam Schrager: Oh, just.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: A certain cycle. Just like these quilting.

And and all that. It'll all run out. Okay.

I think it will. Yeah, I'm not sure. I think it will.

Sam Schrager: You you pack the apples and do. Yeah, I remember you was telling. You tell more of it. you, you spent your your the money that you.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Ordered and where.

Sam Schrager: But when you packed down there, was that right at the carrier to where do they do.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Whatever the academy package put in the box, wrap them in papers and put them in the box, and they were shipped out like they do.

It. Yeah. Come on now.

Sam Schrager: Where did you say you were? Down there.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, we boarded,

Some of.

Them were there.

I can remember.

Where I.

Stayed. I only packed down there probably.

Two.

Falls. And I stayed.

Yesterday with a girl who had worked up here.

In the front porch and, you know, big prune orchard up on the.

Hill here. And we used to pick prunes.

And then lay here. Then I went down there and worked in the apples.

But I suppose.

Some of and.

Worked out stayed at the hotel.

Sam Schrager: With this girl who came up here that she did. She brought with you and she.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: No.

She stayed up there.

Up the chain. She just got acquainted with her and just got a.

Job down there.

So it was a place her mother would boarders. And that's the same way when we worked over here at the.

Orchard out of.

Moscow.

A farm woman bought. I guess a farm lady just bought it. Half a dozen of us girls.

Sam Schrager: At the orchard. We.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: And not far, probably.

Down the road.

A mile.

Sam Schrager: Were you picking?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: No, I never picked apples.

I always just, pack in the back of. Have.

Sam Schrager: You. They pack just in big boxes. Is that how they did it?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, ordinary apple boxes that you see now. Little unpair lugs we always called the pears was love.

They was not quite.

As big as apple, but. But you see him around in the store now? The big box.

I don't know how much. 40 pounds.

They weighed. I think,

Carlson has an ad.

In the paper. $3 for a.

40 bamboo.

That goes out. That's outright, you know, the Carlson's that.

Connie, that's Connie.

Shaffer, and I'm sorry, you know. That's right.

Sam Schrager: Well, do you, remember what you got for that? For the pack?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes.

I think ten and 12.

Cents a box was pretty, pretty good.

Sam Schrager: How many of those?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, some people. Could the good packers pack the hundred?

They figured to make ten.

Dollars a day, but I expect 75.

And.

80 was us. Kids just limit.

Sam Schrager: Or even that sounds.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah, it was pretty good.

For them.

Days. It was pretty.

Good for them days.

Sam Schrager: Like working in the in in the piece or in the, in the pack. Did you have much time for socializing. Was there right time that.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: In the pack. And we had

Five minutes off.

Every hour. You could go get your cup of coffee or.

Anything in the five minutes.

Every hour.

Sam Schrager: Was that enough.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah.

And

Sam Schrager: You needed a break.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah, yeah.

Sam Schrager: Get away from it.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Right.

And the pack and I don't remember what we done. The pack and what you was on your own.

You could leave.

Your stand and go any place you want for a little bit. I suppose. I suppose you stayed away too long.

You'd get fired. I can't remember that.

Sam Schrager: But that's because it was your however much.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah, that was our own lookout. We tried to pack.

As many as.

We could, you know, so I suppose we didn't kill much time.

Sam Schrager: I would think that the people at work and things would be pretty hard, because I would think it. Well, not hard to do, but the tedious.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, it was, but you got so that.

You, the women.

All that worked.

Most of them had families. And I can.

Remember.

Here on them, the what they'd done over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday.

They say, would come back to the rest up.

We rest the rest of the.

Week, and then we wash and iron and cook and.

Get ready.

For the next.

Week.

And I'm sure.

That's what we all done.

Sam Schrager: You mean you actually worked harder on the weekend?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: On the weekend? Sure. That was sitting or now.

And that.

Was it was.

Kind of.

Boring.

But then it wasn't hard work.

Sam Schrager: Do you think that that would say get people's backs?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, some people complained here and there, but I.

Don't think it ever heard.

Sam Schrager: Him or their eyes.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Anyway, I, I might have been hard on their eyes.

Some people who didn't have good eyes.

Yes, it might have been.

But I don't. I didn't know anybody that couldn't see things in them.

Sam Schrager: They they all could have it. Them is working on the weekend at home. No, I mean it sounds like seven day work week.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well it was pretty good.

But then that.

Was different than they say.

You know, a vacation is anything.

Different.

And relaxed. You have to do the different kinds of things that can do.

Of course, didn't do anything.

Over the weekend.

But.

Most that I knew had families and, somebody at home.

Sam Schrager: So do you think that for most of the people that did that, picking that it was really, necessary to have worked for the family income?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: no.

Extra. It's extra. I'm sure it was. And quite a few were widowers. Maybe their husbands had passed away, but a lot of times a husband would work. And, there, too, she would work in the packing.

Room, and.

And he would be down.

emptying sacks.

Of peas.

Or something.

I know lots of them had their husbands work, too.

I don't think they had the workers more as much as.

They do now.

They got so they.

Live better, do much. They don't, didn't need as much or quite as they do now.

You know, live simpler now.

People start out.

When they get married.

With.

More than their mothers.

Ever had, or I think they have.

To have in the house more.

I think that's a lot of it.

Sam Schrager: So there wasn't.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: That was just.

Extra money for.

extra things.

Sam Schrager: I think you said serving the boys to college.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: And also that was a lot of it. I think Agnes put half a dozen boys through university.

Take and see.

I guess her husband worked, too, but I.

Can't remember that.

oh. They were just.

Common, ordinary.

Working people. Didn't have any land or anything worked in town. And she got started to doing.

That every.

Year. And then.

It got pretty good.

Along after. When I.

First started.

We didn't get any, unemployment.

Matt got to be quite a racket. Then you could draw.

Most all.

Summer what you'd made in the.

Winter, you know, because it was, that was the good thing about taking pay.

When you were.

Out of a job. It was seasonal.

Work. Then you could go on drawing.

I guess about half.

You made didn't share.

Some, like, rules about it.

Sam Schrager: How many months were you?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, we did, probably.

Began about time school.

Started.

And then probably end.

Up six.

Months or seven.

Months. So as all all summer was off.

Well, then, the unemployment lasted most of the summer.

Like these fellows, a lot of these fellows now around that, all that.

Sam Schrager: Part seems pretty good.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Really? Well, it's pretty good if the.

Government.

Just holds.

Out that.

Some of these old ladies that we know get so stingy, I said, you better get a little.

Money in.

Circulation.

And the government gets to keep an all.

Of us. So I got to get rid of.

A little money some.

Way.

But what I say.

Don't amount to much. But that's one way of.

Thinking about it. Don't want to put it all.

In the bank. You better.

Keep a little.

In circulation.

Sam Schrager: Well, I really do think that these days a lot of, families feel that both people have.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, I'm.

Sure they do.

Well, it's got to cost.

And so much.

To go to college and things.

Have to keep up with.

The.

Joneses. Why? It's a struggle.

Well, you better talk, Pamela. I think he wants to test.

Sam Schrager: Oh, well.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I usually hit the floor. She got pretty.

Good tonight.

Around.

Sam Schrager: I do want to talk. Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about some. About about your experience in nursing.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Did we, Did she ever talk.

To Laura much.

About that girl.

Sam Schrager: When we were here last time, we talked a bit about World War one, but I thought maybe you could tell me what that was. What that was like. Had you been a nurse for for long before you went overseas?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, about three years. I never had in the hospital where I worked for. I graduated from just taking special cases. And, I worked in the shipyard for about a year.

Unknown: And I was emergency manager for a month or more.

Sam Schrager: Which hospital was it that you started in Saint Vincent or Portland?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: That wasn't where you started.

Oh, well, I started out with Coos Bay paper, but, I never worked down there. I just ran training and like, a real, for real.

Sam Schrager: Is, Is that where you went to Coos Bay for your training and then to there?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: My sister and her husband lived there, and I just went there to stay with her. Our first baby was born.

Sam Schrager: And then after.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: She did leave me and do something. Oh, good job when training and never stay there. I guess about six months from. And I decided I didn't like it. And so I quit and I just didn't practical nursing.

Unknown: For a little while. And then I come up north.

Sam Schrager: What was it that you didn't like about it goes bang?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, I don't know. I just didn't like the little hospital.

Crew.

Anything special I didn't like about nursing, but I just didn't like it.

Sam Schrager: What do you think was that, you. Were you a trained nurse when you. When you went to Coos Bay, or did you just get it? Yeah, I was in the Navy. So you. But you could learn it right in the hospital.

Unknown: But they went in for Hmhm.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Quit and got married. And my nursing. And then I. Oh, we're just talking about war and everything.

Unknown: I decided I'd go back and finish. Did.

Sam Schrager: I heard that the nurses worked awfully hard. We did. We were.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: About 12 hours a day.

Unknown: Every day. Something you never knew. Oh, my. Nothing like I do now.

Sam Schrager: Well, that's an 84 hour. workweek. That's about twice as long as you would work.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: There was after one at Saint Vincent, and I finished my training.

Unknown: Well, then we just worked an occasional workday. Now.

Sam Schrager: What do you mean? When you got a case when they would call you in? Yeah.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, sometimes you get a few days off and we grab the beach to get away from so we wouldn't get cold again.

Sam Schrager: How? Why were they doing it that way? Special cases like that where there's, there's sounds like. Were you working on a contemporary or was it,

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Just as long as you needed a doctor would go for a special marsh and we'd go on.

And. Yeah, but you worked all the time.

You was in the hospital when you went out on the special case. Your time went on in the hospital.

And then I got out.

Sam Schrager: After that off.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I usually hospital car sometimes I got called to the on a case in the hospital or and home.

Sam Schrager: Then what was a nurses responsibilities then in those days what were you expected to.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Whatever was needed, whatever medication I had them I ever had to do for every case would be different. They were special things we had to do. We just had to do what was necessary to do for a sick person.

I think maybe people didn't always.

Go to the.

Hospital. Now you can't hardly.

Get a.

Nurse, you know, a private, very.

Bad one. You're to have a baby would go off, go and call a doctor or nurse.

For the home. It was a lot different than nowadays. That's why she was out.

I suppose, on the special.

Cases.

Once I went to the doctor, I was called to go visit the Coos Bay. When I heard from quit nursing after I quit the training. But I was still nursing and we decided.

Unknown: I had to go on boot and we had to.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Go through most of our. She would go have a baby now for about one month and nine I got it was raining hard and I got off the boat and dad said just a little. I before and I ran up. No look back. And here the doctor was in the water up to his neck. I walked right off the boat into the water.

I didn't get on the plank the whole, so I had quite an excitement that made getting the right post away.

He was worse off than the when when I was a baby.

Sam Schrager: And.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I never a baby was born when I got there. But.

I had to dry him out, getting warmed up.

Sam Schrager: Baby was already born. Who had delivered the baby I wonder? Oh, he did or he never got out.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: He was all right. We got clean coal guns and rifle a lot of. He shivered around the fireplace for a while, and then he was pretty good and.

Sam Schrager: Well, do you think that that you had a lot more, responsibility than the nurse would maybe have today?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: No, I don't know of any more responsibility. Things. Hard work, more longer hours of. We did lots of things that the nurses don't do now. Like making the beds and things like that. They have age to do. We did all that. Then.

Sam Schrager: Were you very close to the other nurses? Was it kind of like a group of the people work together? Did they associate a lot?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh yes. That's all we didn't associate with all of them. Training in the Army.

Meet anybody Catholic after that?

After I got out, I lived with four nurses in Parchman. I mean, it take cases from there.

Sam Schrager: I heard the pay wasn't too good for nursing, though.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: No, not near as good as it is now. They get about as much for $8 as we did for the whole time.

Oh, I think more.

For your eight hours.

I think $12 a day without much we ever did get.

Sam Schrager: Did you find the work exhausting or did you have vim and energy? You go out and do something else when you day when you nursing.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: You always, nearly always individually and have a day off or two days off.

Unknown: How how would the time.

seaside was a great pleasure and. Swimming go.

Sam Schrager: Do you think that the doctors, had a lot of respect for the nurses, then?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, hell, about the same after. Now I don't much different.

Unknown: And then, like, never before.

Sam Schrager: Did it make a lot of difference to the family income when you that you were that you were working?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, yes. Of course. I haven't had. Like this. Now it takes two to make a living. Sometimes.

Sam Schrager: What was your husband doing at that?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I really didn't.

Live with my husband for about seven years. What was separated had now never divorced. But we just separated now. So while I was in the army of separate.

Sam Schrager: I guess, and as I've heard about in those days, there was a lot more opposition to divorce than there is today.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, there was some wives. They wouldn't take them in training. They were married but didn't. Have any trouble getting in the army?

Sam Schrager: Had the the war started when you got in the army?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, I was 19, seven, 17. The last time.

Sam Schrager: How did you do that to to sign that the sign up.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I just ask us all come up to the hospital, ask us all to sign up, and all would want to do until my name is blossom and go, you know, about ten from for my bunch. My one would graduate with me at Manhattan. I'm 35.

Sam Schrager: So what? What made you decide you wanted to.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, I don't know. No.

Sam Schrager: I mean, did you feel patriotic or what was that? Yeah.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Just just the excitement again and wanting to go.

And after I'd signed up and I got work in an emergency hospital shipyard where there was, like, ships around there for a year. Anybody get a finger hurt or needed for medicine or something? Right. I was the only one there. Just a major ten. Each hospital you ship, it had to have.

Sam Schrager: With their serious injuries that you saw in the shipyard. Serious accident?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah. Oh, yes. If there were terribly serious. Well, we just put them on the ambulance and sent them into town after just a sprain or something like that. One inch there.

Sam Schrager: Was there a doctor there too? No. Just you. Well, that sounds like a lot of responsibility.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, it was.

Sam Schrager: Did they have an infirmary or just a office?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes or no? If they were bad enough to need leg taken off or something like that. Well, we found out.

Sam Schrager: But we didn't do it justice.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: There's a lot of turning it on or whatever was necessary. Salamander. Well, I.

Know the one thing. Well, one thing.

Sam Schrager: The boy. There was a lot of, activity there in our shipyards. Wasn't there?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, yes, I.

Know he's 15 now, working.

Well, for sure.

Sam Schrager: Well, how is it decided that you were going to go overseas? Did they just pick you to go?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah. Hospital form, base hospital, 46th form. There from their home apartment. Doctor. And they just call the nurse. Know from the hospital unit that was 100 nurses, and I don't remember about 75 doctors. And then a lot of cardboard. Well, that formed the hospital. I know.

That didn't sound like the.

First.

Sam Schrager: In, I would wear.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: we went right on the oil. Went to, Oh, well, it was saying about ten of us went to, North Carolina first. Oh, lives. Are there a lot of time to think and write about three mile and one?

If it wasn't that.

Long, then run to do in the afternoon. I was there for quite a while and kept us over whenever there was a boat. Well, I hear Mary man is under house. Hold on to the arm, I.

Think so, yeah, I can hear more.

Sam Schrager: Well, what kind of setup did you have in Europe? What? What kind of a hospital was it? They were just,

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Big barracks. Oh, sure. We went to a little place called down the southern part of France, about a time, I think three different hospitals there. Too big of them. Oh, yeah. And they all went there and they had various, you sure had about 10 or 12 patients. And we were an award winner, just like in the Navy and a hospital.

Navy took care of the ward. No. And then I went out with a field hospital. Just an operating team. went up right behind the lines, and they did operating. I think I'm I'm right back. I didn't have any no beds or anything like that, but no.

Well I that.

Operating my table operated and then sent them all back to.

That was called Field Hospital.

Sam Schrager: Oh no.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: But and then.

Sam Schrager: My daughter they had so was it. So the emergency hospital was the one with the barracks. but when you were at the field hospital, you stayed there and slept there and everything, right? What kind of quarters was that? Was that just tent or whatever?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: You know, I guess whatever they could give us sometimes in an old hospital or a church or something, some kind of way out.

Try it out and about and worry sometimes. And no, nothing. No. Well, that was always operated in tents and just.

Sam Schrager: Kind of the tent. Sergeant.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Fix an operating room.

Sam Schrager: How big was that? Staff at the field hospital?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: They would have.

Sam Schrager: The staff, the how many doctors and nurses.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: And two nurses to each operating team. Well. And fix up the painting.

Sam Schrager: Things like that. The fix up the patients weren't there.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: And if you take care on the stretcher, I think so.

Sam Schrager: Think the men that came in there must be are pretty bad shape.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah. That I didn't believe in in the one to see if they were able to go. I just.

I know.

I feel terrible.

There's half an inch. There's the ones on our way to go fill the things like that emergency work. Sure. But, you know, in the years.

That he spent, maybe moving.

Around, so I, I don't really I never really learned.

Sam Schrager: What the kind of injuries that, that men were getting there was mostly just from from bullets. Or was it from, worse than that, however one.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: So mostly. Yeah. Yeah. Lack shrapnel taken out from that. You know, sometimes there was bleeding red with a tourniquet on the arm or leg or take up shrapnel from there or something. You just can't imagine sometimes your face, you just pull shrapnel that, everything that had to be done right away. Come out of there.

Unknown: I a feeling alive.

And I would just Mr..

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Simpson back and.

Sam Schrager: What did you have to to operate with under those circumstances? Did you have any good.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Kids just the same as you do in the hospital? There were instruments. Sterilize them.

Unknown: Clean. And we had we get.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: To just be packages or sterile going, things like that already prepared.

Sam Schrager: Was there much anesthetic available then?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: You know, and.

Unknown: And so a mr.. First, let's do something else for you.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Besides the two doctors.

Sam Schrager: That sounds like it must have been really rough.

Unknown: Or however long it conjures up. All right.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Kind of interesting. No, no. You think?

Sam Schrager: Oh, yes.

Fascinating.

Unknown: And then when I.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Went back to the base and the last two months and then flew hard, but there was a lot to go flying.

No, no, no, I just.

Got a little flu and the worst kind of a flu and pneumonia I was in that I was in that war room.

Sam Schrager: I wish I was that the same flu that hit here.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah, that at.

That time. But I.

Think it's a little different than swine.

Flu. Now.

Sam Schrager: Well were they was that was that really killing a lot of people over there.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah sometimes 4 or 5. And one night.

She said she thought the boys at all be dead before they got a chance to.

Get home. And the war was over.

Sam Schrager: There was also a. It was that bad? Yeah. That was awful, man.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Was bad everywhere, but is worse over there because we didn't have. To stay here.

Too many people in one place.

They always said, you know, groups of people you.

Were supposed to.

Sam Schrager: How, would it say, did that get half of the. We'd say half of the boys came down with it at that time. Oh, I don't know.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Half an awful lot of. Every convoy commander that you just pull through patient. Someone would just have for one go work to go back to home.

Unknown: Get the mail. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: What was the treatment that they had? You get a.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Lot of trouble. I didn't have much drinking water. Or you give a hypodermic of something quiet or something. Go. Propane. Sometimes four and five. And I would take every four hours. Would have hypodermic. But there just wasn't much to do for men.

Sam Schrager: Thank you.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Homemade. That just kind of went bad.

Sam Schrager: To be good.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, that tastes pretty good. But it.

To.

Do.

Creamy like a chewed.

Sam Schrager: Well in the field hospital. And when you were in the field hospital, can you. Tell me kind of how how you felt doing that work and seeing what you saw.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: In what way do you mean?

Sam Schrager: Well.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I witnessed it here.

Sam Schrager: Oh, I was just thinking, if it didn't make you.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: A did you have an emotional.

Yeah. Or somebody. What does it make you feel? Yes. Of course.

Yeah. Young man. Now. Didn't worry much, I guess it's no pleasure to see people. All I. Am I'm begging you to do something for him to then go home and all that. I think it was bad.

Sam Schrager: I know, I think it for me, it would have been. I mean, I don't think I could have done if I'd rather be fighting, watching.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: You.

Learn all.

That when you're, training to be a nurse, I think you get immune.

To a lot of all the blood. No, I didn't find that on. I could watch any kind of operation and.

I could get that way. I want it to work.

And after I come home.

I couldn't nursing more, I don't think, I don't know, I wasn't very sure, wasn't shaking or anything like that, but I just all worked up inside.

Unknown: I didn't like to take place. Well, I just didn't like inertia.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I did some of.

Sam Schrager: You do you think that's because of what you'd experienced over there? Because of because of what you see?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: And then I got this back for a while, and that didn't happen any.

Did you tell him how your doctor back.

Well.

Sam Schrager: Well, oh.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I was we were just packing up to come home to star, and I don't know just how I got. I'm just strange. You all.

Were. You always told me you want a nurse. I, picked up,

Trunk or something wrong.

And that. And she slipped in. That done her back up.

With it.

Sam Schrager: And it didn't heal up, right? It did just get better.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Did get better.

Sam Schrager: It didn't just get better. Oh, no.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Soon I was just down. I couldn't move for a while, and they took care of me there and wanted me to stay on there because of the other. I'm still alive. I thought I wanted to come home, so they put me on a stretcher and I come about halfway on a stretcher.

And then she suffered with it ever since.

Sam Schrager: Really.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: She's a disabled war veteran.

That.

She gets,

Pretty good pension out of that.

Because she is a disabled, and she used to have to go to the hospital every so often to see how bad it was.

And then.

That the.

Term and.

What.

What her next check would be if it was worse or if it was better.

She never got better and got a little bit more each time I went.

But I haven't. And now it's settle down to one when she.

Gets older, I then.

It's, she don't go anymore to have it. It's just.

Just an injury and that.

All won't get any better or worse. Probably.

Sam Schrager: So you really couldn't work regularly after that?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I couldn't. There's a lot of things I couldn't do. I couldn't give, hypodermic, like I shot, you know, and just shake me up. So I just, I don't know, I couldn't do it.

And that was from your.

Back or not, I.

Don't know. Oh, I mean, it was just nervousness around. Give them some many over. They are used to give sometimes 40 and and I'd.

12 or 14 patients and I had to take that happened every four hours. I just kept my mouth busy while I was in my needle and going through the next one.

I suppose that would be emotional. Wonderful.

Yeah, and sometimes in the middle of the night, we had to have a flashlight. That's all right. We at have because of that.

Sam Schrager: Did you and the doctors have to work? sometimes for 24 hours in a row without stopping in that car?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, not 24 hours. We. If we worked all night while we got off at 9 or 10:00, and the next to there was two teams at the same place, and then they'd come on, let us rest, and then we wouldn't let them last. So we didn't work awful many hours. We we worked long times. And I remember standing up and grass halfway up to my knees all night operating mud.

Sam Schrager: Doing it right outside.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, well, there's no forced attention. All just go in. And if it was raining hard and in some of Lincoln, we put up a lot of things. One time we fixed an emergency hospital in an old, old French hospital where the sisters had them. I moved them out. And then we come in and out of the house.

The place was dirty. And then we cleaned it up just a couple of rooms and use them for a room.

Sam Schrager: For how much? Thoroughly sterilizing could you do in, under those conditions?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Just boil. They had little burners and boiler instruments.

Sam Schrager: But like, in in the mud. In the grass, I mean, you what does it sound now?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: We just have to fix a table and put in sterilized columns. But our instruments on that, the rest of it, just like any tent.

Sam Schrager: Or most of the. The men. Injured men young.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, yes. Nearly all the except the officers.

And they didn't get hurt very bad.

Did they miss that was they now militia.

Yes I remember we all just young girls.

Sam Schrager: Could you tell how, how, how most of them took it? Were many of them scared? Frightened?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Some of them not very many. I don't. And didn't show it anyway then. And they were hurt in and were just hurt like any other one. Just. Needed to be operated to be fixed up. Right.

Let's tell him about when you went over how they didn't.

Some of them boys never been away from home.

She said, what did you say?

They knocked him in the hand or knocked them out.

Or what they do.

They said that they had to knock some amount to get them on a boat to go.

You know, they just.

Couldn't do it.

I can imagine how they hadn't been away from home and get.

Scared to death.

They,

I've heard that before.

Sam Schrager: Well, the little that I've heard about the fighting and the conditions of the fighting during World War one just sound awful. I mean, sounds like they were all in foxholes and they hadn't had.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, of course they were. This horrible of fighting was one night we had about three boys come in. They had was in, forest somewhere, and we stopped for the night and, fell, come down, hit them, and they were just for shell shrapnel and everything. And I brought them all in there to be somewhere where their arms for shrapnel and some of them were broken arms and just everything.

I think it was.

Kind of unpredictable. You didn't know.

What is going to happen. Just everything. One night I got on there and I looked home. we took our lives. The Germans do sometimes, you know, and I said, we got another prisoner, and we took care of them. And the one little prisoner. All right, I'm 21, 18 years old. And he was so scared when up. And one of our daughters talk German, and he was tough on German.

German. He was so scared he didn't know what to say. Yeah. What's the matter with you, boy? Don't you know I'm speaking your language? And. And he was so scared. He didn't know what to do. to be in the, what was his enemies to besides being hurt?

Another half drove back and, in the barracks. Virtuoso John German. No, I mean, he's German. Always ready to take care of his family. You know? And the killing frightened the whole time. So we had to keep them out, and we had to take care of it. Oh, dear. Poor thing. I felt so sorry for him. You know, different than anybody else.

We just happened to be on the wrong side of the fence. Like, I've been there for a long time, and, well, not too long.

Sam Schrager: Well, I think this is probably a hard question, but. But I'm wondering, do you do you recollect how the boys faced death and dying in themselves and as young, young people that you know.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Just how they faced.

Sam Schrager: It? Yeah. I mean, I'm imagine you saw a lot of those boys die.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, I never was around the gas rooms very much, but I know they were an awful lot of them were not gassed.

No, but he means just.

When they're going to die them and died with the flu. How what how did they react?

Well, most of them were unconscious. I remember before time. And some didn't want to die. And you, like everybody else?

Do you think we'll.

Have more.

Wars here?

Sam Schrager: I don't doubt it.

Since World War One was the war to end all wars. we seem to have had quite a few.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: But, you know.

Well, let's say connected with that.

But when,

My youngest boy started to school, there was about eight little boys. All had been.

Born at the time. They were six years old when they started school. I think there was just one girl in the bunch and one.

Old lady and neighbor up the creek. She she said.

You know, there's so many boy.

Babies born that means war. And sure.

Enough.

I bet every.

One of them there's one.

Now my kid is here.

And every one of that bunch.

Of boys, it started to school here at VOA that were six years old, at a.

Certain time. They went in that World War two.

Just everyone, two gets boys and.

I can name everyone. I.

Do believe.

Maybe one was a.

But.

Wasn't that funny?

She predicted that she was a.

Lady and she said that that means war.

Well, I know a thing telling me to.

Do it just happened to hit that.

Sam Schrager: Did you believe it at the time that that was going to be the last war for us? That's what they.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Said I did.

So I guess everybody on it. But the Bible said there more always war was a war.

Sam Schrager: So. Well, I don't doubt that. But I don't see why they all have to involve us.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I know I.

Don't either, and I don't see what they are. Good. It does fight. And why don't.

They quit making that stuff?

They couldn't shoot themselves if they didn't have guns.

It makes me so mad that.

This.

The United.

States has to furnish.

Them all with a.

Material to shoot back at them. I think I could be.

Smarter than that. And they're supposed to be smart, man.

They can see that.

If they don't have the ammunition.

You can't use that.

They didn't have. One country would.

Down. Yes, but if they'd all just quit, let's. Are you sure? Killing each other off.

Sam Schrager: Do you think it has something to do with the fact that there's money to be made in selling.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: All that money to be made, and too many people.

Yeah. Got to stand out with program. And, But it is too many people get.

Sam Schrager: Well, that sounds to me like being a nurse under the roughest conditions that I could watch.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I think World War one was rough. Okay.

Sam Schrager: Did you get did you feel, great satisfaction of that work that you were doing there? I mean, sir.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, we knew it was necessary. We knew it had to be done. So.

Sam Schrager: What did the doctor. Did the doctors, when they decided to, they decided, you know who they're going to operate on and how and all that. Did they just let a lot of people go who they thought would make it?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, no one would think so. No, I think they operated on every necessary. The mission control wasn't same same as they do. The I think they do an awful long operation. Well, you know, sir.

Sam Schrager: What would make them decide, say, if they had to take an arm off, what would be the.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: One that decide whether it could be used as a chance of healing itself? Or they knew I would send them back to, you know, to another hospital or back home.

They had to do their own deciding, just like they do now. After tell you, I asked to come on, if it's cancer infected or anything like that, they know it has to come on.

Sam Schrager: They didn't have much time to make a decision about that.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: A week about the and they quit decision. probably made a lot of mistakes.

Sam Schrager: It seems to be a statement of a lot of bravery on her part to be in.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, I don't know. I think you're under kind of a nervous strain. You.

This is like how I know everybody. A lot of people around you. You don't think the, shells are going over our heads, and I can't understand. Get pack up and go out. When we knew we couldn't just pack up and leave on patients there. So we're just thing. And after we got there, citation for staff. That was just.

contempt of court or something to that effect.

Sam Schrager: Oh, you mean you got a bad.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes.

Citation for bravery? Oh, after, after all this time, it was disobeying order because there's orders to move back so many miles behind the lines were supposed to. And why did any of us do it?

Sam Schrager: What did you feel? The people you were working with, the doctors in the nurses did. Did did you become very close to each other if you're doing that kind of work?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes. I see.

I think it's same as it.

Is now in the hospitals.

They say.

a man gets sick and has a good nurse.

He always proposes before he goes home. I think I my that I think it's same way.

Sam Schrager: Then you get a lot of proposals.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: One factor of one fortune. He says people are rich, real rich. And if I could just get him, I don't be getting home. I wish that I could just at home. Okay, well.

I think it's the same today.

Is I just the same as the others?

I think so.

Sam Schrager: Well, I would think that being over there, the boys would not only be homesick, but they wouldn't have a chance to see women at all either. You know.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: They were pretty lonely. I'm sure.

And any woman look good to him.

I think, you know, that was about the way it was.

Sam Schrager: You know. How old were you when you were over there?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: About 30. Somehow one of the young was still on.

But there would've been.

Lots younger.

25 and quite a few. Yes, I think them all.

Those went to.

Sam Schrager: As far as the conditions of living for you personally, for the nurses over there, did you have the, did you could you keep clean to your satisfaction?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, ma'am. I managed to do pretty good. I was just kind of sometimes kind of crude way. But then.

We managed to get our washing them most of the time and things like that.

Sam Schrager: Did your own?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah, most of the time. Lots of times.

But they had pretty good facilities to that. And considering everything, they had the laundry, to do sheets and things like that for the boys, you know, on our, we send our uniforms to.

it just sometimes got misplaced, I think, is all. I think.

There was, in the field hospital while we didn't. I remember that long cape with a red line. Brookville red lining. The nurses all warm, it all kind of proud of what I. I had it when I was in the hospital. and, from North Carolina, and they shipped him over, you know, and so I was supposed to get it on, get over there.

But we never did gamble. The girls that were in the field hospital never did get to go back to base. And I was kind of mad because I didn't get my pay. But and so many things we didn't get, we didn't have change of clothes and all that time. I sent back to other times to get them.

Sam Schrager: So you really only had the uniform that you were wearing and that was it?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: No, I think we had a few extras, but we just we packed enough up when we went.

But it's like.

It is now. They get on the wrong lane or wrong something and.

And a little worse.

And more time.

Sam Schrager: Did you have any, any time off over there.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Last night that we got word that this was going to be signed about three days before the rest of the all got up here on the real armistice and the night the armistice, a sign right? 2 or 3 other nurses and my put in our mail. Well, we all put in our names for the so we could go on vacation and take turns, you know, till I was on the first one on the.

So got to go first three of our nurses and we went to niece Monte Carlo and down on the Riviera. For a week and we had a good time. One day we went up in the marine, what they call the Maritime Alps, a big mountains there. And to make them, you know, make wine from the grapes and the Asian way up and, you know, restaurant they, they just had a kind of a like it is in San Francisco where they got those hills of a carton and.

Sam Schrager: Trolleys.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Grocery, trolley, trolley cars. And we took the day off and went up there and was to southern Lieutenant and in the same way. So we matched up with them and we had dinner and ran. And all the time that they. and then another day we went to the casino at the Monte Carlo, where they played cards. One evening.

I have my daughter, her chauffeur. I guess I have a she has someplace.

Sam Schrager: Oh, you made money instead of losing it?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: No, I didn't play. They would let us buy. In fact, they wouldn't let us. And girls had to be escorted in. Some of those happen to be a captain standing there when we were trying to get out again. So he grabbed two of us. Jane with them and I, and we went in and we went to watch them play in and so all that.

Sam Schrager: They didn't allow women to play. Could they play in there?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: They were playing. Oh.

I couldn't you women get in. I had to have an escort.

Maybe we could anybody to play with uniformity. The men.

Oh, I guess that wouldn't.

Let the girls in unless they were escorted by some man. So we got.

Sam Schrager: In. Was that the first time you'd had off since you were over?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: As a first time as a first? No, one time. And,

Sam Schrager: How long were you there? Near.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, you'd have rest periods.

One just in the year. But that never was away from home. No.

Sam Schrager: Was there any social life for you in the camp when you were working?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I remember a week, we made a Christmas tree and picked it up from the orphan's home. Where? There. And we'd.

Well, I think you had.

Dances and everything.

Around.

Based in June.

Not around the base. We did. It's.

I think they got to go.

On some of the, Anyway, took care of them. And so.

Yeah. What do they what they call that where they serve coffee and and where the boys are away. And so what do they call? you see a man today?

Sam Schrager: Yeah. Yeah.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: The it's a you get an invitation to go there. Yeah. Yes.

Sam Schrager: Yeah.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, now watch, you all can.

Sam Schrager: Yeah.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Right. Yeah. I think they have them. Every place may be a little far away.

Some of that.

But. Well, now UFO, that's flying saucer I've ever got there.

Sam Schrager: Oh I don't know. Yeah I know, I know. Sure, sure. But I think.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: We got the wrong initials on.

Sam Schrager: The, the I don't know what the. Yeah.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well I don't know. But they had a man.

See a man.

Retired. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: Well, as far as the, the work goes of, of being a nurse and the long days and all the hours that, that you put in. I mean, to me, I think about it today and it's hard to imagine people working that long that hard. Did it seem to you at the time to be known, demanding a lot of you.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Everybody worked on how long hours those days? Yeah. No, I'm trying to you know, we didn't they didn't have a whole day off. We had a half once a week.

When I don't think it was any.

More confining. No, just to be a nurse in the hospital right now. You got.

I think they,

Sam Schrager: But the 12 hour days, seven days a week that she talks about, that seems.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: We never heard of an eight hour day.

I never heard of a job, coffee break growing.

Up and a.

Half a day coffee break.

Sam Schrager: Wait a minute. You say you you get up before you go to bed at nine.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Y, and probably you're lucky if you got to bed.

At nine and you cook for 24 men out in the field and, cook.

Houses.

Sam Schrager: How old were you when you started doing that? We used to. Yeah. I mean, yeah.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I cooked, I helped.

When I was.

About 16.

And then, and a few times.

Later I had a helper.

And I.

Went ahead.

So I done that. I cooked up quite a few years.

How hard was that?

That was.

Something.

That was real.

You had a flunky.

Who who had a rig with horses and he bought brought the I got the.

Water and brought.

The groceries.

And.

And by the time you think you had everything down, they come and tell you that.

We going to move.

There was done with that.

Feel alone.

Get your dishes packed.

Up and move. Maybe had bread, bacon in the oven.

Baked all our own bread.

And then.

For the man.

That was real. Well, it didn't last long.

No, you're lucky if.

You got in 30.

Days or 25, 30.

Or maybe.

35

Sam Schrager: But you didn't know in advance from when you would be moving.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, the funky had. Tell us. Probably we'll move this afternoon.

maybe on short orders. He didn't know whether.

He'd be to.

Town to get.

Meat and stuff.

And when he'd come back, they'd run it through a.

Little faster than he thought, and less so it was. How. How set down.

Sam Schrager: Did you get the your routine? Yeah. Was it a struggle to get it all done?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, yes.

But then.

Oh there they was. All good. But they just so long as you had something to eat. But you had to figure you always had pie for dinner and cake or cookies for supper.

And we send out lunch. Some of them had lunch in the morning and some of them lunch in the afternoon. Some of them, I guess, had lunches too. I don't think we.

Ever had.

Lunch, only once a day and make sandwiches.

And coffee.

Sam Schrager: So you served only three meals.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Three meals and one lunch.

So that's quite a bit of work to.

Sam Schrager: Three meals and one.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: One one lunch. but now, you know, you have somebody come to.

Fix your house or.

Do something. They bring their lunch. You're not supposed.

To cook.

For anybody.

That.

Funny and used.

To bake. Cook for everybody.

Yes. Even couple. My man going through and our mother saying, come on, if you start getting me right.

Sam Schrager: Really?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, we had.

you know.

We had the.

Magnus man and Raleigh's them.

Traveling.

Man that peddle.

Your pepper.

And cinnamon and vanilla.

Well, that was quite.

An event when they come to your house.

So your partner had to feed.

Them and and.

A lot.

Of times if it was night.

Or you.

Had barn.

Room, why they stayed all night. Of course they paid for it.

But they liked to visit.

Too, and they were anxious to get acquainted with.

People.

Sam Schrager: And you said Raleigh, what was the other one?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Raleigh and McNair's.

Sam Schrager: Like this with a state this Lions.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: They're the same old, usually, but.

Sometimes they'd.

Have their.

Bed along and go to the barn.

Sleep. But I think.

Them.

It was.

Sometimes it was neighbors doing that.

Why they.

Troop in the house. Yeah. Times have changed.

You you see.

That on television now and I'm traveling, man. Go on. One old program.

What was that? Where he peddled all the lace and stuff.

Sam Schrager: You know, it was an event, though.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes. Them days, it was when there was food. You, had to go.

To town with a team, you know, and,

So it was.

Quite an event. When they come.

Out, a little girl.

Right.

Didn't go on 20.

Minutes like we do now.

Sam Schrager: I'll bet that the, that food that served in thrashing must have been pretty back.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh. It was. Everybody had big gardens, spuds and potatoes and vegetables.

And the meat man, if they didn't go to town to buy it, Meat Man.

Would.

Butcher and travel around to get.

Rid of their beef.

You know.

To the different. Oh, well, no. In this.

Section of the country.

Probably a half a dozen.

Thrashing machines, you know, and it's pretty good money to.

Peddle your meat around.

Sam Schrager: Did you served everybody come inside to cook house to eat. How was it set up? What was it like on the inside?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well.

Probably not quite as wide as this.

And some of them had long tables on either side. And some of them had.

Little square tables outlet for sit around. We've had both.

Kinds. I've been in both guns.

Sam Schrager: How many men? Pretty sick and.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well.

Sam Schrager: The whole crew.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah, usually the whole crew. Maybe the roustabout or some of the bosses or.

Somebody.

Oilers out.

The machine wouldn't come in right when.

That.

bundle hollers and all that.

Were. Usually they're supposed to serve.

Them all same time. I don't know.

You just got in and done. I couldn't do it now.

Couldn't think.

I. Oh, well.

Sam Schrager: I would think they'd be cooking for 20, 25 people after just cooking for your family would be quite a change.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well it was.

But then.

You adjusted to it.

Sam Schrager: Did you learn from the from when you started helping somebody else?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Did you learn from them? Oh, I suppose I learned.

But you kind of grew.

Up with it. You knew about cookhouse or did to go to death to get to work.

Sam Schrager: Was it was it was it pretty good?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, it was good. Yeah. $5 a day for a them days was really good.

So now.

They. Well, it won't happen anymore. You've probably.

Seen an old cook.

House, have you?

Sam Schrager: I never seen a could have seen lots of pictures.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, yes, they had,

Screen windows and with, flat down, probably when it was cold from morning.

Sam Schrager: you got pretty hot in there to.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Get pretty.

Hot and pretty many.

Flies.

You know.

Had to.

Have them stickers, things to keep the.

Flies. But of course, we moved, I guess.

When you moved.

And didn't set too.

Long in one place, the flies couldn't catch up.

With you too good. But wouldn't it be a rainy spell? But of course, the most.

Of man would.

Be.

Neighbors.

They'd go home in a rainy spell. You wouldn't have so many. So then you.

Could kind of relax.

And.

And rest.

I think I ever had was over a friend for a long time. We were moving. I don't know how it happened. We go. And then we stopped and. And a little place or whatever. Was it easy? And we stop and sit down the people. And, you know, I couldn't hardly see the place.

Oh, that was terrible. And that was in.

Priam.

And Friends.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah. But we didn't have very much to eat for a day or two. The we get up time we delayed or something. We be pretty hungry. Oh, please. To eat with you forever. Well, I've.

Never.

But I can remember when Wade was in the army.

He said he he felt bad.

Sometimes they'd.

Be packed up to move.

And, sit and wait.

And he said it's a waiting game.

Always, you know, and,

Get orders to.

Move.

And he said all that good food would be just left. Yeah. He said it was such a wage.

Sam Schrager: War was here. Two.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, two. But he was one of those that were too old. They didn't keep him very long, but he was.

In.

Australia.

I remember.

Where they was.

Working. I don't know if.

They were digging ditches or what, but he said he got.

From and.

He was.

Around probably 30 some. And they, they.

Sent.

Some of them from.

Here every place.

And then when they got enough younger boys.

They.

Sam Schrager: They let those guys come.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: But he was there quite a while. They said.

Them young. Tomorrow they'll come and tell him how to.

Groom his horses. He said, I've carried a horse.

All my life from the farm, you know, and.

He didn't like it a bit.

Tell him how to take.

Care of his horses.

I remember one time we went back to Paris. They had orders. Who did that train down? And when we get to that one, why don't we go back? Maybe stay in Paris for there, too. So one of the doctors was gonna give us a real dinner, he said, and got a daughter in this town. It was about an audition for us to go ahead, and we packed up and made a few sandwiches to go, and we couldn't.

We didn't get to eat it. Oh, boy.

Sam Schrager: Well, imagine the field hospital you did. you probably went in very good place to get good eating there.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I think they had lots of.

Sometimes it didn't get cooked very good.

Sam Schrager: When you doing that in the threshing crews, did you find that an exciting time?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah. Yeah. That's.

Sam Schrager: What made that? What? It was all years.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Young and, moving around. I don't know what made it exciting.

Everything was exciting.

Wasn't it, when he was young.

Well.

Sam Schrager: I don't know.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I get pretty tired, for sure.

Sam Schrager: I wanted it wasn't some somewhat the fact that every all the community was kind get together on it.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, a lot of a lot.

Of times, you know, most of the men who.

Were.

Working and you felt kind of.

Good to see them eat.

And.

Oh, I don't know, it was it was just hard.

Work. And I suppose on the money mostly.

Sam Schrager: I know a number of people that met their wives there.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I expect that's probably.

One of the things that was.

Attractive to.

Sam Schrager: The boys were were usually doing pretty nice to the.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah, I think that's cooking.

I think that's something about it.

Sam Schrager: Offering to do the dishes and that's our.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Help a little. Well, I don't know. I never had anybody help them do dishes because they were usually.

Working most of the time that we.

Were. And pretty tired.

When night come.

But probably a little of.

That on rainy.

Days, kind of hanging around probably.

Sam Schrager: Did you have a chance when you to visit during that time? Visit with, the women and the farms?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, not much.

we was.

Usually sitting out in the.

Field.

But sometimes.

We'd have company, sometimes the other kids would come on horseback. Some of my girlfriends, everybody rode horses. Them back, and I would.

Sam Schrager: Would you have breaks during the day when you have everything?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well.

sometimes.

But if you had to move or till you was pretty busy most all the.

Time.

Sam Schrager: All this move came in. You stay in the cook house?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah, sometimes. And sometimes we'd.

Ride with a roustabout. But, I guess we had to ride.

And, cook out most times. See that.

The water.

Barrel didn't tip.

Over. And a few things like that. What about.

Sam Schrager: Everything else?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, we had places to put them. The benches. If we had the long table. Why, where? They sat with benches. And you piled.

Everything in the benches.

I remember that, and you had the mountains to get.

Sam Schrager: Right inside, like.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Lid.

On. And we just set them in the benches.

That was there enough room.

Oh, yeah. So I didn't see much. I didn't.

Sam Schrager: Feel it was a.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: No. We had had a good.

Table and a were I mean a good stove and.

A work table. You had. All right. We need to give I think so.

Of course we didn't know any different.

You had to do.

It and.

You just done it.

I think that's the way of it.

Sam Schrager: Did you work to go see was important? You came in, stayed in Moscow. Who's boss? Go to high school.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Although my mother, when I was a first grader.

She lived up here at the hotel.

We had a three story hotel here and viola.

And we lived three miles.

Up the creek.

Then they all went there. Go home.

Friday night.

And Friday.

Night. That's how bad the road was to get three.

Miles, you know, it was.

Sam Schrager: Mother would stay at the hotel. Kids would stay with her mom. How many of you kids?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, usually three of us was.

Mama wasn't. I don't think Maddie ever.

Stayed with us.

Know, going for a road?

Yes.

Sam Schrager: And for the whole winter?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah. All winter.

Till.

Spring. Then probably.

She'd move.

Home and work.

Started.

But during the bad.

Weather, we had a room at the two rooms.

I can remember.

Sam Schrager: Did you do this for a number of years?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: 2 or 3.

Years. Didn't we?

Through the bedroom used to get big snow like this. Now I don't know why, but.

Sam Schrager: So then your father would be back.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: And he was back.

And. And as a.

Rule, that's how.

They made their living. My dad would make wood.

All winter.

And sell it in the summer before.

He.

Got enough. land rope.

To raise.

Hay and things. And he would make wood, and he.

Usually had a.

Couple of friends.

There that worked for.

Him, and they.

Batched.

And,

Made wood.

And I'm remember them, fellas from way down at Guy.

They used.

To come and stay up there and make.

Wood.

Yeah.

That was,

what people how many.

People made 11.

They sold wood to the farmer.

Sam Schrager: That was right here. Right around.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Here.

Three miles.

East to here is where I was.

Born.

Sam Schrager: Where's the line between the timber and the, and, prairie here. Isn't this pretty close to.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Just about right.

Along here.

Up above. Of course it's broke out.

More land is broke out now.

But but all up our, road from village east, there was trees.

There's been lots of land broke out. And on our.

Place up there, that was all.

Timber and there's been sawmills.

There. Well, it was a sawmill.

I can remember.

The sawdust.

When we. I never saw the mail.

But before we left there, there was a sawmill.

And then the Mansons had a sawmill and.

Several different hollows up the creek. They logged.

All the mountain.

Sam Schrager: Up there. And then we homestead.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: My dad didn't homestead somebody else.

He bought.

preemption rights. Somebody had homesteaded and let it go back. And that's where my dad got there.

But he said.

When they came out here, it's funny. This gal lives next door. Her dad and my dad come on the train on.

What kind of a.

Train did they.

Call him? It was. And it was still an Indian. I know, but they call.

Them,

When they brought people west.

There's a name.

Sam Schrager: From the car you bring that?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I think so I take a lot of people.

Sam Schrager: And,

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: And they come to too.

Yeah, well.

They come and worked.

A year. My dad did.

And I.

Suppose.

Jim Ross.

Wanted to. They worked a year to see how.

They was going to like.

It.

At the.

Mail some place away up here.

And then he went back and brought the folks out.

But she said she.

Come alone.

With five.

Kids. My mother didn't. She? I was born enough. They come out.

Here. But he.

Came back. But he had to come back to work.

And then she.

Yeah, she sold off what.

They had and come with.

Kid. She always said it wasn't such a good place. She said they probably left if they ever.

Had money to leave.

But they couldn't get money to go anyplace else. But, she said that, but I've heard her say this was nearest.

Heaven to.

Because there wasn't the.

Bugs in there. I don't know, al and the storms.

That's why they left back there.

The hailstorm.

Where at?

they come Iowa and Kansas. They lived in both places.

But, that was awful hard winters.

In Iowa and Kansas.

I guess that was a start. Or vice versa.

Sam Schrager: Yeah, the storms would be.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah, hail, terrible storms.

Sam Schrager: They had, and they homesteaded.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: No.

But,

they owned some land.

My, father's folks.

Farmed in.

Iowa, I.

Believe was a way of, wasn't.

It? Yeah. But,

It wasn't bad. They had a pretty good life. But what I started to tell.

My dad.

Said all the way from Walla Walla was railroad land that they could have.

Filed on, you know, big.

Strips.

Along.

That they could have here. He could have had a good.

Farm from here to Walla.

Walla.

But instead.

Of that.

He come to the mountains.

Because he said.

He'd been on the prairie and knew about the storms and was afraid.

He always wondered if.

He made a mistake.

But he said.

It reminded of come.

in the woods. But, he made.

A good, good enough living. We didn't have much, but in my eyes.

Everybody else.

Worked hard for it, but raised everything we ate.

And we never was,

So hard.

Up.

My dad had cattle.

And honey got.

A little land.

Broke.

My word. I guess.

We wasn't. Never had much money, but I guess.

We lived.

About as good as other people. I think probably.

And a little later. We have picked strawberries.

Yes. Then that.

Got to be Strawberry.

Country. Up in the hills here.

Sam Schrager: Started growing.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes. And we raised.

Strawberries.

Sam Schrager: Was there market all in?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, yes.

We remember $4 a crazy, an awful price.

Got to be a.

Lot more than that.

Got to be $4 a half a grade A flat.

Sam Schrager: But how much did he put a fair bit of his land in?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes. We had a whole hillside.

And.

You'd rotate.

Them, you know, and, you.

Had to keep putting.

In.

But there was 2 or 3 that had big patches.

Up in our hill. But now nobody has even enough for but my daughter here.

We picked strawberries the other day. We've had strawberries since.

Decoration.

Day. She's got, ever bearings.

And I never seen the like, but,

She said that new roller too.

And that's what.

Where you get your bearings for the next year.

Sam Schrager: When did they start canning?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Canning? I don't know.

I.

Can remember drying everything when my mother.

Was dry out the.

Sam Schrager: Way.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: You can't.

With them.

Too. I mean, yeah, but. And and dry.

I think so.

Sam Schrager: So they were.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Canning to you?

Oh yes.

When I, when I was young.

Yeah. They canned.

Sam Schrager: But did they do it in they do it in jars.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes I.

Sam Schrager: They use paraffin then or what do they use.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I don't I think we had fruit jars.

Just the same at all during my.

Lifetime.

And, and then, and then there was a little time a.

Few years.

Ago when they got.

Everybody got freezers.

And they done a lot of it in that. But now they're getting the canned, I'm sure.

Of course, everybody has a freezer. Yeah. For me and thing.

Sam Schrager: you went to school, go to high school. you work when you went in there, you didn't you didn't work for any board or anything.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, I did one year.

Too, and that all you girls had three years. Yeah. You did. All my sisters had worked for their board. You see, I.

Was, she went.

To high.

School about my second.

Year, so that was quite a stretch. I was still out here going to school.

But then when I graduated the eighth grade, then I went into we. She was going to university. Then.

Sam Schrager: Where are you, Lord?

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Well, we had,

rented rooms and that.

Three or girls I, us.

Sam Schrager: Rented, in someone's home.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Rent. Yeah. I'm just like apartments now.

We didn't have apartments, but.

people rented out rooms and put a stove up and kitchen, and,

It wasn't like the apartments now, but.

They were livable.

Sam Schrager: and did you work for your.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: I didn't I was only nine years old. First time I went to school in Moscow.

Sam Schrager: Right? Yeah.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Nine.

Yeah, because the girls.

Were going to school. They were older and, but then.

I went to school that year.

And then I went.

To school out here.

Again.

I suppose I.

Just wanted to go.

Because the big girls were.

Going to school in there.

I suppose that was.

The reason they took me.

Oh, Lord. Yes, that was the idea.

Sam Schrager: From, from.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: From up home here. I couldn't get down to viola Long and there were other kids. Oh, yeah.

But nobody from our house and the other.

Girls was.

All in town, so they let me.

Sam Schrager: So you lived with them? Did you all live together.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Upstairs two.

Rooms. We had three.

Of us went to school. That was Mr. Work.

She was taken dressmaking.

Sam Schrager: Well how did that work. Did you give you girls take care of her and keep sharp. I'll tell her what I.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah I was late great of the year when I would probably had pretty sharp.

Boundaries. Interactive red noses, computer that was where the bridge economic area.

Yeah. You got six loans for a quarter.

And that used to make me so mad when they'd send me after bread. And I had to.

Carry all that six loaves. Now I'd be happy to get so called for a quarter.

Sam Schrager: I didn't have that working fair. Where did you take, did you take, I have to listen pretty closely to what your sisters told you to do. Or did you have the independence to do pretty much what you wanted.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Man, you you don't you think.

He wants to know if.

I.

Minded.

Pretty good?

I and our older sister was a freshman.

At the campus.

Pretty much in line.

She was five years older than me, and I don't know, I had an idea.

Yeah, I think probably I did too.

But this sister, we got a sister up in.

Spokane in the home. Now, you.

Know, she's older.

Than Jenny.

Pretty, pretty.

Spry. I mean, her mind is pretty.

Alert and she still trails.

Yet when they used.

To be.

Playing games or.

Cards at the.

Table at home in the winter, you know.

Said, I kicked up such a ruckus.

And I. She said.

She could still see.

My.

Dad.

Looking over.

His paper and saying, let that kid.

Be quiet. You know, if.

They beat me every.

Time, I'd kick up an awful stink. You know? I'd be mad about it.

And she said, I can still see our dad say, let that kid meet.

Sam Schrager: Let that kid.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Beat.

In a game. You know, if.

They beat.

Me, I would be mad about it and be pretty.

Noisy. That's what she said. She could still see.

Him looking over.

His.

Paper and.

Hard figure.

Sam Schrager: That that was kind of rough, to have to be separated as a family to do, to go to school and that kind of thing.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, I don't think we ever thought about that.

Something new to get to you or live in town?

I don't think so. No.

Our mother used to come often.

Drove a team.

Brass fried chicken. Yeah. I never heard that. They raised their own hairs. I never she fry one of.

Sam Schrager: Those in front of.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yeah. I was always glad to see her come. And I guess she probably were, glad to get rid of us for.

A little while. Maybe. We used to come home.

Not every week. But I can.

Remember getting up early at home, and our dad.

Would get.

Us to town at nine.

O'clock with a team.

You know? So that meant starting up there.

Pretty early.

On Monday morning. Sometimes we would come home, you know, and stay the weekend and and he'd get.

Us to school.

Sam Schrager: But there was no school environment for,

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: High school then there wasn't. But my daughter.

Went to high school.

Afterwards. We had good school.

And, I don't know if.

We ever had four years, but we had two.

The new school after burn down.

I think we.

Know didn't have only eighth grade when you was, but.

Eventually did by.

Sam Schrager: But your sisters were you girls were going to high school at the time, except for the oldest boy and the youngest.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: And the in.

This.

At this one I.

Sam Schrager: Oh yeah. So you were really on your own I mean pretty, you must be all that pretty independent living on your own.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh I guess it wasn't hard to get a.

Cook.

A little and get up and.

Go to school. I guess.

That was the main thing.

Sam Schrager: You know, it didn't have much social life, but.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Oh, I'm sure they did.

Sam Schrager: What did you do for.

Fannie Cuthbert Byers: Yes, I know I had the measles that year or two.