Burman Stewart Age: 74 Occupation: Truck Driver, Business Manager Hometown: Londonderry Interviewer: Heather Tackett

    What changes does Burman see in children's leisure time?  

Interview:

HT: What is your name?

BS: Burman Stewart.

HT: What is your age?

BS: 74

HT: Who were your parents and grandparents?

BS: My father and mother were Joe and Zela. My father's parents were John and Mandy. My mother's were Sam and Amy Peck.

HT: Were they from this area?

BS: Yes

HT: What did they do for a living?

BS: Farming and public work. Whatever they could do.

HT: Do you recall any floods or fires in this area as a child?

BS: Yes! Our house once burnt and there were several floods. Floods and water made it hard to get to school.

HT: How was the fire caused?

BS: Don't know.

HT: Did you live on a farm when you were little?

BS: Yes, I did.

HT: Was it hard growing up?

BS: It was pretty rough.We had to raise what we ate.

HT: What was it like back then?

BS: Nothing like today.You had to work and your parents usually had something planned for you to do. Didn't have as much idle time as children have today.

HT: Did you have many chores as a child?

BS: We always had to milk and feed the farm animals and cut wood .

HT: What was it like growing up?

BS: We had to walk to school. Didn't have the fancy stuff kids have today,one room school,we didn't have the luxuries that schools have today. We had a big potbellied stove and sometimes had to carry water around..

HT: Where did you go to school?

BS: Rattcliffsburg.

HT: How big was it?

BS: Just a small school. No bigger than 35 feet.

HT: What was it like?

BS: One teacher for all 8 grades.

HT: What do you remember most about your school days?

BS: We had to walk about 3 miles.

HT: Do you remember any teachers or good freinds?

BS: Oh yes. A lot of my freinds are people I went to school with.

HT: As a child or teenager, what did you do for fun?

BS: Played games, hiked.

HT: What did you do after high school?

BS: Well, first, driving trucks. Then a business for myself. Then,20 years at Austin Power. Then,12 years as manager assistant at Lake Hope.

HT: How was life different then, than now?

BS: You didn't get to go or see as much. To me, as a kid, to get to go to a county fair was a big treat.

HT: What was it like in the navy?

BS: In the south Pacific in the navy amphibs.

HT: How are people's values different?

BS: Not much of a difference. People's lifestyles have changed so much. That's what made the difference.

HT: Did you fight in any wars?

BS: I was in World War II.

HT: What was it like?

BS: Rough.

HT: What was it like living through the ages?

BS: Well, people say they liked the good old days, but I like it better now. I wouldn't go back. It's a lot easier now.

HT: How many kids do you have?

BS:  Four girls and three boys.

HT: What was a big moment in your life?

BS: My first airplane ride was the biggest thing.

HT: Describe it.

BS: Well, we flew from Pearl Harbor to Hawaii.   Looking down on the world as a non-swimmer, it was scary.

HT: How common was divorce?

BS: Not common,as it is today.

HT:  Was there anything that I should have asked but didn't?

BS: Ha,ha! I have a little trivia for you! What do you think the average income was in 1924?  $2264! A new house cost $7762, a new car was $285, a gallon of milk was $0.48, a loaf of bread was $0.10, eggs $0.51,  first class stamps were $0.02, a post card $0.01. The best radio program was Malcolm Proshow. The hit song was "I'll See You in My Dreams." The president of the USA was Calvin Coolidge. The inventions of that year were the loud speakers, frozen food, and the Kleenex!

HT: Did you ever get punished?

BS: Yes! A lot of times!

HT: Why?

BS: Things we did.

HT: Like what?

BS: When we went to the one-room school, we couldn't whisper because everyone was in the same room. They had a stationbench.  If you talked, the class couldn't hear.

HT: Was there anything special that happend to you?

BS: I didnt see a movie until I was 12.

RE: What was it like?

BS: Unbelievable to see him shoot; kill, and die on a screen in front of you.

HT: Anything else?

BS: If I started I couldn't stop!

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