<Begin Segment 4>

[Ed. note: This transcript has been edited by the narrator]

TI: So let's go back to Bailey Gatzert. I always like to ask people, what was Bailey Gatzert like for you?

FT: Oh, Bailey Gatzert had a lot of Orientals -- Chinese, Japanese (students). And I remember, like on a snowy day, Ms. Mahon would give us the lunch tray to use as a sled (on) the hillside and stuff like that. And I remember her standing (at the door to the cafeteria) and she would ask (students) to open up their brown bags. And a lot of (students) just had kamaboko or satsumage and she said, "You go (...) get in line. Get a bowl of soup," or whatever it is, (...) she'd pay for it.

TI: So this was like a, almost like a nutrition program. She wanted to make sure that each student had enough to eat.

FT: She'd just say, "Open up your lunch bag," (and) we'd show what we had. Yeah, she was quite a lady.

TI: How would you describe her? Yeah, how would you describe Ms. Mahon?

FT: Well, she was very strict in discipline. And I remember the teachers -- make a little noise or talk out of turn in school, in class -- (and they) say, "Go see Ms. Mahon." You'd go to her office and she'd have a leather strap there, and she'd say, "Put out your hand," and whack. [Laughs]

TI: So Frank, you described that pretty well.

FT: Disciplinary. She was a disciplinarian.

TI: So did that ever happen to you, that you had to do that?

FT: Yeah, I did, a number of times. I would be talking with Pete (...) or with the other guys when the class was going on and the teacher said, "Alright, go see the principal." [Laughs] And she said, "You did the wrong thing, you shouldn't do that." And you know, that kind of a lecture. Put out your hand, and whack.

TI: Now, would you say that most students had to sometimes do this?

FT: Yeah, sure, other students, yes. You know, incidentally, after some time, I don't know when, but some of the alumni from Bailey Gatzert got together and sent her, Ms. Mahon, to Japan for two weeks.

TI: So her former students all contributed money together to send her to Japan?

FT: Yeah, uh-huh.

TI: Wow, that's special. Who decided to do that?

FT: Oh, I don't know. It was a bunch of older Niseis. I just heard that.

TI: Well, what was it about Ms. Mahon that, that you think the students wanted to do this? What was it that she did for you that was so special?

FT: I guess she did a lot for all the people. At first, Bailey Gatzert was on Sixth and, between Main and Jackson, and then it moved to Twelfth, by the bridge there. And that's where I went. But some of the older Niseis, the Niseis that went to Bailey Gatzert when it was downtown (...) in J-town. She was quite a lady. Everybody loved her. (Narr. note: I heard that when the people were being evacuated by bus, Ms. Mahon was at the bus stop, weeping as the buses left.)

TI: How about the Isseis? Did they, did they get along with her also?

FT: Well, I guess so.

TI: Do you recall your mother ever needing to meet with her?

FT: No, no. It was the older Niseis.

TI: So I'm curious about school. I mean, today, at schools, they have things like the PTA, where the parents would come in and do things. Did the Isseis do that, too?

FT: I don't remember. I can't recall. But I would think that they would have some association with the school.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.