Interviews with Japanese in Utah: Grace Oshita

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OHI Grace Oshita 5-22-85sl:3 derived from the ountain directly west of the camp, which is known as Topaz Mountain. I don't know who who -or were allowed to go ther, but some people did go and pick up some ------ little stones. LK And bring them back. GO Yes. Maybe there were farmers who had some free time- meaning evacuee farmers. The farm was not situated adjacent to camp residential site •. Instead, they were transportedm truck, you know, elsewhere, maybe just a few miles away where they ~ew the cops or tended to their stock or - LK You meani::the farmers that were the Japanese farmers. GO Yes. LK WHo were workingonthe farm thatbelonged to Topaz. GO Yes. That's right. LK To fue camp itself. GO Yes. I remember, well, theonly time we'd been to the farm was when each block had to volunteer to do some part of the farm work. I I remember going and cutting~tatoes, so that they couldbe planted. You know, bey told us, leave 2 eyes or three eyes on a piece so that theycould drop it into the soil and plant it. LK SO you cut off the top of the potatoe. GO Into pieces, chunky pieces so that -ah huh - there would be some eye left on it. So, I do remember goingcn a truck, you know, to ohe farm area. LK DO you remember how you were given the place whereyou lived? GO My uncle lived - was working with the ah hosp~tal crew. He was in the administrative office of the Topaz Hospital. Well, Tanferan