My best friend today, and growing up as a boy was Don Slabicki. Don and I lived just around the corner from me on Sylvan Avenue. We both worked for Fred Kuser as young boys, doing odd jobs and caring for the Kuser Mansion when the Kusers were away at Jackson, New Hampshire in the summer, and wintering in Florida. Don taught me to appreciate Polka music, and taught me a number of Polish words, even teaching me to count from 1 to ten. "Yeden, Dva, etc.." The Polish immigrants like the Italians andmost immigrants during the early 20th century, came to this country for a better life. Unlike today, many of them attended night school in order to become more familiar with the English language and the customs of their new country. The graphic above is an example of the mark these wonderful people made in the city of Trenton. Wenczel Tile, N.J. Porcelain, and I'm sure many others were responsible for the success to those of Polish extraction.
