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1-3RIDowpe)k-tir°1
1-.K.RUSSO
MAR 8 Ad
INTli.NIEe wITH 'r:R.7!. A., CLINTUa AVENUE SURVEY.
The writers interviewed a resicent of one of the ramsnacklfe.,
six -family tenements on lower Clinton Avenue. We knocked at the door
one of the two downstair flats. A.aroman of about thirty two (probably
younger) opened the door, we began explaining our measons for being there,
but she interrupted us to say, "won't you please come in." we stepped in-
to a small, dark living room (about 10 by 10). Along the wall there was
an old couch with a faded tan cover, on which a mmall boy was lying. Des-
pite our protests, the mother insisted that he get up* saying, "(iive the
ladies a seat." She explained to us that he had a cold and that she had
kept him out of school for the day. A little girlof-about three years
came in from the bedroom, sniveling. "She's got a cold, too," her mother
said. "The baby," aae continued, nointing to a rocker in the corner where
the child was being violently rocked by Mrs. A's young sister, "has been
sick off and on, now, for three weeks. She has a fever one day, and the
next day it goes, and then comes back again. If she don't get better soon,
1'11 have to call the doctor. 7he's cutting teeth now, too. That make her
worse."
The room in which we were sitting was furnished with one straight
back chair, a rocker of tne old type, a player piano somewhat battered
and with rolls stacked on top, and a round fragile table in the center of
the floor. Between the two window‘i stood a cabinet radio an old type.
The floor was covered by the most threadbare carpet we have ever seen. on
the table had been placed a lamp which was connected to the electric socket
suspended from the ceiling directly above it. Stringy curtains hung dankly
at the windows. There was no color in the room; the wallpaper was dark, with
1amdle pattern. It was soiled, and torn in several places. The woodwork,
once green, had been painted with thin coats of grey.
The woman tola us that she had four rooms. From where we were
sitting, we could see that r.iwirwitali.road flat. The bedroom, which led
Page 2. Interview with tire. A. Clinton Survey
off the living room, had but one window, and was just large enuugh to hold
double bed, a bureau, and a baby's crib. A bright linoleum covered the
floor. This room and the kitchen, also visible from the living room, were
clean and neat. The kitchen vas bright and more cheerful than the other
two rooms. It had been paintod bright groan and buff. An old typo mashing
machine stood in the corner. Ars. A. told us that there was a small bed
room to the ream*, this we did nut Imo. She also talc* us that each family
had its own toilet ta the hall. we asked her if there was a bath in the
flat, and she replied somewhat rasfully, °No such luck around here."
"I pay thirteen dollars a month for this or rather, this city
poys it now --you *se, I'm on city relief, we've been off and on relief
for the pant six years. My husband is on the siek list bo was on v.P.26.
but he couldn't work. Ho has high blued pressure and waves. He works next
door, at the Beacon Grill cleaning up every morning, for about two hours.
He gets two dollars a week. Bofors we were married he used to work at
bassiokls; sines then he's done odd jobs, but he can't do much cause he's
sick. HO gets attacks about twicso a month. when he does you can't hold
him it's his nerves. He'll beat his hoed against the wall. It started
six years ago with headaches. The doctor said he has a brain clot, when
he gets siekloi pour cold water on his heed so the bloud will go down. He
mould be operated on, but the doctor says therOls On. chime* in a huadrod.
hy husband would rather go along this way. liou so*, he's blind in one *ye
and the operation might make him loss the other. The doctor told us *bout
a hospital they call it an institution, 'hors they keep thou in sold
baths. They have men taking car* of those, become the nurses can't hold
then down. They're afraid. I'm not afraid of My Own man when he gets that
way. I used to bo,but not now. I got used to it. What can you do? You
have to get used to it. The last time my husband got sick, he was so bad
I sailed the doetOr my parish priOst paid for it. I didn't have no money
to pay for a doctor." She spoke in a straight forward mown*, with no
self pity or complaint.
In addition to the rent, she told us that the city paid for
gas and electrisity„ and supplied coal and mood. "They don't nave to
give us nmeh mood my husband helps the man upstairs bring in his
wood, and he gives us some. I got clothing for the kids, milk, bread,
and a food basket."
is asked whether she received any money from the city. Shs
said, *Moo just food. They deliver oy bon, and broad and milk. My
husband used to go for it, but the last tie* he vent he got sisk, sad
they had to bring his home. I get sixties* breads a meek it day
old broad; twee quarts of milk a day; two pounds 4 -butter a mO4k; one
and a half dozen eggs a week; two and a half pounds of sugar; a dome
oranges; four pounds apples; a peek of potatoes; five sans of tomatoes
sometimos four we're supposod to get five. *Wary two weeks I get
a pound of booze and a pound of °horn regular store *hoses. Lard
I get ones in a while never any special time; flour, too not rogu-
larly. Sometimes a big bag sometimots a little one. I bake for the
411111.111P
Children Iona* them oak*. and cookies they like that. I got a
four pound bag of salt about one* every six months. I never got pepper
ones sines I've been on tne city. well, I **pose they figure it only
costs five oasts and you ean buy it.'
we asked if hhe got any fresh vegetables. She shook her head.
**thin' like that. I do get a moat shook for 900 ivory week. you
get this son* things all the time,. LOU can't conplato.14
Mrs. A. told us she had cons to Bridgeport nine years ago
from tall River, massachusette. She was born there, of French Gonadial&
parents. Hor husband, also trench -Canadian, had cone to the eity from
Lowell, Mass. Asked why she same to Bridg000rt„ she said, "Well, my
brother cam* hero first, and moot* us tholes more lots of jd)s here.
So my sister and I came down first, and then the root of tho family
case. In pall River, I worked in the cotton mills on the looms.
Mow a lot of the mills have moved out of tall River and Lawronso. They're
Page 4. Interview with mrs. A., Clinton Ave. Survey.
sharging too mush taxes, I guess. That's why the mills have to move out.
ly first job in Bridgeport was at the Bryant Slectrie. 1 worked there on
month, and thin I loft. why? You moo l's stubborn. There were five girls
om the job. They couldn't maks out it was piece work, and the prime
were out. se were only making 1.2. My cousin used to work on that jilb and
made #17.50. I could have aide out I was a fast worker, but I wouldn't
scab the job. Ths foreman offered to put ne on another machine, but I said
'10, you'll keep as here a couple of weeks and then fire mo.' So I milked
out. I didn't lam may time I went right to Hubbell's in the switch De.
partsoot. Bomotimos I worted plow, work but mostly day work. I mad*
twelve dollars a woe*. Tho job didn't pay much, but it ms satisfying. I
wortod forty04ight home a meek sometime fifty four, but we didn't get
any (mortis* pay. got married, and to between the babies I went back to
410bell's. The last tie* I worked there was a year and a half ago but
I had to give up bemuse of this me." She pointed to the youngest shad.
We asted her if she would go book to work if she souls! find
job, and she *Ramrod, "so, I can't leave the children, and I have to take
care of my siek husband."
She told us she had been marriod seven and a half years; she haa
four children, ages ranging from eighteen momtns to seven years. The two
oldost boys are la 'whoa.
fly husband worked in Bassisk's before we Imre married; year
after we got married he got sick. Girls are fenny, you tau, they wit
married, and they don't know what's going to hap. A Men of mime got
married a little while ago, and a month after her husband lost his job. They
didn't know."
Mrs. A. told us the house was maid by Peter Abromitis wno
OWAA the next door, six family tenement, and a twelve family tenement ea
Railroad Amos. "Be comas down from hifro York knee a week to eolloct rents.
This house is in such a wreck as it is, but he won't do anything. Just this
morning I wont through the toilet floor the high heel 05 my bedroom slippers
Page 5. Interview with mre. A., Clinton Ave. Survey.
vent right 1phrough the rotten boards. I told Abronaitis that he wouldn't
get away with it with me, lixe he did with Are. Moyer* upstairs. she fell
off the pack porch twee months ago, and died a few weeks later. 8he suf-
fered terrible. The rail gave way, and she fell twelve feet. They said it
was an accident, and wasn't the landlord's fault a car had hit the post
and weakened the porch. But she didn't knew she Just went out to hang
her clothes. The landlord should have fixed it. Sverything here is coning
apart. Wen the malls are falling down. YOU know there isn't one rest that
feart*OK, sons
pays the sane in these two houses. I pay thirteen some pay Maus
pay sore. Abronaitis wanted to raise my rent to fourteens but I told him
'You won't get more for this dump I won't pay it, and I know the city
won't they'd he foolish if they did.' I told kin, "eon wouldn't live
in this house. why don't you have your wife cone and spend s couple of
weeks in this house, and see howashOld like it'. He's °leaned this plass
Just one. in three years. He gave us the paper and paint for this roost
and my Weigand did the work and he didn't pay us for doing it, either.*
She potato& bikini the plane. *se didn't have enough to paper behind there.
She landlord wouldn't hey any More paper and we didn't want to put some-
thing different on.*
She told us that her two ehildren attended Baiht Anthony's Paro-
chial Sehool. *That's Father Jalbert's parish. The school le growing
there are eight grades now, and they have about forty benches in each oleos.
You pay fifty cents a year for the first grade that's for paperopencils,
and books too. /Cu pay if you can. rt's st dollar or a dollar and a half
in the higher grades. I paid fifty cents for ny boy last year, but I can't
pay anythtng this year. They teach this tremik in school and I Speak
French to the children at has. They don't like to speak it 'misuse the
other children tiloy play with don't speak it. Hut I don't answer this if
they speak Saglish to as. That's how I keep the children in trim with it.*
we asked her about her neighbors. Pour ant of the six families
this house are on relief. in the next house, four are on renal,
Page 6. IntervIllw with Mrs. A., clinton Ave. Survey.
me family is on half relief half work. Across the strO. aHaNgPrlea
the woman is a widow, and the boy 4ust gat beak free a CC step.
There are quite a few rribnish Osimodiang cm this street, and Roumanians, and
Rutheniana, and all like that. I nave friends along the street, and in
the nest end. I meet then is the stores not to say visiting so much;
they all have large families and are pretty busy. I don't get out much.
Ono* in a while I go to a show not down town it costs too mush. up
here you can take in a show for ten or fifteen cents. 'doe I go out my
husband takes eare of the kids. Z go to Baby Showers --I try to keep up
with them, even if I ean only bring something for twenty -fire cents. I
know that if I do that, when my turn comes next* they'll help me. We
have some Anglish women, and all kinds* but mostly Frtensh."
It was getting late. As we were ready to leave, we notieed an
instrument on the piano, and enquired about it. It was a soncertina. She
took it down. °My husband plays it he can play the piano, toe. He
learnt by himself. I don't know bow to play it." She snowed us to the
door. "I hope you get what you're la -eking fore, she said graciously.
The children were very well behoved daring the interview. TbOY
were pale faced* neatly dressed in patebed, laundry faded clothes.
(Aodition: There was no hot water fatalities in this *parties*.
The flat is heated by the kiteben stove. In extreme weather, a small single
burner kerosene stove is used in the living roma. Oil for this stove, is
bought by Mrs. A.)