Document text
ORP4IIAL MSS. OR FIELD NOTES (Cheek one)
PUB. Livin( 404, in New Ifteg‘lezd
_cRingssebneet.4)
Wu George *go flukes 044.101vAnn
111111IR
Rosalie Oath
sot 009 Its
MUER
11012038 um co.
7
Berkshire Berner
gorge bodge Unkee
9dd Job Man.
STATE Massachusetts
NAME OF WORKER Rosalie Smith
ADDRESS Peru, Massachusetts
DATE January 24, 1939
SUBJECT Living Lore
NAME OF INFORMANT George Dodge
ADDRESS Worthington, Massachusetts
Mr. Dodge was lying on the studio couch reading the 4marican
Magazine, his bull dog curled up asleep beside him, when we finally
found him home. His bachelft son, John, was in the kitchen finishing
the supper dishes.
Three years ago, shortly after his wife died, Mr. Dodge said,
"No, I won't have any hired woman fussing around the house, trying to
take Martha's place." The townspeople thought he would change his
mind, but still, after three years of owning home from work to
a cold house, unmade beds and an empty table (except when there wasn't
time to do the breakfast dishes) no other woman has "fussed around
the house, trying to take Martha's place." Not that it wouldn't be
less e xpensive to have a hired woman, for he readily admits that they
could easily save her wages on home -baked cakes, pies and bread,
instead of bakery food.
Since the death of his wife, Mr. Dodge's bull dog, Vickie", has
been his most constant companion. She sleeps in his bed not ON it,
but crawls down to the foot or up on the pillow, whatever her wish may
be, and sits near his chair at the table. If in a playful mood she
carries off one of his socks or destroys the newspaper "She's only
a dog and doesn't know any better," he says. A housekeeper may not
be essential, but a dog is.
Berkshire Berner
George Dodge Yankee
Odd Jo 6 Man
STATE Massachusetts
NAME OF WORKER Rosalie Smith
ADDRESS Peru, Massachusetts
DATE January 24, 1939
SUBJECT Living Lore
NAME OF INFORMANT George Dodge
ADDRESS W orthington, Massachusetts
With undefeatableness, charaoteristic of the Yankees, and
despite his seventy years and a poor heart, Mr. Dodge, &won and
carpenter by trade,continues to work whenever the opportunity
arises.
Of medium stature, with a ruddy complexion that reflects a
healthy life in the open, anooth shaven and with kindly brown eyes,
Mr. Dodge's speech is slow, mild and pleasant and it seems that he
weight each word, ounce for ounce. He never bellows as many country
people do, when you sometimes think they have forgotten that they
are talking to a person instead of yelling at the old grey mare.
There is actually more inflection in Mr. Dodge's eyes than in his
voice. At any surprising statement made, and often when he asks a
question, he elevates his eyebrows a half inch.
Although Mr. Dodge has lived in the small town of Worthington
(population 500) his entire seventy years --except for one winter
spent in the South he is not restricted by environment. He keeps
up with current events, spends much of his spare time Zeading worth-
while books, enjoys company (be is a good listener as wellies an
interesting conversationalist) and it is doubtful if anyone was ever
in his house at meal time who was not urged to stay. He attends
almost every country fair in the vicinity of his home town, oc-
casionally goes to the movies, enjoys eating out and is well aware
of the fact that a napkin is a napkin and not a handkerchief in-
advertently left by the last patron as one hill towner is said to
have thought.
Berkshire Borner
George Dodge Yankee
Odd Job Man
STATE Massachusetts
NAME OF WORKER Rosalie Smith
ADDRESS Peru, Massachusetts
DATE January 24, 1939
SUBJECT Living Lore
NAME OF INFORMANT George Dodge
ADDRESS Worthington, Massachusetts
Mr. Dodge's self-appelatian of "hayseeds is hardly suitable,
for beneath the rough overalls and weatherbeaten face there is a
quiet dignity and refinement. Candor is undoubtedly one of his
most outstanding characteriatics. Be is very apt to tell a person
what he thinks without waiting for the individual to be out of
ear shot. He is somewhat lacking in tact and suavity, but at
any rate, he is honest. He is typical of the old Yankee residents
of the Berkshire Hills, independent, self-reliant, earnest and
quiet. To the outsider, Mr. Dodge may appear taciturn, difficult
to know and approach. To those who understand him, he is friendly,
kind-hearted and, s incere.
nment: Aortnington, ivass.
Title: idvink, IJore stuuy Topic: jr. George odge
r..,Jodge settiea down in his old armchair, puffing a cigar
and affectionately btzoking Lickie, his oull dog, who snored
lustily in his lap. "Well, I guess I'm a Yani%:ee all right. Ly
father's people were some of the first settlers in old Deerfield.
4 mother's pole came here in 1700 and many of them settlea in
esterfield.
ArvaL: oorn in ,,orthington, on a small scrabble farm
of aoout one hundred acres. e were poor. Ly father ekeu out a
living the oest way he coula ibr there was no way of earning a dollar.*
uie hear a great ueal of fusing aoout how hard times are these
Lays out it isn't half as oad as when I was young. Why this de-
pression is nothing comparea with the depresion right after the
ivi1.ar. in 1.676 there were the hardest times I ever saw. 1J:hat
was ihE great aepression. There was hardly any money in circulation.
o Ousiness was oeing clone. men worked for fifty cents a day
sometimes less if they could get any work. The roads were full
of people tramping who b_uidn't find anything to do. Ihese tramps
they weren't real tramps, out rather poor people trying to find
work iollowed the railroaa mostly; out once we counted seventy-
five who passed oy our house in only a few hours. hotning was done
to help iaopie then. 'Ihere were no subsidies from the state or
national government, although a few oecame town charges and that
was one of the big expenses of the town at that time. some of the
tramps oegged along the way and were feu, out none were ever
arrested for vagrancy.
Aosalie c,mith
Title: Living Lore 8tudy
Page 2
Assignment: 'ibrthington, Lass.
Topic: Lr. George Dodge
"At that time my mother had a home dairy and 60iU cutter for
twelve cents apound and we hau a sugar orchard and wade sugar
for six and seven cents a pound. Ly mother also raised a flock
of turkeys that brought only twelve and fourteen cents a pound
dressed. That w s practically all the income we had. Those were
very hard times. The (-1.pression lastea --seven or eight years.
Things didn't get oetter until along in the 80's.
"4 mother made all of our clothes, even theil-em's suits and
overcoats. I never had a ready-made suit until I was sixteen.
..,other wade suits and overcoats for other people sometimes though
it wasn't very profitaole. They paid her only 41.00 or 4;1.50 for
her work.
"limes weren't half as easy for people then i:t6 now. Loney
w -s scarce aria we had no modern farm equipment to wake work easier.
lou didn't get far from home very often, for when you wade a trip
it took time and a lot of trouoie. acn little group of neighoors
wade a coialmunity by tnewseives, d-ing things for each other and all
enjoying the same kind of good times.
"They had lyceums every winter in the aistrict where I lived;
anu they used to gather every school house full (over a hunared
people sometimes) to discuss the different problems of the day.
The townspeople hua regular debates from the platform and a committee
aeciued who won. Those lyceum meetings were Q-Jout the only enter-
tainment we had except church. 0nce in a while they had kitchen
i\ame: £S.O salle mith
aitle: Living Lore 6tudy
Page 3
Assignment: Worthington, Lass.
Topic: iv,r. George -Jodge
dances, out they didn't have orchestras like they do now. They
only had an old fashioned violin player. The lyceums were one
of the places where the young men used to take their 'best girls'.
"You know when I was young,uoys were s tisfied with very little.
If I went to the cattle show and haa ten cents I thought it was a
lot. Live a boy ten cents toaay and he doesn't think it's anything.
ine present generation nave too much. ahey don't appreciate any-
tning. They ye come to the ena. There's no thrill left in anything.
They're more discontented. e hud to work hapd and we didn't have
all of the modern conveniences they have nowadays, out I think
we were more hapoy. It isn't that I disapprove of advancement
for I nave electricity here at the farm, a
electric washing machine, running water, a
son owns a car. It is only that I believe
triouted to the aisc,Jntent of the present generation.
furnace, a raclio, an
path room and my
such things nave con
"Young people didn't drink or smoke when I was young. The young
men mint take a glass of hara cider once in a while out there was
no heavy drinking like there is nowadays. rij.eople were mighty
strict wnen I was a ooy. on Eaturday night we always had to begin
to Keep .-:,unday.
Eunday was from sun -down 6aturuay ni At until sun-
u0Wii unciuy nigilt. y ranwilother, who lived with us, was very
strict. lf any or Lib went out to play L,aturuay night she woula say
to my f 'Edwin, you get those ooys right in here.' We couldn't
Fage 4:1
Aame: El.os lie bmith Assignment: aorthington, Lass,
litle: Living Lore tudy lopic: mr. eore _Jode
even work on oundays. They had a lot of respect for the 6aboath
in tho-e days. .iilmost everyone went to church. It was a meeting
time for the townspeople ana after church they got.together and
talked. i,a)w they Lola meetings only once a year in the church I
attended. They've lost 60 much that is important. anu worthwhile.
uon't suppose it could oe helped. Life just speeded up and the
young people speeded up with it, out it's too bad. I'm glad I
lived my life in calm,:r days weren't easy days, but they were a
lot happir to ny mind."
Mr Dodge was lost in thought. There was a faint smile on
his wrinkle face as he sat pntting Mickie and thinking faraway
and long ago thoughts. It was time to go. Mr Dodge was seeing
things we never knew.