Document text
LIVING LORE
Wheeler
Taiiibir 31.-1938
Paper 1.
A record of a series of interviews with a Swedish -born American
who was for most of his adult years a quarry -worker in Gloucester
(Bay View and Lanesville) and Rockport, Massachusetts and who is now
engaged in lobstering. The thoughts, opinions, reminiscences are al-
ways those of the informant. The word -pattern is as far as possible
also his. No attempt has been made to record the Scandian dialect.
The full effect of the informant's virgin prose Can be achieved however
by reciting the material in quotes in muffled somewhat petulant tones
while sitting on the end of a teeter -board in a driving rainstorm.
Material in parenthesis is offered by the field -worker for purposes of
clarification.
NAME OF INFORMANT: Gor Svenson
Age: 62
DESCRIPTION: Tall, stooped, addled and harassed. High boots, corduroy
trousers, lumberman's shirt, one gallus.
This material is vitally factual. It's publication accompanied by
any identification of the informant would unquestionably injure him
socially and economically. If pressed both the informant and the field
worker will deny ever having heard of each other.)
Lore Wheeler Paper 1
2
Ths interviews reported were conducted in the kitchen, of the ix-
formantts bens* a two -storey frame building rented at fifteen dollars a
month, heated by throe wood -stoves, lit by kerosene lamps and watered
by a well seventy-five feet away. There were no storm windows and one
tenf+by eight inch pane of glass was missing from a window which over-
looks the small plot of land where would be the informantta vegetable gar-
den* if he thought a garden worth -while* which he doeantt. Stuffed in the
gaping hole were a dozen copies of the eloueester Daily Times* a local orm
g'f enlighteanamet. Under the kitchen table is a new pane of glass which
the informant will doubtless insert in the window ,when he gets around to
it, MtItch will not be soon.. The stove was warm and very Daisy. On it was
invariablan old fashioned coffe-pot. From it coffee was constantly be-
ing poured. Sometimes the supply of liquid got low and more water was add*
Sometimes the brew was a little thin* and more coffee was tossed in. The
stuff was served with evaporated milk and tasted like the devil. On a good
many of the visits there were several cans of beer on the table. The beer
tasted very good.
Present from time to time as the interviews proceeded were the in-
formaxtts widowed sister* late-fiftyish* happy* busy and voluble; the in-
ferneutte unemployed nephew* mid-thirtyish* morose* lethargic and frequent-
ly witty; and the informantts five cats) to none of which the field -worker
took a fancy,
LIVING. WW1
Wheeler
alinary 1939
y, I
I ol
Paper 2•
Continuing record of interviews with Gor Svensono 62, Swedish -born
American lobsterman who for most of bis adult years was a quarry -worker
in Gloucester and Rockport, Noss.
_
ak la -lit
/Sometime maybe I get sense. &motile* I remember before, not after.
Sometime right off I say, "Nol" But I won't. A hundred times I make up
my mind* Bit it do no good. Feller canes arount• says, *Herols ticket
Irish sweepstakes. Maybe get a hundred thousand dollars. I buy. Feller
comes arena' says, "Here's ticket treasury balance. Maybe make two three
thousand dollars. Finn feller down. Stockholm Avenue he make five hundred
dollars one two week ago fifty cent ticket." I buy. Feller canes &roux'
says, "Came on now, play nigger pool. Any number you want. Play only
penny a day. Maybe make five dollars." I give him nickel every day, my
number used be my nation. book.. What I wing Nothing. It*r nothing.
"So I say myself, all through, never ate some more. I keep Irieh
sweepstakes money, I keep treasury balance nigger pool money. I don't get
something I ain't got. Bit what 1 got Istill got. But last summer feller
camas arottal says, "I got ticket forty -foot cabin cruiser 'Sea Dog'. Con-
solidated Ship Company build. Go over Hart's Boat-honse, Gloucester look*
Go fifteen knots. All money goes for Theband sad Bluenose. Everything on
level. Only dollar." So I by. I give him dollar. I say wself, *Pretty
good win boat. No more rent. Live on boat. All time. Go Florida like
summer people. But I donikt get boat. Nobody get boat. Still over that
Hart's Boat -house. RPOO all over. Bluenose beat Theband. Nova Scotia
feller Waters go home, get married Neva Scotia woman, yams& plump. Some-
2
body got my dollar4
kRaver make money gamble but once.
when I take oar* kangazoo,
t^nd
Living Lore %mole?
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LIVING LORE
Wheeler
January 1939
Paper 3.
4/1/3 7
Continuing reeord of interviews with Gor Sveneon4 62* Swedish -born
lobstermax who for most of his adult years was a quarry -worker in Glow:30sta
and Rockport* Mass. The last account closed with'. Svonson setting
out on a steamer from San Francisco to New York. OWMgr refused to di.
cuss that trip. GroUndss he didn't enjoy remembering it. Further* it
appears that after arriving in New 'fork he shipped on a sailing vessel to
Sweden* returned to his home village* remained for a period with his par.
outs and then came back to this country* again to, New York. The good max
insists that be discussed this meandering in detail during one of his
seances with the field -worker. He didn't.
"I tell you. I toll you this feller Roosevelt he knows what he is
talking* yes* he knows. They do net fool him* nobody does. Henry* Henry
my nephew* he does not know anything* be says people do not want to go to
He does not know anything. Roosevelt* I tolyr en, knows. People
don't want what does that matter? I don't want* you don't want* Henry
don't want Harrl He toll that Congress what* I tell you. He says get
big soldiers* get big sailors* we gotta have war. Sure we have. That
Hitler he's a crazy max, All the Germans are orazy I know Germans when
I gm in New York. They are all crazy. whey don't know what they want.
The French they are crazy* too. I have seen the French. The place where
mn living in New York there is a Frew); feller. lie is crazy. '611 the
time he is crazy. Hitler and the French. That is the trouble. Hitler
and the French and the English. They want war. We will have to fight
them. What do English think they are* anyway? They are crazy. They have
to have everything. No matter where I go around the world they got Eng-
lish there. Theytro crazy. Look at the papers. Hitler, the French and
the English they try to start war couple months ago about some plait* no-
body ever beard of. You never heard of it. I newer hoard of it. Henry
my nephew he is crazy but he never heard of it, too. I tell you. That
Roosevelt is right. We got have war. We got go fight Hitler, the French
and the English or they came over hero and beat up everybody. Thatts
what they do. Weill lick that, I bet. America and Sweden, that's the boat
fighters in the world
"1 know those Germans• I tell you. if,
hr 4-
Nr) 1/4.1
interviews with Gor Svenson, 63*
rican lobsterman who for most of
Rockport and Gloucester, Mass.
last nights There was big fight
k morning. So much noise you
all over Cape. So much noise you.
think maybe John Spates, Jimmie Quinn local gendarmes field -worker
come throw them all Salem jail rest of life i Shout* swear, throw rocks,
throw bottles, throw kerosene lamp, wonder no set fire to place. Bunch
fellers got place over Pine Pit, stone house made from grout the most
worthless of the granite field -worker The boys makes the young
boys make for play house, but the big fellers take, hung around, play
cards, drink, fight, sometime maybe take girl there, I don't know. But
last night they have big fight. They play cards and one feller he don't
like way other feller plays so first those two fellers fight* then pretty
soon all the fellers fight. Big noise, I tell 70114
Paper 7.
2/44i
Proceeding with account of interviews with Gor Svenson, 63#
he had a birthday Swedish -born American lobsterman who for most of
his adult years was a quarryman in Rockport and Gloucester, Mass.
"By gosh, you should been here last night1 There was big fight
over Curtis Street, two, three o'clock morning. So much noise you
think they hear all over Pigeon Cove, all over Cape. So much noise you
think maybe John Spates, Jimmie Quinn local gendarmes field -worker
come throw them all Salem jail rest of lifel Shout* swear, throw rocks,
throw bottles* throw kerosene lamp* wonder no set fire to place. Bunch
fellers got place over Pine Pit, stone house made from grout the most
worthless of the granite field -worker The boys make, the young
boys make for play house, but the big fellers take* hang around* play
cards, drink, fight* sometime maybe take girl there, I don't know. But
last night they have big fight. They play cards and one feller he don't
like way other feller play, so first those two fellers fight* then pretty
soon all the fellers fight. Big noise* I tell you4
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