Document text
1. LIVING LORE
/1R
Wheeler
January 1939
Paper 5 A
)95
Carrying on record of interviews with Gor Svenson, Swedish
born American lobsterman who for most of his adult years was a
qar'iy1nan in Rockport and Gloucester* Mass.
not.
"It is now that I do not care whether the fire alarm blows or
used like go fire. I only go over Rockport fire once. But
I down in Rockport then visit feller. Used always go fire Pigeon Cove
when not working. They got whistle on tool company. Somebody ring
box therets a fire, whistle goes tool company so many times. Different
box different times. No fireman right there to go like some places.
ei3 when whistle goes those firemen live near run to fir tation, Carl
Storey has store* he drives engine. They do hot wait till other fellers
come* They go right then to box number of times whistle.
"other fellers drive that box there own oar* or get out in street*
stop °Pr* somebody else take them. They get to fire pretty quick, that
Pigeon Cove fireman, and they put right out quick, too* I used go all
time, like see put out fire. Month two months sone one night eight nine
otolock hear whistle, I count. Right near. I think* Box corner Curtis
Street, Stockholm Avenue. Run out of house* meet other feller* he say
box whistle down Pigeon ftill Street. Go box I say* nobody there, go box
he say, nobody there* too. Lot automobiles* though* go both ways* I
yell to fellers "Hey* Wherets fire, harrOt He yells 'Fires in stove:44
FUnny feller, he thinks. Not funny I think. I wait long time* dontt
see nothing* Don't see fire engine. Dontt see fire.
"I go home, there maybe almost hour* whistle goes one* two, means
no more fire* bring engine back to station. Pretty soon I hear fellers
go by house* I go out see. I dontt want say* 4Where was fire* bared
Feller might say maybe* 'Fire was in stot%.4 But I don't want them lust
go by know nothing* too. So I say* You find fire* harr?4 And feller
tell me. Just was little fire in school -house down Storey Street* maybe
boys go in start fire. 80 I dontt go fire some more. No good go fire*
donit see fire.
Time 1 see firs Rockport 1 down Rockport visit feller* six seven
years gone summer time. Ilear whistle. Go outdoors'. Do not need count
whistle. Gan see fire. Big firs. Down behind cemetery behind beach.
Old factory. Old isinglass factory. Burn like hell. burn too much for
Rockport firemen. Some feller send Gloucester more firemen. You know
bow long take Gloucester firemen got over here* harr? Take only five
minutes4 Stop anysameonets oar try go Gloucester from loop* say* 'No.
GO Long Beach) Stop car try go Rockport up hill near garage* May* 6No.
Go East Gloucester* Brier Neck.b No cars at all. Fire engines have
whole road himself. Only take five minutes.
"Cannot stop fire* but. Bb not let fire set anything more. I
watch till factory all burn gone. Everybody watch. Last part best. Roof
all gone then. Floors all gone. Two sides all gone. But one corner was
elevator. All gone but windlass and timber hold windlass. Jrst before
fire all burns timber burn and windlass fall. Funny see it fall.
"I would not like be firemen* barn l I like make dollar* two some.
time prt out forest fire. I ask Johnliartim4 fire -warden* could help
prt ort fire sometime be say* libaybe.1 One time there is fire over Wood.
brry Rill between Niekerson's Pit and Folly Clove. Lot hot days before
no rain. Brrsh burn quick. Right down near all houses Folly Covey I go
over fire* think I get job fifty cents hour* got give me job* got give
somebody job* put out fire* save houses. I go over fire* say* 4Give MA
job, harr? Feller say* 4.No. I think maybe feller sorry he say* 4No.4
But wind change, wind die down* fire go out. I could not be fkreman,
any :lib. Lobsterman could not be fireman, could not get to fire before
fire out.
One time I see big fire in movies. Oil pits burn gone. They have
all pictures of it in movies. Yon can see. That was last time I go to
movies* harr4 That was seven* eight year ago feller give me ride Salis-
bury Beach. We spend all day there. They got thing you ride go up slow
go down fast* too fast. They got thing you go in they cover you up* can't
see nothing. They got places you put pennies in see all kinds everything.
After we stay there long time we go movies. I do not like movies so good.
I think I not go again, ham.
"Young fellers think they got go movies all time, go swimming go
ball game. I go ball game one time. C/razy. Bunch fellers out there hot
sun hit ball with stick* some time don't hit* run all around. NO ball
game in Sweden. Never go ball game more time* me. Something else crazy
do go swimming. All time young fellers want go swimming. Go down Folly.
Go down Front Beach. ao over quarry hole Halibut Point. That something
I do not even some time. I have been on Cape almost it is forty year* not
one time I have been swimming. In Sweden people do not get swimming. It
is era
"One thing I never do* but, I think I like to do even. One summer
over Folly Cove they taw what is call speed -boat* go on top of water very
quick for half -dollar. I would like to go on that speed -boat on top of
water. would not pay that feller half -dollar to give me ride on that
boat* herr. I would not pay him nothing. But I would ride on it, harr4"