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LIVING LORE
2/ 7/-?
Wheeler
.January 39.
Paper 6.
Resuming the account of a series of interviews with Gor Svenson,
Swedish -born American lobsterman who for most of his adult years was a
quarry -worker in Rockport and Gloucester, Massachusetts.
'You know, I never think of it until I am over there. I am in
Gloucester two three hours when all at once I stop, I say, 4Gor, you have
not been Gloucester four, five years.) Here I am live over Rockport.
Gloucester only five miles away. Many times I have days 1 do nothing.
Harr, weeks I do nothings Many times I have one' two dollar I can spend.
Bflt 1 do not go to Gloucester for four* five years until day before yes-
terday. There was old feller once down to Cove stop, talk to me while
I fix my pots. You know what he said? He said he pretty much eighty years
old, harr, and never once been off the Capes American feller, that feller.
Born here, that feller. Right on Granite street. Been Rockport. Been
Lanesville. Been Bay View, Rocky Neck* Annis cram. Hundred times been
Gloucester. Not once Boston. Not even Lynn, Beverly Manchester ever.
say that old feller, I say* 4Why you don't go Gloucester some time on
bus, walk down by statue of fisherman, walk over bridge? Then you can
say, "Well* by gosh* once my life I get off Gape?" Why you do not do
that, hare Maybe somebody give you ride.) Old feller shake his head.
Would not want to do that. Would not want to go over ,bridge. Would not
want he corild say, 'Well, by gosh4 once my life I get off Cape) Its
fellers get off Cape. That old feller tell me he rather say, 4I born on
Gape, live eighty years on Cape, never once get off Capell
"I get ride over Gloucester myself day before yesterday. I am
coming home from Cove two three O'clock, young l'inn feller try be plumb-
er* his car is stuck corner Phillips Avenue. Something is wrong with
starter. He say* iHey* Gor* give me pnsh.4 I push ten* fifteen mi-
tes. Then everything is all right. Starter was stuck. Young Finn
feller say, Ilhaliks, Gor. Hey* got go Gloucester hardware store get
basin for new toilet I am putting in down Avenue for summer people. You
came Gloncester for ride* harr? I came right beck.' I get in car with
him and we go Gloucester. I wait in car while Finn feller go in bard
ware store* came right ont* say* 'By gosh, Gor* they got basin* but wrong
kind basin. Both hot, cold water should came out same tap. 37vmner
woman want that way. She Come down Saturday see I do job. She doesn't
like job* friend of her's won't give me job put in new toilet her place.
got go Salem right now get basin hot* cold water came out same tap. Yori
come with MO, Gor, come right back?4 I get out that Finn feller's cars
shake my bead. I say, 6Y011 go more than Salem, don't come right back,
find tap hot* cold water came out same times
"He is crazy, that Finn feller, I go get some beer. You get beer
everywhere Gloucester. No beer Rockport. No nothing Rockport but al-
cohol. Get alcohol Rockport
I Four, five years ago
we have beer in Rockport. Rockport always vote beer* but Pigeon Cove no.
They drink beer Pigeon Cove, but vote no. I always vote yes. Yes* beer.
Yes, whiskey. Doesn't do any good. No good vote at all* other fellers
vote other way. The beer I get Gloucester not very good. Weak, not
ml/ch taste. I drink one glass, and I say* 'Maybe something wrong with
pipe. M-ybe next glass be better.? I hpve another glass. No better.
Worse j I have third glass. I think* 4(aybe not much business. Maybe
old beer stuck in pipe. Now I get new beer out of barrel) Third glass
no good* too. I tell that bar -tender. I tell him that third glass no
good. I tell him all glasses no good. He says* 4What the horn You
don't have dribk it. Nobody bold your nosed I say, 'That right. I
don't drink no more beer that place.
go out, find other place. I
think I find other place. But I get out, feller stop car, ask *here is
post -office. I tell him I don't know. I know where old post -office is,
They
I tell him. Hut old post -office no more post -office. got new post
office now, Feller ask I know where new post -office is. I tell him no.
He tell me go to helli
4I do not lie that feller. I do not know where that new post -office
is. think myself, &Where is that new post -office, harr?' I walk up
Main Street by waiting station, I stop feller, say, 'Where is that new
podt-office?b Feller say, "Up behind City Hall." I go take loo.y_f_khat's
big building that post-offkee. That's fine building. When I look it
get sick almost my stomach. I tell you why. That• 's .granite building.
Good granite building. Rockport granite.
Come from Leonard Johnson's
Allarry over Pigeon Cove. Leonard Johnson Swede feller. Come from Sweden
poor fehler just like me. Work in quarry save money, get own quarry.
Bt that is not why I get sick almost my stomach. How far Providence,
harr? Eighty miles Providence, hnrr? All right. How far new post -office
from Leonard Johnson's quarry, harr? Five miles. ill right, either.
"In Leonard Johnson's quarry they out stone. Good stone. But do
they finish stone at that quarry? No, by gosh 4 nosy take that good stone,
ship on Peter Bernard's trucks all way Providence, finish stone Providence,
bring back aloncester4 Every stone go into post -office get nice ride
way to Providence* nice ride back4 You think that is right? You think
that is what they &mould do* harr? It makes me sic almost to my stomach4
"'No three weeks ago lots Swede quarry -fellers all excited. Used be
quarry fellers* I naam4 New lobster fellers like ne* fish fellers* WPA
fellers* nothing fellers. They go round everywhere, say, 'You know what
that Bates tell that Congress? He ten that Congress got a lot of money,
send to Rockport* finish breikomaterS Three* four hundred fellers get