Document text
STATE
NAME OF WRYER
AntmEss
DATE
SUBJECT
Forms to be Filled out for Each. Interview
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
New York
Frank Byrd
224 West 135th Street, N.Y.C.
March 1, 1939
Pullman Porters' Holiday
1. Date and time c' interview
2. Place of interview
3. Name and address of informant
4. Name and address of person, if any, wno put you in
touch with informant.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
Pullman Porters' recreation room. Billiard tables,
lunch counter, bulletin boards, card tables and
small lending library.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms, each
bearing the proper heading and the number to which the material refers.)
FORM C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
STATE New York
NAW OF WORKER Frank Byrd
ADDRESS 224 West 135th Street, N.Y.C.
DATE March 1, 1939
SUBJECT A Pullman Porter's Holiday
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
The boys are sitting around recounting incidents of travel,
mapping slightly exaggerated stories of their successes in Den-
ver, Chicago or East St. Louis with various bevy of teasing browns
or sleek, well-grammed high yallers. When time hangs too heavy,
they play a hand or two of poker, black -jack or tonk. The fol-
lowing is an example of typical conversation.
"I heard they got a pretty good game down at the Straight-
away Club."
"Yeah, the Rhythm and Symphony too."
"Thinkin about sittin in?"
"How you fixed for bender?" (money)
"Not so hot. I got a V note." (65)
"Chickenfeed."
"Maybe chicken feed you, but damn if it taint beans and
greens to me and my ole lady."
Nell let's take a gander at a couple of these join-cs and
see whatspppin."
"Mit this lousy hand wid a six spot. Never had such a run
of tough luck in my life."
"Dot's you' funeral, ol man."
"Stop beef in so much. You oughta hear my story. Make you
cry lak whore at her old mans hanging."
"Cut the gum-beatin ol Lane and bet -up or shut up. You
niggers is worse than a lot of ol womens."
"You talk too much outa yo' mouth."
"Yeah if you had as much money as you got mouth, you wouldn't
need to play no damn cards."
"Take that card, ol nigger. It was off the deck. I seen it."
"You're a black lie, you didn't."
"To hell you say1 It was a six of spades."
"Eoueman, you heard what he said. All right, I got a hard
fifteen to bit. That makes me a pat 21. So take 'em all in.
Every living human."
"All right, git down
man works on time. My ol
*Well house, give me
boys. This ain't no funeral. The house
lady got to eat too."
a blind." (free bet)
"Dis is a five dollar game. You ain't bought no five bucks
worth of chips."
"Gimme a blind anyhow. I done bought enough chips in dis damn
game to take twenty niggers off relief. Somebody better gimlme some
,nt or break dis joint up."
"Like hell you will. They'll be takin you outa here in pieces
if you come startin any stuff in here. Go on home and ask your old
lady for some
"Leave my ol lady out of it. I'll euta couple of stripes on
you ass."
"You better git your self a scythe then. Ai n't no swithblade
in the world sharp enough to cut this hide."
-3
"Dabs what you say. I'll cut yo' ass so fas' you'll think
I'm a damn chopping machine."
"That's a lie an' you know it. An duh Lawd don't love ugly."
*Well boys, thanks for the little collection. The
bless you for dis. Now I guess my ol lady kin git dat fur coat
she's been pestering me about."
"Gees, ol man, now dat you won all the money, how about
sendin me to my dinner?"
"Hell, I wouldn't give a crip a crutch nor a bitch a bone."
"I give you some money in Mephis once."
"That just goes to show what a foil you is. Who but a fool
would give ms any money. Everbody knows I'm out on a strict
hustle. So let that be a lesson to you. Never hip a square or
feed a fool. Let him learn it the hard way."
"Wall lend ma a red (250) then."
"I'll die first."
"Den I guess I'll have to take it."
"Dats' de only way you'll git it. An den it'll be over
my dead body."
"HuhI You don' know me. Hungry as I is, I'd take some
'n' offa Davey."
"01 son, you a black lie and you don't love yo' Jesus.