Document text
'aim_ leo' -/Q6:4
Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
FORM A
Circumstances cf Interview
STATE NEW YORK
NAME OF WORKER MARION CHARLES HATCH
ADDRESS 862 First Avenue
DATE November 1, 1938
SUBJECT ADVENTURES OF "TEE BARON" "DUTCH" VAN BRUDEN
1. Date and time of inter7iew
October 31, 1938 6 pm
2. Place of interview
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Office of Donald's Garage, 48th Street between 1st and 2nd Aves.
3. Name and address of informant
"Dutch" Van Bruden, also known as "The Baron". No permanent address. *Where
did you sleep last night?" I asked. "Dree den (310) dat's da spickeasy. Dat's
good. Some nights go dawn town. Dat costs a quarter. Somedimes in a private house
4. Name and addres3 of person, if any, wno put you in He collects rags for a junk
touch with informant. man located between 339 and
343 East 48th Street.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
Chauffeurs and mechanics came in and sat dawn and listened to "The Baro." tell
his stories. They all knew him and had heard the stories before, prodding him
from time to time when he left out details. The garage office fronts the side
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc. walk on the north side of 48th St.
It is a roam of about twelve by
twelve feet; there are over a
dozen chairs about the room, touch-
ing each other. Chauffeurs waiting:
for calls, or otherwise putting in
time, sit about and chat.
(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.)
STATE
NAME OF WORKER
ADDRESS
DATE
SUBJECT
FORM
Personal History
f Informant
NEW YORK
MARION CHARLES HATCH
862 First Avenue
November 1, 1938
ADVENTURES OF "TEE BARON"
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
1. Ancestry
German. "No, no, I'm not a baron. My andoestors were barons, I sed.*
2. Place and date of birth
Germany, 1897.
Divorced from his wife when he
in my bed."
4. Places lived in, lath dates
Sailed the seven seas; has
years.
5. Education, with dates
He spent four years in a German naval
German ICK navy.
6. Occupations and accomplishments,
3. Family
with dates
came home and found "a colored fella laid
lived in New York off and on for several
school and eight years in the
He was a turbine engineer, but has held many other jobs on ships.
Now he is collecting rags, metal, paper fora junk dealer.
7. Special skills and interests
Speaks English brokenly, German, *Hollandish" and a little French.
8. Coutmunity and religious activities
9. Description of informant
Van Bruden is short, with chunky,
deteriorated although his face is
10. Other Points gained in interview
strong shoulders. His body hasn't
just beginning to show some of the ravages of
liq uor. He has horizontal lines on a broad,
square forehead. His small blue eyes are a
littlewatery from excesses. He has a strong
nose and his cheeks are a spotty red, lined.
He wears a soiled chauffeur's cap. Thep
half of his head is bald.
FORM C
Text of l'terview
STATE NEW YORK
NAME OF WCCAER MARION CHARLES HATCH
ADDRESS 862 Birst Avenue
DATE November 1, 1938
SUBJECT ADVENTURES OF "THE BARON"
(r,:ne0..;;Le:1
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
(Remark by a chauffeurs) Tell the one about being thrown in the river.
(The Baron starts: One Friday might, with Frenchie, I was drunking in a speakeasy
down on forty eighth street. So she invite us to go with her in the hallway and
have a good time. Und a we get chased out from the yanitor. So vell we walked
down on the waterfront. Und I supposed to be the first lover so I yoost try
to get on my arms. Two guys get ahold of me and drew me overboard. It was pretty
coold, September. Und dey drew rocks after me. Huh. The fellas was
in the mind I swim down de river, but they made a mistake. I swim round de barges, up
to forty ninth street. Dere were a couple of coal shovellers und de watchman picked
me up and start to bring Me to the hospital. He brought me in jail and locked me up
for fourteen days for being drunk. Dat's the truth. Frenchie was with me. Who were
the fellas that threw me in? Dey was also bum.
(Remark by a chauffeurs) If he starts to drink tonight that will be eight days
he will be drunk.
(Another chauffeurs) Remember, Dutch, don't forget to tell him the tine you took
to
the copper off the roof. You know the guy that told yoiltake the copper off the
roof?"
(The Baron:, Very little to say about that one. Veil, ah, it was on Monday.
Unda twolbllas, standin' on the corner, told me about the copper. So they hired me.
Page 24
Two other fellas hired me. So one says "Gonna pay you a cupla of dollars
to get that copper off the roof." Claimed one was a contractor. So I
°limed (with a short i) up and drew the copper off. Und they stole it off
me. Finally when I dried to get down the flower (floor) give in and I fall
from one 11 ight to the udder one and the udder one give in and I fall to the
next one. After grey, the cop, and they fixed me up with the club. Well le
let me goin dat was all. I tare it down ya know and they stole it. No they
didn't lock me up.
I was young cadet, through;the first time we went on land we yooked for a yurl.
After an eighteen months trip we like to have an action, you know, life.
Finally we found am. They told uns to go to und village und de ground floor
would be light on the ford window so we went there and we found the light
and the window. So de udder man was a big tall fella. I vas short compared
to his size. So we was fightin about whose the foorst one to climm in the
window. So he toold MB, "I'm de dollar one undyu da smeller one". Veil
I didn't agree wid him. Und I told him if I am the smaller one what's the
difference? After all, he vas the first one to stand ound my shoulder.
Be knocked und da window, a great big, heavy farmer grabbed him by the
window (general laughter. Voice: "It was the wrong house, seel") Und beat
him up yid a club til the collar bust and he fall down. Dat's the hull story.
Den we beat it. That was tuff story. He had him by the neck. (Demonstrates).
(Chauffeur:) How is it about your wife, Dutch? Dates a long story.
(Another) Oh, Butch, tell him about Hotcha.
(Chauffeur:) How you come to be a bum:, that's all.
(Dutch:) Yoost how it happened to OOMB on the bum/
"Yes".
(Dutch continues): Veil I gonna tell. Depression broke out. Und so I took
Page 3.
a whale boat to Soud Africa. After a twenty two munts drip I coon up in my
house und a colored fella laid in my bed. Veil I didn't bodder da man at all.
I told him to balk out. Veil den I Jost my business and house. Then got
separated for non support. I vent twice to yail for six months and
then I was legally separated.
How I got ball headed, you know? (takes cap off) Vas in March, nineteen
hoondred ninteen, shortly after the war. I yoost was cumin' from Scarpa
Flo% Scotland. Had a Norwegian liner. We went over to Nord Africa, to
Algiers, for siffax. It's for fertilizer. bad the siffax we get heavy
loaded. White stuff for fertilizer. We reach the Gulk of Biskaya. Heavy
stoorm brook out. After twelve days heavy fight our ship sink. Had nuttint
else but awinimint vest. I drift around for six days on a beice of lumber. Was
bretty near insane (accent on 'in') till a Pbrtageese liner coon und picked
us oop und brot us to Balboa, in Spain. After dree mounts in da hospital looked
in da mirror and my hair was snow white den I lost my hair altogedder and I qvit
da sea. For a year. (laughs)
Dat's anudder one from a Grick liner. I paid off from a Yugoslavian liner
in Montevideo and zined (long i) on a Grick liner wid da name Vaselious Pondilly
from Pireus, Grickland. Und da Brazzil oust, San Vernando 4utinity (accent
on ttint) brook out. Da mate, da foorst late, da captain, dree fireman, und
six sailors got killed. A creezer, a battleship, picked oop da wireless und
shelled da ship till it zunk. Da rest of da crew get broot und land und Parnaboocoo
vere we went on trial. I get four munts hard labor. Da rest of dam get, some
of den get more, some of den less, ya know. After zex days I deserted a labor
baddallion, und valked nine oondred miles to Rio da Janiero. America n consul
put me on American ship und brot ne to Panama zity und da Panama Canal. From
Panama Zity I vent over to Philadelphia und from Philadelphia home, dat's all.
Page 4.
Took fifty days. (Haw did ya eat? (interjection)) Bananas, fruit, everding on the
railroad. (What did ya meet on the road? white people?) Akin No white people.
Animals. Oh, dere was railway tracks. Keep hot over night. All the snacks (snakes)
keep themselves on da railway tracks soon as a train passed, da train kill dem by da
millions. (What did ya eat?) Oh, bananas, oranges, und grape fruit, all kinds.
They callem a lion, ya know, some little ones (gestures with hands). Some pretty dings.
Once in a while und an old farmer told us about if we vant to help him how to catch moonkeys
so he drilled a great big hold in de dree, big enough to put an Orange in. Da moonkey
looked from da dree und vatched him, vat he was doin and he was smart enough to leave the
orange go when he had him in his fist. So he hold da orange in his fibt und he couldn't
get it out any more. (Do they bite?) Now, now. Den we put him in da net. Und
they had them little eisels (asses?) little dunkeys. It happened one day we delivered
some of dam on da market 'di about fifteen miles. Und he zold one on de police department.
The monkey runned away und took part of the scalp from da police commissioner. (You say
'we.) Yes, we were twelve men. (Well, that's better than walking alone) (Did you
make any money on that trip?) Yes, onct in a vile. We helped out once in a vile on
the way. Vel, by crossing the Amazones River a man falled asleep und fall over board.
A great big vater snack yus right long side him and awing himself round his leg. It was
a good ting dat two men was on vetch. They took him out da river. Boot he died our
days later. It was over night very cooled dere. Und dree or four men, it was
da oldest of em. Ve didn't oonderstand one anudder because the Grick language very hard
to oonderstand. Da dree vent over for water. (Maybe they were bitten by snakes?) You
know it might be dat, ya know. That vas all on da drip.
We was on a windjammer, vid eighteen men. Veed vas very bad. Und da hull craw swear
da captain, dat him pay off in Sandiego da Sheela (Chile). Veell da was no ship to get droo.
Two Indians valked mitt us over Cordiliera mountains. Dey walked vid us. Ve boat already
on da virst drip, dree men. Und den buried dam under de rocks. Da next wick four more
men vent. Und we had da snow hills. Anudder man died. We vas so far down dat ve was so
hungry we vas milli& to eat da men. We was willins to do it. No, we didn't eat den..
Page 5.
Da next day we saw da virst spring where vater coons out. Den in a farm house
vere we get da first warm meal after dree wicks. Oor drip to Boones Aires vas
da best one. The river captain picked us uoop und brot us back to civilization
again.
Did ya hear dat one about imported hair. Da bald headed sailor let his hair growint
on one side. Da captain assed him why he doo dat. Veil, he says, dey import it.
Dey coom from da udder side (laughs loudly) Because they coom from one side to de
udder. Just did it for a joke. He out off one half of it.
(Dutch goes out a minute and comes back)
I gotta go and help a farmer unload a druck. I never break my promise. He
COMBS 103 miles, ya know, in front of da speakeasy.
(In Dutch's absence one of the chauffeurs says: "He's just going out for a drink.
Why don't you buy him a bottle, cheap liquor, 25 cents?)
"The Baron", on his return, continues:
The time I was in Australia. Bald off in Zidney from a Swedish liner wid da nane
Anton, from da Swedish trans -atlantic company, Roodenboorg, Swedden. All of us had
blenty of money end we get wid about twenty men togedder Mamma because heard from
a gold rush near Brisbane. Ve board mules und vixed ourselves up vid vadder, because
there's no vader und da desert. Veil aften forteen days drip ve saw a lot of diggers,
gold diggers. Ve dried our luck, und started digging after blue ground. Da last days
ve didn't found nuttin. Ve ate our mules up. If airplane didn't bort Tater we all
vood die. Den we had to valk all back &gin, valkin back. Oh, Crist, yes, ve vouldn't
sleep at night. Voolves and snacks. Vere after us. De sandwhipper. Dat's one
of da voorst snacks in the voorld. Ve made fires every night to keep the mooskitos
(accent first syllable) out of from da hot dessert, sun. VS11 dat vas all.
Page 6.
I have anudder ting I'm gonna tell you from the cruise round da world on
da Resolute. On January eighteen, 1925, I zined on da steamer Rezalute under
Captain Crooser
coontries. Da
vere built. Da
for a drip around
interestingest of
priests hacked da
ate ea, ya while I was dere. It
Dere holly. Da most da time we
Bornea (oil). Out of more dam de
baroness vrom Chooey, Svitzerland.
da voorld. Ve visited (long i) dwenty five
dem all vas Boombay. I zwitda seven dowers
eight men in bieces und da birds co am and
strickly prohibited (long i) to kill a bird.
had good weader. Ve took bunkas in
most dirty people we had on board vas one
She yoomped overboard und left ten
million dollars word of yooelry on board da ship. (laughter) It was fanily
drooble. Dey had fanily drooble. Her husband is a great banker end he only
had von doughter. Dare vas zia no zign dat anybuddy else could do it because
da door vas locked von men tried to ender it. You could mark down we put a
boot out. Meantime the sharks ate her already. Den we had drubble wid de
Yapanese government for landin' in Hong Kong. Da etyma prince from Yapan vas
killed in a automobile accident in England. Nawbody now dat his body was on
da battleship. Our captain (accent last syllable) forgot to put un flag on
half mast. A distroyer (accent first syllable) was cumin long side and
brot us out of da harbor in Manilla und da Phillipine Islands. By loosin'
da anchor a man steepped in da line and get his leg cut off. He died before
day reached da hospital. End Cristabol in da Panama Canal. We runned with
a French liner togedder. It wasn't our fault. American vorder police found
out dat da mate vas drunk. Ve had to goin on dock for repairing and lay dere
eight days. (reverting to the trouble with Japan) Captain had to put on his
first class dress an goinl over for an excuse to da admiral and excuse himself.
Finally da German goovernment had to notify da ministerium of foreign affairs
with an epen note. Und the Yapan Ambassador to Germany. This was German
ship. The man is still today captain, up to today.
Page 7.
Dere was all kinds of little tings ya know on da drip. Veil in Shangkai,
not it vasn't Shankai. It doesn't make no difference. Ya know ve had a
French sailor on board. He vas a deserter vram da French navy. Dey had him
on devils island and he runned avay. Da man get a chinnee girl. She vas
his sweetheart some dine ago ven French ships was layin in Shankai. A detective
arrest em on da port and they get delivered back to French. Dey had da finger
prints on him.
It vas a vonderful drip. Oh yah dwoo brudders met themselves after 18
years. We had a first officier (accent on second i) Snyder was his name. He
missed his brudder for eighteen years. He met him in Nooport News when we took
on bunkers (oil). It was da first dime he saw him in 18 years. He vas a pilot
on da boat.
Dere vas a fist fite between dwo pesons von yell overboard. On account two
cents. Da second purser snack da first purser on da jaw. Da fall over da
railing und overboard. We had to stop da ship, let da boat down and pick am up.
Da had an argument about dwoo ooppers, I don't know.
You know by a dounsand people on da ship little dings but we don't see em all
ya know. Oh yah, dere was a very broud engineer. He vas so broud he had his
finger nails polished und the engine, ya know. On da valves, ya know, he it
makes em nice and smut (smooth). Von day, it joost happened dat one of dem oil
tanks bust und all da oil vent over him. Und all skin was browned after dat.
(laughs) By dryin to get out of da oil tank he run against da wall und hit
his nose flat. Den they called him a nigger (laughs). Oh, dat takes years
to get cleaned up. You know, it takes years to get dat hot oil out of your
pores, you know. (Pinches his arm to explain). Bern have dem great big oil
tanks on top. They oil damselves. All da have to do is fill us. Da oil is
hot, ya know. Datts before it goes in to da furnace. It's hot, ya know.
Page 8.
Veil, I vas on an English liner (Try Sait Troll). End we took bunker in
Port Suez. Da crew vent ashore und all of em was gettin' drunk. Ve didn't
had a chance to reach da ship in time and had to walk to Port Side. Veil da
virst day we had money. Second day ve valked hoongry. Da dird day ve vas
on da dezert altogedder. Ve cooldn't zleep day und night. Ve heard da lions
barking, hyeens vas always arounden. Da virst down ve reached da old shike
refused to give us da salt but he givens us da bread. English speakint arak
told us dat means dat ve haven't got no protection. Udderwise ah he woulds
given salt to make da bread. After zix days drip ve reached Port Side und
found out dat our ship are gone already. It was nuttin else doint'to keep
of
on valkin to Alexandria. Ve had a lot *rubble vid dam Arab vimman who are
greusommer dam de man. Dey druin rocks on us und spit ind our face men we
asked em for da my. It was the hungrierest drip I ever made in all my life.
Mark it down Alexandria is de dirtiest down I ever saw und all my life. Those
dam arabs you know you couldn't drust nawn of em. Dey most women an und kids
was half naked. Da kids walked naked around altogedder. All da buildings were
made outa of clay. Dares no roods. Und we have to be glad to get some water.
Dey stale every ding dey get ahold of.
(Ramiaded of another story, he laughs and beings) Und da junk shop. Put him
in da ilsj cart and run him down da river. You know dwo years ago we was
riding in da baby carriage. Da was Slim da lawyer and Oggie Fat, and Mule da
doctor. Big Tom he wins zixty-dvive dollars in da horses bettin'. So all of
am went on da drunk. To get off da side -walk we had to put 'em in baby
carriages und veal em down on da dock vere eddy, now dead, made a nose dive aff
da platform (laughs). Da lawyer had dwoo lumps on his head, run against da
druok„ und all dree had go und da hospital. Myself fall off da platform und
vreak my ankle and I vas fourteen days in da hospital. Alter cummin out, Little
Johnny und I get pinched for bein droonk and looked up for viva days on da
Page 9.
Island (laughs gleefully). Of dat dime you know when Hatch& vas here.
(interjection by chauffeur:) They call this woman Hatcha, who hangs around
'the bumsil
I vas yanitor in apartment house. One night the chauffeur from da garage was on
da sidewalk and Hotcha get a bath. She fall in da basement on dop of me und
lost her shoos (laughs). Botcha Polish. (interjection: She is a typical
hot -stuff woman, about forty-five years old.) She looked more like a Malay than
she looked like Polish. (Interjection: Yes, she had high cheek bones. She used
to wear a red ribbon around her bead all the time. A characteristic)
She vas drinkin more dan dree men. Vel was &wen I found da golden watch around
da corner dere., (Dutch glances up, suspiciously) but I gave da gold watch back
again.
Is dot good when da vimmin strip me? Is dat good? One day a Yoouish (Jewish)
delicatessen store man hired me for clean da store at night, und make deliveries.
I vent in one of dam great big houses, und da twelth floor, to deliver datw
whatever was cummin to dam, a you:mg girl opens up droonk and stripped naked.
She told me to coon in. yen I coon in anudder dozen girls was sittin dare,
all of um drunk. Day locked da door und hide da key and grabbed me and drew
me over on chaise long, you know sofa. Took shoos, pants and shirt off me. And
I had to dance wid um for about two hours. It was around dree °clock van da police
ringed up and get the whole bunch arrested. Den dey got me out ya know. I get
my clothes and the money. Vealthy girls. Here, da delicatessen. (points) I
vas all alone dere. Vat da hell could I do? Making deliveries for den, you know!
(Question by chauffeur) Did you tell him about the rich woman stopped and tried
to take you away?
Tings was different you know I can't vind out up till todsv what da vimmen want from
me. (perplexed) Vell, what happened I was drunk, sittin on da stoop in vront of
Page 10.
da house. Big CaddiIac oar stops. A lady cooms out. Just did is not so long ago p about
a year. She says 'Man, are you hungry?' I sez 'No, I am dryer'. 'What ya mean by dat,'
she says. 'Mean I liketo have a drink.' 'Well, come sittin in da car instead of sittin
on da stoop.' I sittin long side of her, ya know. Sheinok a bottle out und I took quite
a couple of good ones, out of it. In da meantime she start feelin, me over. I was helpless
and she drove away to 126th St. Dere I dried to get myself togodder, but I didn't want to
let that bottle gone. So I took anudder cupla drinks and tole her have to gone out for a
minute. It was the last chance to run away on her. I don't know whats da matter wid da
dam mimmin. Nice, big«..looking, strong woman.
(Interjection: Tell himabout the time you was sellin ice cream) Dis is some story, ya
know. (Constantly takes butts from pockets and lights them). Oh, I got robbed a ouppla
times. Veil two years ago Paul Carey gave me ten dollars (owner of Carey's garage). I buy
a box of ice cream to start business; business went good the first fourteen days. As soon
as I had my debts paid I fall on drinkin' again. One morning I waked oop, my ice cream was
all melted and I had nuttin else but vater innit. Veil four days later I vent on the dock
und a half a dozen youngsters fall over ne und stole all da ice cream. Veil anudder time I
vent up to one dent high buildings to a party. All of em was atin' and drinkin good. Veil
in da mornin I asked for my money. I was asleep in da apartment und da porter dold
me da apartment isn't rented out at allund da party was gone. Veil I was broke yaknow, mad
had to give it up. I give all da ice cream to dent. Figgered I'd get paid, ya know. Had to
give up da ice cream business. I walked back again pickin up rags. (Laughs. His laughter
is husky, high-toned, deep, without much ring, but happy). Mark it little bit down von day
I valked in da house to an Irish lady. She wants to give me some rags. Zittin in da chair
little kids start screamin becuz she saw me commin. She saw day bag. Da moiler hollered
at him 'Share up or I'll make dat big bum ate yap.
(laughs huskily) Dat was a hot one
right here on fifty first street. (laughs gleefully) Two old gentlemen lookin out da window
und da fifth floor. Dey holler down. 'Cone up me have a lot of rags for you'. After
climmin up five flights dey had two neckties und a coupla pair of stockings. So day asked
Page 11.
me how much I gonna pay for dat. I tole di dey at least got a dollars wort so might
as well bring am up in da pawn shop. (laughs).