Document text
STATE
NANT OF WO:AER
ADDRESS
DATE
SUBJECT
FORM C
17'7.xt of 117rviov
NEW YORK
MARION CHARLES aATCH
862 Pint AVOVUO
November 1# 1988
ADVENTURES OF "THE BARON"
or.1 7_
_
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
(Renark by s chauffeurs) Tell the one about being thrown in the river.
(The Baron starts s) One Friday night, with Frenchie# I VOA drunking in a speakeasy
down on forty eighth street. So she invite uis to o with her in the hallway and
have a good time. USA a we get °hissed out from the yanitor. So veil we walked
down on the waterfront. Und supposed to be the first lover so I yoost try
to get on ny arms. Two guys get ahold of ma and drew me overboard. It was pretty
000ld, September. Und dey drew rooks after me. EUh. The fella' was
in the mind I swim down de river, but they made a mistake, I swim round de barges, up
to forty ninth street.
Done were a couple of coal shovellers und de watchmen picked
me up and start to bring ns to the hospital. He brohght me in jail and looked me up
for fourteen days for being drunk. Dot's the truth. Frenchie was with me. Who were
the fellas that threw me in! fey was also bums,
(Remark by a chauffeurs) If he starts to drink toui6ht that will be eiLht days
he will be druLk.
(Another chauffeurs) Remenher# Dutch, don't for6ot to tell him the tine you took
to
the copper off the roof. You know the guy that told pals/take the copper off the
roof?"
(The Atrons) Very little to say about that one. Veil, eh, it was on Monday.
Unda two Wass, standint on the corner, told me about the copper. So they hired me.
Page 2.
Two other feline hired me. So one says "Gonna pay you a oupla of dollar*
to Get that copper off the roof." Claimed one vas a contractor. So I
(aimed (vith a short 1) up and drew the copper off. Und they stole it off
Finally when 1 dried to get down the flower (floor) give in and I fall
from one 11 it to the udder one and the udder one give in and I fall to the
next one. After (grey, the cops and they fixed me up with the club. Well is
let me ooin dat was all. I tare it down ya know and they stole it. NO they
,Iidn't lock me up.
was yousv cadets throughsthe first time we went an land an yanked for a yurl.
After Ln eighteen months trip we like to have an actions you knows life.
Finally we found em. They told uns to Go to uLd village und de ground floor
would be lic,ht on the ford window so we went there and we found the light
and the window. So de udder man was a bis tall fella. I vas short compared
to his size. So we was fightin about :hose the foorst one to climm in the
wIndow. So he toold nos "I'm de daller one undle da smeller one". yell
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 ny shoulder.
Be knocked und da windows a great big s heavy farmer grabbed him by the
window (general laughter. Voices "It was the wrong houses see 2") Und beat
him up win a club til the collar bust and he fall dawn. Dat's the hull story.
Den we beat it. That was tuff story. He had him by the neck. (Demonstrates).
(Chauffeurs) Bow is it about your wife, Dutch? Dot's a lcnz story.
(Another).- Ohs Dutch, tell him about Botoha.
(Chauffeurs) Haw you come to be a bums that's all.
(Dutchs) Yoost haw it happened to ooze on the bum/
"Yes',.
(Duteh continues), Veal I gonna tell. Depression
broke
out. Und so I took
Page 3.
a whale boat to Scud Africa. After a twenty two munts drip I (won up in my
house und a colored fella laid in my bed.
Vell I didn't bodder da man at all.
I told him to balk out. Veil den I lost my Lusinoss 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 vas cumin' from Scarp&
Scotland, Had a Norwegian liner. Wowmpt over to Nord Africa, to
Algiers, for siffax. It's for fertiliser. And the siffax weGet heavy
loaded. White stuff for fertiliser. ';:e reach the Gulk uf Biskaya. Heavy
stoorm brook out. After twelve days heavy fight our ship sink. Had nAtint
else but swimmint vest. I drift around for six days on a beice of lumber. Was
bratty near insane (accent or. 'in') till a Partageeso liner coma und picked
us oop und brot us to Balboa, in Spain. After dree mounts in da hospital looked
in da mirror and ry hair was snow 17iitf.1 den I lost my hair altogedder and I qvit
da sea, ibr a year. (laughs)
flat's anudder one from a Griok liner. I paid off from a Yugoslavian liner
in Montevideo and sined (long i) on a Griek liner wid da name -vaselicus Pondilly
from Pirmas, Griokland. Und da Brassil oust, San 'eernando 4ntinity (accent
on 'tin') brook out. Da mate, da foorst late, da captain, dree fireman, und
six sailors got killed. A creaser, a battleship, picked oop da wireless und
shelled da ship till it sunk. Da rest of da crew get broot und land und Parnab00000
vere me went on trial. I get four mnnts hard labor. Da rest of den get, SOMO
of den get more, some of den less, ya know. After sex days I deserted a labor
el
baddallion, und valked nine oondred miles to Rio da Janiero. Amerioa n consul
put me on Ameriosn ship und brot me to Panama sity 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 sett (interjection)) Bananas, fruit, everding on the
railroad. (What did ya meet on the road? white people?) Mem No white people.
Animals. Oh, dere was railway tracks. Keep hot over night. All the snacks (snakes)
keep themselves on da railway tracks ee soon as a train passed, da traen kill den by da
millions. (that did ya eat?) Oh, bananas, oranges, und grape fruit, all kinds*
They oallem a lion, ya know, some little ones (gestures with hands). Some eretty dings.
Once in a while und an old farmer told us about if we vent to help him how to *etch moonkeys
so he drilled a emit big hold in de dree, big enough to put an erange in. Da moonkey
looked from da dries und vatehed him, vat he was doin and he was smart enou6h to leave the
orange go eeen he had him in his fist. So he hold da orange in his fiAt uad he couldn't
get it out any more. (Do they bite?) Now, now. Den we put hi a in da net. Und
they had them little (allele (asses?) little dunkeys. It happened one day me delivered
some of dem on da market about fifteen miles. Und he sold one on de police department.
The monkey runned away und took part of the scalp from du police commissioner, (You say
'we'.) Yes, we were twelve non. (nal, thto better than malkin_ alone) (Did you
make any money on that trip?) Yes, onot in a vile. helped out once in a vile on
the way. 1101, by crossine the Amazones River a 'Ran 2elled asleep und fall over board.
Agreat big rater amok vies right long side him and swing himself round his leg. It was
a good ting dat two men was on vetch. 'hey took him out da river. Ikfot he died four
days later. It VAS over night very cooled dere. 7n4 dree or _our men, it was
da oldest of em. Ve didn't oonderstand one anudder bQoause the .1riek language very hard
to oonderstaad. Da dree vent over for water. (Aayle tey were bitter, by snakes?) You
know it miG-t be dat, ya know. That vas all on da drip.
We was on a mindjemme*, yid eighteen non. Veed vas very bad. !Ind da hull crew swear
da ouptaeme dat him pay off in Sandiego da Sheela (Chile). Veen da as no ship to get dreo.
Two Indians valked mitt us over Cordiliera mountains. Dey valked vid us. Ve boost already
on da virst drip, dree men. Und den buried dam under de rooks. Da next wick four more
men vent. Und we had da snow hills. Anudder man died, te vas so far down dat vs was so
hungry we vas willies 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 'water cows 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 brut us baok to civilisation
aGain.
Did ya hear dat one about imported hair. Da bald headed sailor let his hair growinl
on ono side. Da captain assed himiak he doo dat. Veil, he says, dey import it.
Dey coon from da udder side (laughs loudly) Because they coon from one side to de
udder. Just did it for a joke. lie out off one half of it.
(Dutch L.,oes out a minite and calies back)
I ;;otta i-Lo and help a farmer unload a druok.
I never break my promise. He
comes 103 miles, ya know, in f -o14. o.0 da speakeasy.
(In Dutohle absence one of the chalLefeurs says: "he's .1-t out for a drink.
Why don't you buy him a bottle, cheap ligore 25 cents?)
"The Baron", on his return, continues:
The time I VVA in Australia. Budd off in Zidnsy from a Swedish liner wid da name
Anton, from da Swedish trans -atlantic company, 1Zoodenboorg, Svedden, All of us had
blenty of money end we get mid about twenty in togedder Mom= bemuse hoard from
a gold mill near Brisbane. Ire board mules und vixed ourselves up vid vaddor„ beeaus•
there's no 'wader und da desert. Veil aften for -teen days drip vs saw a lot of diggers,
gold diggers. V. dried our luck, und started diggin after blue ground. Da last days
ve didn't found nuttin. Vs ate our mules up. If airplane didn't bort Tater se all
'wood die. Den us had to 'walk all back agin, valkin back. Oh, Cristo Y°'. v G 'wouldn't
sleep at night. Voolves and snacks. Vera after us, De sandwhipper. Dat's one
of da voorst =sulks in the voorld. Vs made fires every night to keep the wooskitos
(acoent first syllable) out of from da hot dessert, sun. Veil dat vas all.
Page 8.
I have =udder tine I'm Lonna tell you from the eruise round da world on
da Resolute. On January eighteen, 1925, I sined on da steaaer Rezalute under
Captain Crooser for a drip around da voorld. V. visited (long i) dwenty five
000ntries. Da interestingest of dem all vas boombay. I sat da zeven dowers
vere built. Da priests hacked da eight men in biases und da birds 000m and
ate my ya while I was lore. It striokiy prohibited (long i) to kill a bird.
Lore holly. Da most da time we had good wader. Vs took bunkae in
Bornea (oil). Out of roe din de most dirty people we had on board vas one
lAroness vrom Choosy, Svitserland. She yoomped overboard und left ten
million dollars word of yooelry on board da ship. (laughter) It was fondly
drooble. Dcy had fmnily drooble.
Her husband is a ,reat banker end he only
had von doughter. Dire vas mm no sign dat anybuddy else could do it beoause
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 mid do"
Yapanese Government for ]pndint in Zont; Kong. Da crown 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 o put un flag on
half mast. A distroyer (accent first syllable)was oummin long side and
brot us out of da harbor in Manilla und da Phillipiue Islands. By loosinl
da anchor a man steepped in da line ana get his leg out off. Be died before
cloy reached da hospital. End Cristebol in da Panama anal. We rulned with
a French liner togedder. It wasn't our fault. American vorder police found
out dat da mate vas drunk, lie had to 6oin on dock for repairing and lay dire
eight days. (reverting to the trouble with Japan) CapteLn had to put on his
first class (1ess an pin over for an exouse to da admiral and excuse himself.
Finally da German goovernment had to notify da ministarium of foreign affairs
with an Open note. Und the Yapan Ambassador to Germany. This was German
ship. The man is still today captain, up to today.
Page 7.
Dere vas all kinds of little tins ya know on da drip. Val in sbeeckei,
nok it vasrit Shankai. It doesn't make no difference. Ya know vs had a
irench sailor on board. Ue vas a deserter vram da French nav-4. Dey had him
on devils island and he runned avant. Da man „es:, a chinnee girl. She vas
his sweetheart sons dime ago yen French ships was layln in ShM4frat A detective
arrest em on da port and they get delivered back to Irench. Dey had da finger
prin,s on him.
It vas a vonderful drip. Oh yah dwoo brudders met themselves after 18
years. he had u first officier (accent on secord i) Snyder was his name. He
missed his rudder for eighteen years. he met hie_ in Nonpart Nees when we took
on bunkers (o11). It was da first dine he saw him in 18 years. He vas a pilot
on da boat.
)ere vas a fist fits- between dwo pesere vo- veil overboard. On acceunt two
eentee Da second purser smack da first purser on da jaw. Da fall over da
railing u_d overboard. he had to stop da ship, lee da boat do' n and piok ma up.
Da had an argument about dwoo ooppers, I don't know.
You know by a dounsand people on da ship little dings but me don't see em all
ye know.
Oh yah, dere was a very breud engineer. He vests° broud he had his
finger nails polished und the engine, ye know. On da valves, ye know, he it
makes em nice and smut (smooth). Von day, it joost happened dat one of dem oil
tanks bast und all da oil vent over him. Und all skin as brawned after dat.
(laughs) By dryin to gut out of da oil tank he run against da wall und hit
his nose fiat. Den they celled 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). Den have dam great big oil
tanks on top. They oil delve. All da have to do is fill us. Da oil is
hot, ye. know. Dat's before it goes in to da furnaise.
It's hot, ye. know.
Page 6.
Vella I vas on an Enjlish liner (_ry Sait Troll). ilndwe took bunker in
Port Safes. Da crew vent ashore und all of on was gettinl drunk. V. didn't
had a chariot% to reach la shLr• in dna and had to walk to Port Side. Veil da
virst day we had money. Second day we walked hoongry. Da dird day ve
wee
on da desert altoTadder. Ve cooldn't sleep day und niLht. Ye heard da lions
barking, hymnals vas always arounden. Da virst dawn ve reached d* old shike
refused to ;7ive us da salt but he Livens us da bread. knalish speaking arak
told us dat means dat we haven't Lot no protection. Jdderwise ah he would*
given salt to mike da bread. :ftor tix days drip we reached eortLide land
found out dat our ship are gone already. It was nuttin else doing to keep
of
on vaikin to Alexandria. Ve had a lot drubble vid don _rat) vines= who are
grousommer den de men. Dey druin rooks on us und spit laid our faee wen we
asked em for da we/. It vac: tIL:1 h,nc„rierost drip I ever made in all my life.
dark it down Alexandria is de dirtiest dawn I ever saw uad all my life. Those
&mambo you know you oouldn't drust no= of em. Dey aost WIWI an und kids
was half naked. Da kids walked naked around altogedder. A U d* buildings were
muds outa of clay. Dares no roods. 1;nd we have to be glad to get some wafer.
Day suale every ding dey ';ot ahold of.
(Reminded of another story, he laughs and beings) bnd da junk shop. Put him
in da 4ej cart ald run him down da river. You know dm years ago we was
riding in da baby carriage. Da was Slim da lawyer and Oggie Fat, and Mule da
doctor. ,ig Tom he wins sixtrivive dollars in da horses betting. So all of
am went on da drunk. To LeL off da side -walk we had to put 'em in baby
carriages und veal em down on da dock were eddy, now dead, mad' a nose dive aft
da platform (laughs). Da lawyer had dwoo lumps on his head* ran against da
druck, und all dree had go und da hospital. MYself fall off d* platfbra und
wreak my ankle and I was fourteen diva in da hospital. After cumin out, Little
Johnny und I get pinched for bein droonk and leaked up tor vivo days on de.
Page 9.
Island (laughs gleefully). Of aat dim you know when Hetcha was here.
(interjection by chauffeurs) Taey call this woman Betcha„ who han4e around
'the bums'!
I was yaniter in apartment house. One night the ehsuffeur from da garage was on
da sidewalk and hotcha Got a bath. She fall in de basement on dop of me und
lost her Shoos (laughs). Hotcha Polish. (interjections She is a typical
hot -stuff woman, about forty-five years old.)
She looked more like a Malay than
she looked like Polish. (interjections Yes, she had high check bones. She used
to wear a red ribbon around nor head all Lhe time. A characteristic)
She vas drinvin more dan dree men. Vel was dwen I fourd da 6olden watch arouqd
da corner dere. (J.uton Glances up, suspiciouziy) but I save da ,-;old watch baok
again.
Is dot good when da vimmin -trip me? Is dat wood? One day a Yoouish (Jewish)
ielicatesson store wan hirod me lur da store at nit, und rake deliveries.
I vent in one of dmi, great big houses, J.nd da twalth floor, to deliver dat,
whatever was cumain to dem, a youung girl opens up droonk and stripped naked.
She told me to coo= in. Von I coon in anuddor dozen Jae was sittin dare,
all of um drunk. 1.)ey locked da door und hide ds key ane. Lroled me and drew
me over on chaise lon14 you knou sofa. Took shoos, pants nal nhirt off me. Aid
I had to dance wid um for about two hour. It ras around tree oclook von da police
rinod up and -,;et the whole bunch arrested. ,pt ms out ya know. Iget
my clothes owl the money. Vealthy iris. Her, da delicatessen. points) I
vas all alone dere. Vat da hell could I do? TItkin_ deliveries for dam, you know:
(Question b chauffeur) Did you tell hi n bout the rich woman stopped and tried
to take you away?
Tinge USA different you know I can't vind out up till today what da vtamen' want from
ms. (perplexed) Vall, what happened I was drunk, sittin on da stoop in wont of
Page 1.0.
da house. Big Caddilao ear steps. A lady 000ms out. Just did is not so long ago p about
a year. She says 'Man, are you. hungry?' I ses 'No, I an dryer'. 'What ya mean by date'
she says. 'Mean liketo ha ire a drink., 'well, come sittin in da car instead of sittin
on de. stoop.' I sittin long side of her, ya know. She took a bottle out und I took quite
a couple of good cnes, out of it. In ct-• meartine she start feelin' me ever. I Vas helpless
and she drelie away to 126th St. Dere I dried to get myself tog.dders but I didn't want to
let that bottle one, So I took anudder cupla drinks and tole her have to gene out tbr a
minute. It was the last chance to run awtv on her. I don't blew whats da matter idd da
den Nice, looking, strong worakm.
(Interjeotions kin about the tine you was sellin ice cream) Dis is sone story, ya
know. (Constantly .;akes butts from pockets and lights them). Ohs I got robbed a ouppla
Veil two years ago Paul Carey gave me ten dollars (owner of Careyis garage). I buy
a box of ice oream to start businessj besinesc went good the first fourteen clays. As soon.
as I had my debts paid I fall on (arinkint again. Cue nomini; I waked oat)9 my ice cream was
all melted and I lInd nuttin else ba-, vater innit. 7011 feu.- dcwo later I vent on the doek
und half a dozen. ;,..oungsters fall over no ur.d stel: da toe c row-. Yell anudder .time I
vent up to one dent high buildings to a party. ft. 11 of em was &tin' and drinkin good. Veil
in da morn:L. I asked for Irtr MO ney I was asleep in da apartment und da porter dold
me da apartment isn't rented out at all/nid do. 'arty me.s _ ne. 'Toll I was broke yaknow, and
had to give it up. I give all da ice cream to dam. TALL;ored d get paid, ya know. Had to
give up da ice ere= business. nulked back tvgaim piakir (Lawhs, 1ts laughter
is husky, highp-ton.ed, deep, without ranch ring, but happy). Mark it little hit deem '5.on day
I valked in da house to an Irish lack/. ;The wants to give no acme re.r!s. Zittin in da chair
little kids start soreamin beous he saw me connin. Cho saw day bag. C 11er hollered
at him 'Share up or 1,11 ru'Ve dat big bum ate 7
(laughs huskily) Dat was P hot one
right here on fifty first street. (laught-. gleefully) Two old gentlemen lookin out de window
end da fifth floor. Dey holler down. *Come up we hare a lot of rags for you*. After
olimmin up five flights dey had two neektios land a coupla pair of stockings. So day esked
Page 11.
me how much 1 conna pay for da.t. I tole den day at least got a dollars wort so might
as well bring em up in da pawn shop. (laughs).
STATE
NAME OF WORKER
ADDRESS
PATE
SUBJECT
FOR1
Extra Commcnt
NEW YORK
MARION CHAP1ES HATCH
862 First Avenue
November 1, 1933
ADVETUBES 02 "TLE BARON"
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Fori4rWa Street, between First and Seoon. avenues, is one of New York's
little 'melting pots', The majority of people livinc; here are poor Italians,
but there are also Chinese, Germans, i'renoh ard Greeks. The poverty and filth
of the tennmaata cofronts wealth represented by sparkling millionaire's limousines,
housed in several modern elevator garages. This antithesis is spelled out in the
Window signs as one walks through the block, as for example, "Carlo's Pizzeria and
Spaghetti Rouse", "Carey Garage, ()Masi Garage, Waldorf-Astoria, Ambassador,
Roosevelt, Darclay, Perk lane, Shelton". There is but one small modernised
apartment, standing, distraught, in the ()enter of the block. A few doors away
Chinese children, innumerable, climb through uncurtained windows and roup about
unswept hallways. There are a pool hall, known as the Democratic Club, two small
wood.morking shops, a grape store, it mmall grocery stores, a battery and ignition
shop and so forth. All is not work on 48th Street. The haughty, la:Li/armed
chauffeur unbuttons and swaps yarns with the unemployed Italian in the pool hall.
A Jewish junk de4Ler has a pair of soales in an empty store at 341 East 48th Street.
Be buys raze, paper and meel collected by a dolma or more rag collectors. One of
these is "Duten" Van Brudan, also called "The Baron". Almost everybody in the
block, who is sociable, knows "The Baron" and his stories'
*ISM***