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Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
tAh-P-4-4- 11171
FOLKLORE
STATE
NAME OF
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
New York
woRKER Marion Charles Hatch
ADDRESS 882 First AT!.
DATE
SUBJECT
Dee. 12, 1838
HACKIES' STORIES (SECOND INSTALLMENT)
1. Date and time o interview
Thursday evening, Deo. 8, 1938
2. Place of interview
NEW YORK
TAXI DRIVERS UNION OF GREATER NEW YORK,
UNION HIRING HALL 1847 DROADNAT
3. Name and address of informant
These stories are by Max Brand, Ruby Mosoemits, Sidney Gurewsky, and
Jai* Ryan.
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in
touch with informant.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accopanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
Because of the Circumstances surrounding the collection of these stories
I aa not at present filling out forms S and D.
IF STORIES ARE USED PLEASE CHANGE INFORMANTS' NAMES
(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.)
FOLA,00E
C
YoRK
T- .1 j
STATE
NIAE OF Y'0. NE
ADWAESS
DATE
SUBJECT
New York
Marion Chariot; Hatdh
862 First Ave.
nee. 12, 1938
sku ES' ETOPIS (BECOfiD INSTALLMENTO
THL ARISTOCRAT
Told by Nam Brand
I was coming up Broadway and I got to Park Row. I looked around and I
got a hail from across the street. Traffic was pretty balmy but I managed to turn
around and an aristocratic Ionian& man, with ,lasses and a foreign aocent, got into
my oar. Ho asked me whioh is the largsst bank in the aity of Now York. So I said
I wasn't sure but it was either the Chase National Bank or the National City Bank.
*Well" he said, "Take ma to the Chase National Bank first." When I sot there he told
me to wait for him and he left a bock in my oar.
Fs went inside and was in there about fifteen minutes and came out with a
disgusted lock on his race. TI. said, "I can't understand you Americans." Rs said,
"Take me to that other bank you mentioned." I took him to the National City Bank.
He went in there and was there about a half hour. I was vaitinc for him all the
time. Then he same walking out with another man dressed in civilian clothes and
without even noticing me walked down Wall Street toward the East River. I figurod
that this man probably had some business in some other building in the neighborhood
he didn't want to bother ma to drive him a short distance. I welted a while and then
I saw the bank guard oome out of the bank, look around and go in again. Iwaited
-2.
some more then I got sort of leery. I walked into the bank and I asked the guard
what happened to this aristocratic looking man with the Gorman accent.
He said to me, "Why that man is crazy. He came in here and demanded
money. He thought that he had the divine right fror God to go into any bank and
ask for money." No said* "Cur bank detective just took him down to the Broad
Street Hospital." But he said "You don't have to worry. You'll get paid because
he had twenty dollars in his pocket." I jumped into my taxicab and rove down to
Broad Street Hospital. The attendant at the desk told me that the man was here
and that they sent him up in an ambulance with a police officer to Bellevue Hospital,
to the psychopathic ward. I jumped into my cab again, my meter going all the time,
I fig-ered* "if I get stuck I'll get stuck right," and I drove up to the Bellevue
Hospital.
I looked all over the psychopathic ward and I could not got any information
about him. I was walking through and I was just about to leave when I noticed my
customer sitting at a desk and talking to a nurse and there was a police officer
standing neur by. I hollered, "There he is," and I immediately started to accuse
him, in a loud tone of voice, and demanded my money. I also showed the book that
he left in my cab to prove that he was the owner of it. He denied that he had ever
seen me. But the book was proof enough.
I started to holler some more I told the nurse that I know he's got
money and that I want to ;et paid. When the police officer heard that he called
ma on the side. He said* "Dontot make such a racket in hospital." He says
meet re on the corner of 25th St. and first Ave. t,nd I'll see what I can do for
you. So I went down and waited for him there. In about ton minutes he came down.
He said to re, "how much is on the meter?" "I said there was V7.50 on the meter"
He said, 0, K. Have you got change of $207" 71411 I went to a oigar store and I got
him his change and he gave ms $10.00. I felt so i;ood I drove him down to his
precinct. Of course he kept $10.00 for himself.
.3.
SIZING IEM UPI
Told by Sidney Gurowsky.
I was picked up by two iellows at the new Madison Square bowl* Long
Island. They were desperate looking guys too. They took me to a place on
Queensboro and they blowed me. They called me in or a drink. So when I went in
nobody knew these guys. Usually somebody knows them. So I figured I was paying
for them. 7ou know. Well they take me out to :7Addle Villige two blocks before
Glendale. It was a Good ride, four dollars und ohange., and they take me out
on Uhe cemetery roELd. On one side there was the cemetery. On the other side there
were no houses at all. So I figured here's where I get the business. There 10941
$4.30 an the match. never forget that what do you think they gave me $5.001
But when they said, "all right, Mack, pull over on the side. Oh Boy1" They even
said, "Do you know how to get back, Mack?" So you can't figure what you're
getting an a cab.
On the other hand listen to this one. I had about fifteen minutes to
pick up a steady rider. You know a steady rider rides everyday at the same time.
A fellow comes out dressed formal, full dress and everything else. You figure in
fifteen minutes you can grub it. He takes you out to Avenue N. Brooklyn, at first
I argued with him but he said* "You'll be beak in ten minutes." Then r)u get out
to Avenue I. He says, "PUll in right inlbadk of the oar. Just as you pull in back
of the car a fellow oomes out of the back of the oar and he says to you*" 0. K.
Mack, Stiok 'am upS. let em upS" and took everything out. Than he out the wires
on the motor* and cracked the plugs. Then said, "Don't open your mouth for the next
half hour".
This guy that looked good was a stickup guy. The other guys that looked
so rough tipped me seventy cents.
-4.
45.00 TO BOOT,
Told by Jack Ryan.
Some big affair in New York City, Legionaires were here. There was a
big ball, somewhere, given by the legionaires of this particular to to their
friends. A driver was hailed by a man on Fifth Avenue. Beside one of the hotels
on ]iifth Avenue. A in and wife. Dressed in evening clothes, they told him to
take them to this place where the ball was to be held and on the way there the man
and his wife was arguinl. He figured they didn't have evenin,. clothes with them and
they hired them in Nu York City. This nwas supposed to have gone out and bought
himself a pair of shoes and he was wearing brown shoes.
So he asked the driver to take him where he could buy some shoes. All the
stores were closed. It was too late. So they finished up by the driver asking the
man what si e shoes he wore. Size eights and it happened that the driver also wore
eight.. The driver had on a pair of :om MoCann shoes that he bought for couple
of bucks. The passenger had a pair of brown shoes on that cost him about ten or
fifteen becks. It wound up by the driver chit: Ing shoes with the passenger for
five dollars to boot.
N. Y. CITY RETIATIONS
told by Ruby monowits
Lew taxillvers ,oing to work for Pars:Aloe as a general rule don't know
the rules and regulations much. A man Jumps in to a new driver's cab, "Quick GO
around the block in a hurry" he said. Having gone around awe the passenger .aid,
"Go around again." Then he paid 25 cents. After this the driver looked in the oab
in the bask and found that the man had vomited. 70 goes to a cop, "Heil Mat will
I do with this? A man goes around a couple of blocks and leaves this in my oabS"
The cob says, "Well, you know the city regulations. If nobody calls for it in
three aye you can keep itS"
.5.
BAUM SHADOW
Told by Jack Ryan
This happened over in trooklyn, aucther Jack Ryan worked for the
Parmelee systtm. 'he boya at the starl figured they would have a. joke on him
so they ut bi police ack; in the .;Avok of he car while they were in for a cup
of coffee. :he follatv came out Lzicl didn't look in the back of the cab. 3e started
oruisins lookiu for a passexi,c:r. One of the company's supervisers, seeing a
shadow in the back of the oars called him over and accused him of riding with his
stick \:p. Then un er6ument developed between them and the driver indignantly denied
a passenger. The supervisor threw the door open "Look here," he said, and the
police do leaped ote eid scared the wits out of him.