Document text
Forms to be Filled out tor Each Interview
FORV
Circumstances f Interview
SIAM New York
NAT OF ItOlifT: B. Hathaway
A"17t 356 West 123rd St, New York
DA1E Dec. 27* 1938
SUi'JECT FOLK LCRE (UNION SQUARE) JACOB STEIN
1.
Date and time c i‘iterview
Dec. 5, 1938
2. Place of into Union Square
FOLi.21,0E
NEV YOPK
3. :Name and address of informant Jacob Stein, of lower East Side* Habitue of
Union Square.
4. Name and address of person, if ary, wno put you in
touch witu intorwut.
Name and address of peson, if ,Lny, rtccompc.nyin you
O. Description of room. nouse, ,,urroundins. etc.
Picture a city park two or three blocks spare. Picture it perched
on stilts some four feet above the surrounding street level, with wide plazas*
green sAards,wa1ks, benches and the like* making an ideal lounge for those
who wish to gather there. Picture it still further* as a meeting place for
7-\
New York's nearest approach to a proletariat
Picture all this and you, a stranger, say, may get some inkling of the
resort that is today Unioh Square, a sort of diminutive Hyde Park set in the
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the torms, each
bearing the proper heading and the number to which the material refers.)
.11.241.
FORM A CONTINUED
very heart of the ancient Island of the Manhattoes, one of the oldest parts of the
old city*
DatinE bask to the little square at Fourteenth Street and Broadway has
had a picturesque history, but no part of it more so perhaps than that which began
with the last great depression.
Here, on its stilts, day in and day in and day out one may see the sane faces*
with only slight changes as time goes on, in seething controversy, not to say rancour
strife, brawls, even fist fights. Anywhere up to two hundred persons gather here
daily, weather permitting* composed of hone reliefers, South Ferry breadliners, cPps*
bums, sightseers* members of all political faiths, a few degenerates.
What brings them here* haw they got that sey, might tax the mind of the socially
curious. Mainly, however, I think it is the desire for self expression. As an
outdoor forum the Square affords an opportunity to become vocal, to be artistically
articulate in a minor way* to be sure in the sane way that one might whistle
a tunes whittle a drygoods box, do a folkstory, or play a Paderewfski on the violin
if he is able.
Some of these it is true, have something to sell an idea or a periodical.
Others may be overzealous in support of this or that person or ism now "cutting ice"
in Europe. But all express themselves in one way or another.
Here, by this park bench, a solid hour at a stretch, a group will vetch* with
silent concentration, a park artist doinla charcoal sketch of some lounger for
twenty. -five cents, in which they can have no interest whatever. They are killing
time. "Career men," so to speak* in the pleasant art of doing nothing.
In a word, it would seem* they come to loaf* express themselves or be diverted.
As a social institution, however, one must believe that the "Square" is strictly
a depression phenomenon. During periods of prosperity unless* as some say, prosperity
is a thing of the past, mediaeval, to be seen of men no more (pishaposht) during
periods of prosperity, no crowds gather here, or anywhere else for that matter. They
FORM A CONTINUED
-3.
are practically all employed those who are not, not troubling themselves to
gather anywhere
As one looks over the wrangling, shifting mob, be will see perhaps the
largest group deciding the fate of Germany and the man with the little mustache.
The Italians, in a group by themselves, are telling the tale of their own pet
dictator, with rather more against than for. Jugo-Slays, Czecho-Slays, in their
awn tongue
410111.
Karl Marx. Discussions ranging from Mary Baker Eddy, theosophy and
the Bible to private grievances; but dominated, on the whole, I should say, by that
faith, or group, that has redesignated the park "Red Square," after the famous
plaza in Mbsocw.
Undisturbed by police, except to clear a passageway through the crowd now and
than, or compose a quarrel, here they meet, regardless of quorum or parliamentary
form, to pass the time, express or divert themselves, during a period of enforced
idleness.
They have no outlook, as a rule least of all, an uplook. A modest "get -by"
is the most they can expect from life. They are misplaced parts in the social
machinery. For the moment, at any rate.
Vibich of course, is not a reason why they should be permitted to remain so.
In a may "Union Square" is an indictment of society.
But that is another question. The story hare is the folklore of Jacob Stein.
Note: -..Each of the folk tales that follow on Union Square will
be referred to Jacob Stain (which should be numbered
one in this groUpt with such details added in each
case as may serve to make olear the particular story.
FO:n-
Pcsçnalbl': to.. v cif -nforli2a7;t
STATE New /Olt
NAME OF VOTKETt B. Hathaway
ADDESS
356 West 123rd St. New York
DA1E December 27, 1938
SUnJECT FOLK LORE (UNION MIRE) JACOB STEIN
1. Ancestry Russo -Jewish
2. Place and date of hirt;. Poland, in old Russia, 1888
3. Family
Single
FOLKLORE
NO) YORK
1. Place: live(' it;1 dnct Poland until 17 years of age. Cane to New York
in 1905, where he has lived on the lover East Side during most of his 33
years in this country.
5. Education, with
Mostly in the hard school of experience. FOrmal Education, very little.
Attended school neither in Poland nor U. B. Learned to read English here,
by his own efforts.
h. O'cupations end accompiit,',14"nu,', with
7. Special skills and interests
8. Coharamity and religious actiiiit:_es
No religious activities, but is a theist and markedly anti -radical.
9. Description of informant
features, Poorly-clad,medium height, gaunt, well -shaped
with a humorous glint in his eye and a ready smile. On hone relief
Lost his TWA job, together with green uniform, picking up paper with sharp
10. Other Points gained in interview stick in Union Square.
FORM C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
STATE New York
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
VINE OF WORKEP B. Hathaway
ADWIESS 356 West 123rd St. New York
DATE December 27, 1938
SUBJECT FOLK LORE (UNION SQUARE) ei JACOB STEIN
In a facetious, heckling group of his ovay that grew and waned with
his own exertiouns, he gave expression to his grievances
JACOB STEIN
Whadda yi thinks Mike the boss. Be wanted to put me in the crazy
housel What for? For him Iwo:iced in the primary. I got all the Italian
vote lined up for him. He was defeated. Now he says I'm crazy. Tried to put
me in the nut houses What kind psychologie (a little difficulty with the word)
is that? For him he got working crazy people?
Me? (interruption) I was in the orazy house? I never was in the
crazy house. Mike the Boss sent you here. I was only in Bel-le-vue for a
few days and they turned me loose. Said was nothing wTongwith me.
What they said to me in Bel-le-vue?
0 -o -oh, they only felt ally pulse, kicked me in the shims a time or
two, to see I got good feelings. Then they told me could I add up sums in
addition. One of the doctors jobbed his finger at me
41••••••
Just like that (stabbing at the nearest man's eye). You're President
Roosevelt/ he hollered at me. Right in my face
What I said: I said: Yer a cock-eyed liarl
Then they turned me loose. They said: nothing wrong with this msn.
Bring here the people what sent him. See, maybe they're crazy.
Say, listen (interruption) That's what Mike the Boss said, when he
had me locked up. He said I was six months in the craw house. Mike the Boss'
gang all supported him in the primary. He got beat. Six of his guerillas was
arrested for distributing narked ballots. He wanted a goat. Ives the goat.
Haw I got looked up? I'll tell you haw.
Primary day it was raining. I was standing there, a hundred feet from
the polls, according to law, with a Mike the Boss sign on. A big sign. With
big letters all over: vote for Mike the Boss an' Save your Jobs. I had an
umbrella that belonged to Mike's Club.
As I was standint there, a feller with a Nike the Boss button on ca up
to me and wanted to borrow the umbrella. It wasn't mine. I couldn't lend it to
him. He had a lotta ballots in his hand. You know, sample ballots for distribution.
Then he says: here, hold those ballots. Keep lam dry for a minute.
So I held 'em for him. I thought it was all right. He had a Mike the Boss
button on.
Then he vent away. An' never come back anymore. In a couple minutes,
up comes a cop an' arrests me. Said the ballots was marked. Illegal. Imes
looked up. Also the cop looked up about six of Mike's guerillas for distributing
marked ballots.
In Magistrates' Court the guerillas all swore I gave tern the ballots
an' that they didn't know they were marked. I never gave nobody any ballots. I
I was just holdint lam for the guy that never come back. Mike the Boss wanted
somebody to throw the blame on.
So he told the judge I had been in the crazy
house an' didn't know what I was loin'.
The judge says to me: are you crazy? I says I will be if I work for this
gang any longer. Everybody laughed. The judge laughed an' everybody in court.
-S
Wells the judge didn't know who to believe. They all swore I had
been in the crazy house. It Was their word against mine.
The six guerillas was turned loose. I was held for Special Sessions.
The case is still pending. I lost my WPA job. An' now I'm a bum.