Document text
64 -A -LA
Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
FOLKLORE
NW YORK
STATE New York
NAME OF WORKER Saul Levitt
mmuss 27 Hamilton Terrace, New York City
DATE Sept. 21, 1938
SUBJECT STORIES _ASSOCIATED WITH LOCAL LIFE AND INDUSTRY, RIVERSHORE
OF NEW YORK CITY
1. Date and time of interview
Sept 14, and continued on Sept. 21
2. Place of interview Freeman Sfreet and Westchester Avenue, (West
Farms Creek.)
3. tame and address of informant Otto Walters, Freeman Street and Westchester
Avenue West Farms Creek.
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in
touch with informant.
X
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
The setting is the West Farms Creek which winds westward from the
East River, and is otherwise knows as the Bronx River. At this point
the Creek has been widened. Derricks, coal barges, fishing boats make
up the shore and water picture. Patches of green on the slope toward
the Creek stand out against the gray monotone of the Creek's industrial
life and the concrete ramparts of a bridge which crosses the Creek at
this point. Directly below the Bridge is a shack, once used as a pier
house and storeroom, having now a chimney which climbs out of the wooden
wall, and it is here that informant resides. The Creek is about 150 ft
wide at this point, its waters are muddy -brown, and the fishing boats,
painted white and orange, with trim lines, lie on the Creek like a pink
ribbon on a sow's ear.
(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.)
-2- FORM A CONTINUED
DESCRIPTION OF ROOM, HOUSE, SURROUNDINGS, ETC.
The interior of the shack is chockful of sheer rubbish
amidst which the bare necessities of living such as bed, table, chair
have to be carefully noted as they have acquired a kind of protective
coloration and nondescript quality which, impartially judged, makes
them an integral part of the collection of odds and ends.
However there is a good battery radio set in working order;
there are several old calendars on the walls, of this year and other
years, a tray full of rubber balls, in one corner an enormous heap
of old newspapers, several marine pictures on the walls, a boat name
plate, Herbert W. On the table in the c enter of the room is a kero-
sene lamp, on the far side of the shack a rusty metal bed with blanket
and mattress but no sheets; and also in the shack are an ancient
orange -colored plush armchair a straight-backed chair, and a stove.
There are some half -dozen pails standing on the floor and on heaps
of stuff, several of them containing water. At the threshold is an
overhang of wood and a bench below it, making a sort of portico.
FORM .13
Personal History of Informant
STATE NEW 'MIK
NAME OF WORKER SAUL LEVITT
ADDRESS 27 Hamilton Terrace, New York City
DATE Sept 21, 1938
SUBJECT STORIES OUT OF LOCAL LIFE: RIVERSHORES OF NEW YORK
1. Ancestry
GERMAN
2. Place and date of birth HAMBURG, RMANY, 1873
3. Family
NO LIVING FAMILY AS FAR AS INFORMANT KNOWS.
4. Places lived in, with dates Hamburg, Germany, (Childhood)
City Island, Mount Vernon, and present address.
5. Education, with dates Some primPry school education
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
6. Occupations and accomplishments, with dates --Has worked around local
waterfront, (on Creek and City Island) for some forty-five years.
As a boy of 16 worked for a time as plumber. On waterfront he has been
boat -builder, handyman, pilot on fishing boats.
7. Special skills and interests
At present acts as caretaker for the McCormack coal Company, wich
which owns most of property on south shore of creek at this point; had
liaofugneiliaLcliqfrgattis eaCifiAititlagmlitH BililaffigngmllittUatHking on
no
8.
None at present.
9. Description of informant
Noted at once are bright and sparkling brown eyes. Informant is
slightly built, hunched somewhat, in complexion a dark brown like a
slow -baked potato, is mse is big, jaws somewhat long, faculties are
VD. Other Points game u in interview all alert, and he is pleasant except
that he has an animousity for small boys who, he says, "got some kind
of wildness in them." When asked questions, he said he was willing
to talk but he could barely conceal an agitation and a melancholy and
did not do more than answer in monosyllables for about a half an hour
after which he spoke at a great rate of speed like someone tho has been
still for a very long time; and he would not regard cues intended to
take him off hit main theme which was the astonishing and strange
FORM C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
STATE NEW YORK
NAME OF WORKER SAUL LEVITT
ADDRESS 27 Hamilton Terrace, New York
DATE Sept 14, 1938 (continued on Sept 21st)
SUBJECT STORIES OF LOCAL LIFE: RIVERSHORES OF NEW YORK.
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
How do I like living around here? If you like to rough it
it's OK otherwise it's better to be in an apartment. I like it
allright, I've been here forty-five years. (Irformant through first
brief interview walks up and dawn narrow pierways surveying Creek,
puffing rapidly on a cigarette down to the last half inch and brushing
an imaginary speck of dust off interviewer's tie) I like it allright.
Yeah -yeah. Do I feel melancholy sometimes? When I don't feel right
I just go upstairs, (indicating flight of wooden steps which climb
bank from the Creek edge to the roadway above), and go over to
a show. I used to build boats but 'm getting old now, No, I don't
want a drink but I used to drink, I'm too old for that now. Yeah -yeah.
Too old. How was it around here thirty years ago. There were estates
up here. Yeahl it was beautiful. I'm the only one that lives here,
I guess, but I hear there's some new -comers up near Starlight Park.
Come back sometimes, sure, I don't mind, and I'll give ye' some dope.
On Sept 20, interviewer, who hadbeen there several times
without locating informant, clambered across a low tideflat ftear
one shack to a houseboat called Venida, scuttled on flat. Together
with friend, he pulled himself aboard via a length of piping slung
over the side, and found there amidst wreckage, broken windows,
the skeletal remains of a piano and broken bedsteads in what were
evidently living compartments, several letters be -smeared with river
mud and smelling to high heaven, addressed to Mr. X from girls in
New York and Virginia.
Legible fragments of letters found on houseboat Venida on
West Farms Creek:
Lurray, Va.
Oct. 25, 1937.
Dear Mr. X
I will answer your letter which I received just a few
minute ago. I was real glad to hear from you. I am well and happy
and truly hope when these few lines reaches your hands will fine
you and wife well and happy (ten lines illegible)
tole me that you loved me and know that you sent me money and
wanted to buy me clothes she wont love you so dam good Harry I
love you make know different who you marries or what you do. But
I have a boy friend that is true to me and he don't (illegible)..
you said that you love me if you did you would never marry
an other girl that show how you love me don't it? Harry if
you are marry I wish you all the happies in the world but there it
one think I am going to ask you and if you like me at all you will
tell me who has been writing to you and telling you all the think
you have been talking about and then I will be sadisfide and when
you come in next summer and bring your wife I would love to see but
-3
what did you fall for her or her name it is do beautiful I like it
but guess she is a luckey girl to get a nice boy like you and Darling
I want you to show her the letter that I wrote you to let her know
know how much I loved you and to think how you wrote to me it is
anough to hurt the feeling of a dog but I am a human as well as you are
but you much think I am a dog the way you write to me I am surprise
at you Harry I am going to write your wife a letter and tell her how
you told me that you love me. And then if she love you I will be
happy and always stay happy to think another girl marry the Boy
I real and truly loved and please show her the letter that I wrote
you I want her to know she isjiot the only one who loved you. And
you can laugh at me all you want to but maby someday I hope you will
shed lust one tear over me Any way if not throw a brick in on me I
want to sleep for ever with somethink that my sweetheart gave me.
And that would be the only think that you would like to give me when
I die Darling put a rose in my hand.
And think of how you done me and how you have talk to me
and think of how I loved you And bow that I am gone Barry Darling
why don't you set and think of how much you told me you loved and
how I told you I loved you too and do you think for one minute I
would go out with Any other Boys Harry how can you say that about
me when you know better your Self you ought to know that Mother
wouldn't let me And you ought to know I wouldent for I love you
I know you will laugh when you read this but I don't care I love
you and don't care you know it. but if you are marry I will always
love you and I want your wife to know it I will tell her so if I
ever see her. So Harry you much have fell in love very quick and
-4
learned to love her enough to marry her. So has my heart is
broking And you don't like to read my letter I will close for this
time hoping to hear from you real soon and a real long letter for
I love you to hear from you even if you are marry tell your wife
Hello for me and tell her that I love you too hear is some little
songs I want you to learn for me and remember me when you
(illegible). good Boy
From your
Friend allway D
-5
Tuesday January 14, 1936
Hello Harry,
Received your letter was more than pleased with it. I
will forgive you for not writing that Tuesday night, as I find your
excuse satisfactory. I shall see how good your promise is for
Jan. 30 not Dec. 30, I'm not been sarcastic. I'm just correcting
you on your mistake you made in the date in your last letter. It
struck me so funny I laughed all day. By the way I will permit you
to see me Dec. 30 that is if my health still holds out. How's the
girl friend is she still jealous of you? I hope not: And I hope
you used your mannish technique in curing her disease. It always
works if you go about it the right way if you don't your lust stuck
with a dame you can't get off your shoulders. Excuse the slang its
just one of my habits. I sure hope you will excuse it. That's
enough of that. How's the club coming along? How's are the boy
friends and girl friends?
How's your mother the whole family. I sure would like
to meet them that is if I'm not being too bold. I hope they are as
sweet as your estimation goes. As they say regardless of how mean
a mother may think her son he always has a place in his heart for her.
Don't you think I'm right? I hope to tell you I am.
I tried hard to continue writing but I find it impossible as
I'm very tired about to flop in bed.
There isn't anything else to say so I close here hoping you
keep your neck clean.
Signing off until my next letter
S:ationK-I*T-T- Y
P S Answer Soon Hoping soon to hear from you, your friend
Mickey Mouse.. Meaning Kitty a
-6-
Interview continued with informant Otto Walters on Sept. 21.
(Informant was standing near end of the narrow pier whidh
runs some thirty feet out into the Creek and tying rope thrown by a
deckhand from the fishing boat Ventura coming in. After tyeing up
boat he came forward toward shack and recognized interviewer but was
ill at ease. He finally opened door of shack. The Captain of the
fishing boat who was addressed as "Captain" came along the pier to the
shack and in answer to questions laughed and said: "Sure, there's
plenty of stories here, and Otto knows a lot of them. You tell him,
Otto. I'll tell you the best fish story you ever heard yet. We
went out for weakfish up to Execution Light last week and there was
a feller on board didn't catch a fish all day. But about the time we
were going back he pulled up a watch right through the eye which was
nothing because the feller next to him quick as a flash pulls up
another watch and what& more it had the right time on it. Yes,
Otto knows a lot, he's been around here a long time. Tell him about
that scow captain. This scow captain, he liked his drinks you know,
and he went off one night and must have gotten a big one on because
when he came back--Y'see there's a space between the shore and the
boat and he fell in. (Captain is laughing and Walters nods his head).
The next morning he comes floating down right here to the shack and
Otto fishes him out and there was a lot doing around here. Police
and all that stuff. Yeah, Otto.'s always fishing something out of the
Creek, every year there's some boys drowned swimming here. Did you
go swimming here? Well, young feller, you're lust lucky you're around
here, that's all So long as they keep that war and that fighting
over there that's all we care about. When they come over here we'll
-7
take care of them. Yeah, Otto knows a lot of stories, you tell
him, Otto."
(After "Captain" left, informant and interviewer sat in
shack. It was quite dark. In answer to qiestions, informant merely
replied categorically for some fifteen minutes, and then without
answering, rummaged through pile of odds and ends and emerged with
a brown manilla envelope containing photographs. Photographs were
dated in back in crayon and pencil, dates covering years 1882 -down
to some five years ago.
We had good times years ago. Yeah -yeah. leup. It's
different now. What do they do now? Dog eat dog. (Goes out to
shout at boys on bank and drives them off.) Boys are wild now.
They don't get a licking, that's what. That's what they did years
ago. A licking. Fathers and mothers don't count no more. Yeah -yeah.
They're not supposed to give 'em a licking these days. That picture?
Yes, that's me in the middle. (Picture dated 1890, showing several
people grouped about a pierhouse and facing camera broadside is a
rowboat with three young men in it. The people on the pier are wearing
bowler hats and high collars. On the wall of the pierhouse are signs
reading New England Pies. Boats Rented. The young man in the center,
in picture is wearing a cap with viser, shirt, and pants rolled to
knees, and he is sitting on pier with legs dangling in boat.) What
happens around here. Nothing much happens now. We used to have times
around here, nice times. We had lots of young people coming here.
The girls were different. Don't tell me they weren't different.
They were quieter and maybe they used a little powder but not like
girls today. I tell you it's different today and I don't know
what's going to happen. (Whenever informant makes reference to
"today" his face grows longer, he becomes fretful and peers out
on the Creek.) The automobile did it. Yeah -yeah. And the movies,
don't forget the movies..Where do you think they get their ideas
from. Holdups. Yeah -yeah. The movies. Beer five cents and seven
cents a pint. You could get a meal for 20 cents and raise a family
on 20 dollars a week. Now a man needs forty -fifty dollars a week.
Can he get it? Yeah, that's right, and he can't get it. (Pulls
out studio photograph from bag, showing young boy about eight years
of age, with curly dark hair in Little Lord Fauntleroy style). That's
one of my sons, they're all dead, he'd have been thirty six years
old today if he lived. (Informant runs out to chase off boys playing
on bank of Creek). It was nice here, it was all wooded, you bet,
very nice. (Shows another photograph, this one of three young fellows E
about eighteen years of age). They worked for me. Do any of them
ever come around to see me? They're all dead. They were good boys.
I had my own boat here, (shows picture of small motorboat with canopy
over it, and name -plate near bow, Herbert W). Nice times those were.
Yeah -yeah. Well, sure lots of things happened around here. Some old
songs? I remember them but I can't sing. You know them all. Sure.
They play them songs now only different. I guess I'll keep on living
here. Feller took a girl out in a rowboat before he went off to the
War. I mean the Spanish-American War. They looked nice. Now it's
dog eat dog. About this scow feller that the 'Captain' mentioned?
Oh, they're all alike, most of them ant' married. This feller that
fell off was Irish, he wasn't married. That boat out there? (inter-
viewer points to Venida). Up to four years ago that was used. Yeah.
Parties on it and they roomed people. Right there on the boat that's
right. I had a sailboat when I was a young feller maybe eighteen.
It's not like the automobile. That's something you have to work with.
Sure an automobile is allright I once had a car myself fer business
but nowadays a man won't walk he gets in a car to go two blocks and
what's more he don't own the car. When I was a plumber in Mount
Vernon I had to w alk seven -eight miles to work, seven to six at
night. Yeah -yeah. There's no fishin in the Creek now there used
to be all kinds, weakfish, flounders, these fishing boats go up
a ways as far as Execution Light. (Asked about picture of three
men with background of Creek and wooded shore) True blue, old
friends of mine, yes that's me on the left. My father had a boating
place up at City Island. That was different now its restaurants
and streets it was nice once. Yeah -yeah. This wasn't the Bronx
once it was Morrisania, Melrose, West Farms I walked from 110th
St.reet. I guess I'll go to a show there's no use hanging around
here. No, you're not keeping me but I'm going to a show later.
FOR): U
Extra Comment
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
STATE NEW YORK
NAME OF WORKER Saul Levitt
ADDRESS 27 Hamilton Terrace New York
DATE Sept 21, 1938
SUBJECT STORIES OF LOCAL LIFE: THE RIVERSHORE OF NEW YORK CITY
Above the shack, at three o'clock in the afternoon high
school children from the nearby James Monroe High School march across
the Bridge. The entire area is a residential community, and the
new and still expanding east Bronx community has 'own up around
this shore. Reminiscenses of informant cover a period in which
population was mainly Dutch, German, Irish living in one and
two family houses. Sailboating and ice-skating, church festivals
and other social activities associated with rural and suburban
communities were carried on. Of all this small community past
which was still to be found as recently as twenty years ago
within the environs of New York City not a trace remains in
this area. It is an apartment house and two and three-story brick
house development having a predominating Jewish population with
the local Pelham Bay line of the Lexington Avenue subway running
on an elevated track above the Creek.