Document text
Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
FORMA
Circumstances of Interview
STATE New York
NAME OF WORKER Vivian Morris
ADDRESS 225 West 130 St.
DATE December 6, 1938
SUBJECT BRONX SLAVE MARKET
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
1. Date and time o interview Observation Nov. 30th from 9.40 A. M. to
1.30 P. M.
2. Place of interview 167th St. Girard Ave. Bronx, New York City
3. Name and address of informant
Minnie Marshall, 247 West 132nd St.
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in
touch with informant.
None
5. Name and address of person, if any, accowpanying you
None
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
Several stores surround this neighborhood slave market, mainly
on South side of 5 and 10 cents store, where the Madams shop
for domestic necessities etc., including the slave girls and
women.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms, eacn
bearing the proper heading and the number to which the material refers.)
FORM C
T-oxt of I terview (CnediLcd)
STATE New York
IWT OF MUCER Vivian Morris
ADDRESS
DATE
SUBJECT
225 West 130 St.
December 6, 1938
BRONX SLAVE MARKET
FOLKLOPP
NE' YORK
Having heard rumors that a "Slave Market" was in existence
in the Bronx --according to hearsay, this market was operated by
white "Madams" where Negro women slaved for a few cents per day
early one November morning, I decided to confirm such reports by
making a personal tour of the neighborhood where the condition
was supposed to exist.
While walling down 167th S. and as I reached Girard Ave.,
I found the object of my search. Here I was confronted by sights
and tales of woe which I shall always remember.
There, seated on crates and boxes, were a dejected gather-
ing of Negro women of farious ages and descriptions —youths of
seventeen, and elderly women of maybe seventy. These women were
scantily attired --some still wearing summer clothing —and as the
November wind swept and whistled through them, they ducked their
heads and tried to huddle within themselves as they pushed close to
the wall.
I joined the group as though in quest of a job. Although
properly clothed, I too, suffered from the bitter cold which made
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me shift from foot to foot. Immediately, my thoughts strayed to
these twenty or more unfortunate women who were partly -clothed, some
with tennis shoes, cut-out men's shoes, warped women's shoes bearing
Wanamakerts seal --the cast-offs of some forgotten "Madam."
A woman with a gold tooth smiled and invited me to share
her box. Her face bore cuts over both eyes and the corner of her
mouth. She appeared to be as broad as she was tall, but, despite
all this, her flat face bore a kindly expression. When she discovered
that I was in her category, she became sympathetic and as one woman
to another, she began to relate her futile struggle of life from past
to present into my receptive ears. She commenced by stating that
her name was "Minnie." Minnie was born in the tidewater section of
Virginia near Norfolk, a seaport town, in 1908. (She looked forty—
five). Her father was ablack sailor "brawny of arm and smooth of
tongue" -so her mother told her. I interrupted Minnie to question
the whereabouts of her father. She stated that, "he had gone down
to sea with his ship, so Ma said." She went on to say, "I had been
yanked out of school in the third grade at the age of fourteen, in
order to take my ailing mother's job at 'Miss Sarah's' --mother died
in a few days." As I listened, attentively, I gathered that Minnie
had been repeatedly fired from various positions due to lack of
experience and youth --not having enough endurance and muscle for
fifteen to eighteen hours of strenuous laundry and housework. She
decided to take a fling at marriage at the age of sixteen. She
married a hard -drinking sailor thrice her age who gave her, for a
wedding present, Fifty Dollars, and told her, "'Get some puddy clots
fot you' self." Minnie, unaccustomed to such a large amount of
money, decided to save it --first having the satisfaction to touch,
feel and count. The next night, her husband returned home roaring
drunk and demanding money "Five Dollars" --and when Minnie timidly
took the roll from under the pillow and peeled off the requested amount,
he attached her insanely, cutting both her eyes and mouth knocking
out her front teeth and taking all of the money, stumbled, and
disappeared into the night. She never saw him again!
During the next twelve years, Minnie worked steadier, became
adjusted to conditions and was now a squat, muscular woman whose
endurance was beyond the average, and she could now work unlimited
hours withoutnaudible protest. At this period, she replaced her
front teeth with gold ones. "But the scars would be with me till
my dying day," she quoted.
In September, 1938, Minnie having saved Twenty Dollars,
decided to migrate to New York. She arrived with about six Dollars
and paid four for a room, leaving Imo, and though, very hungry, was
afraid to spend money for food that night. Early next morning,
Minnie went to an Employment Agency. "Yes, they had jobs at Forty
Dollars, sleep in or out." She almost shouted for joy --that was
more money than she could make in Norfolk in two monthsl But this
was New York. The Employment Agent signed Minnie up as a good cook-
houseworker, etc., then he profferred her a card, saying: "Four Dollars,
please."
Minnie said, her !shoulders saggedll
"Fo? Dollas fot whut?"
"For the job; ya dont think I run this Agency for my health,
do you?"
"No, suh, no suh, Ah only got two Dollas ttween me an de
Lawd. Ah clare, Mistuh, ahtll give you de rest fust week ah woks,
honest Mistuh."
IN tore up the slip, saying: ItYaill pay me when you get paid--
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"That's a hot one --keep your two Dollars, ladyl"
Minnie tried agency after agency but the results were the
same. They wanted their money in front. She couldn't get day's
or part-time work because the agents had special cliques to whom
these choice jobs went. It was rank folly for any outsider to think
of getting one of these jobs. After many days of trying, rent due,
money gone, a sympathetic girl in one of the Agencies, told Minnie
that, "when she was out of money, she stood on one of the corners
in the Bronx, where women came and hired you."
"Next moininl Ah gut up prayin' that de lan lady woudn'
heah me and walked de fifty -some blocks to dis place, ant I saw Othah
gals standin' heah-so Ah stood wid den. Soon a fine cah driv up--
dere was a lady hollint some Oldem eye -glasses yo' holt in yo' ban'
ant peepin! at us --den di'mons on huh fingUhs mos! blinl you ant
de molnint tool" She pointed our way ant de big black buck chauffeur
got out ant Iproached us sayinl, !Come heah.' Ah sed,
"He sez, 'yes--ya wanna wuk, donleha?'
"I walked to the cah ant he says, 'get in'. Ah staht to
get in the back but de madam was dere--he in de front--wheah could
all set? "Git in the front. Doan tank yalll set in de madam's lap,
dees ya?! De gals laughed.
"Will you get in, goil?' sed de madam, 'hi got no time for
dot foolishness.' The gals laffed.
"'Hi pay twanty-five sants an hour --is dot alright mit you?'
"Ah said: rZastm.1 After all, I was 'bout to be put out do's.
"De DrivUh driv down Walton Avenue a ways ant stop 'to! a
fine Ipartment house. De madam tuck me up to huh !partment an' ah
'clare, dese seben rooms she pint out to me am' fittint fol hawgs
to live in. Dey was sume doityl
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"She say: 'Listen, golly. Hi vent you to do a gutt chob4,
htim having company tomorrow. Hi viii tip you fine. Your time begins
now. You vill be pait by dot clock. See--nine-forty five?"
"Dat dam' clock sed de same tine dert:she said, so Ah thott
mah clock was wrong. (All the gals carry clocks.) Ah statt
wukkint ant wo'n mo'n fifteen minutes begin, when dot olt heiffer
was givint orders, "do die an' do dat." She 'zasperate me so dat
ah co'd choke huh tongue outtn huh but ah beared huh. 'Bout six
o'clock, ah toll huh; 'Mist Go].' blatt, ah's thru."
"She sehs, 'bout time,' Den she stalts reachint in cont-ahs
fot dust--feelint huh husbants shoit collats to see ef enough statch
in dem--lookin at de flot most touchint nit wit' huh big nose, neat
sighted self. Den she smile and seh, 'Vas de lunch gut?' (dat
ole slop -fish, two days olet)
"Ah said: trecktn so!"
"Den she git me mah money --dollar, eighty-seben cent.
"Ah sehs: 'Miss Go].' blatt, aint you' miscalctlate? Ah
wukked eight hours--tutk fifteen minutes fot lunch?'
"'Listen' dear goil, Hi neffer cheat hany body. You yolked
seven hours --fifteen minutes, vich giffs you vun dollar--heighty-two
sants, hand hi took hout fife sants for bringink you here, vich
makes hi should giff you van eighty seven, bud hi giff you, per
agreement, a nize fat tip of tan sants--van eighty sefen. Goodbylt
"ah was mad den, but when ah got out ant fount dat it
wus eight o'clock and dat ole heifer done cheat me out of two hours,
ah cou'd a kilt huh. Well, ah at leas' had sumfln fot my lantlady.
Here, Minnie paused awhile and squinted her tired eyes, say-
"Ah hates the people ah Wukks for. Dey's mean, teeitful, ant aint
honest; but whut ahlm gonna do? Ah got to live --got to hab a place
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to steh--1 dough my lantlady seri tith gotta bring huh sumf'n or ah
cans stay dere tonight..Waitl"
A weazened little woman, with aquiline nose, thick glasses,
and three big diamonds which seemed to laugh at the prominent -veined
hands which they were on passed down the line, critically looking
at the girls. When she reached Minnie, she stopped peering: "Can
you do woik-hart voik? Can you vash windows from de houtside?'"
"Ah On do anything --wash windows, anywhere." Time was
passing, she had to get a job or be put out.
"Twenty -fife sants an hour?"
"No ma'am; thirty-five."
"I can get the youngk goils for fifteen sants, and the old
vimmen for tan sants." She motioned toward the others who were
eagerly crowding around.
"Yastm, ah? llgo," said a frog -eyed, speckle -faced, yellow
girl, idiotically smiling.
"Me, too chimed a toothless old hag with gnarled hands
a memento of some days in Dixie.
"Seel" said the woman.
"But dey caint do de wokk Ah kin do," rebutted Minnie
defiantly.
"Thirty-sants", said the bargain -hunter, with an air of
finality.
"Le's go," said Minnie flashing me a gold -toothed smile.
"See ytu latuh, honey. Talk to some ol de othah gals 'bout
dere troubles. Shot he'p yo' wile yo? time 'way.
So long, "Minnie."
"Hope yo? don? meet no heifer lak' ah did on mah fus? job,"
she added.
I waved goodbye to the "slave" for a day, as she plodded
behind her Thtadam."