Document text
tr? 44e7."9
Forms to be F11}ed ottt for )Each Interview
FORM A
Circumetances of Interview
STATE New York
NAME OF WORKER Vivian Morris
ADDRESS 225 14 130th St. New York
DATE Dec. 14,1038
SUBJECT PRICE V.1.1. IN TEE BRONX SLAVE MA12
POLKLORE
NEW YORK
1. Date and time o:* interview
2. Place of interview East 170th St. &Walton Ave., Bronx, N. Y. C.
3. Name and address of informant (See previous story 14 "Bronx Slave Market")
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in
touch with informant.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accowpanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms, each
bearing the. proper heading and the Opliber to which the material refers.)
STATE
New York
FORM C
-Text of Interview (Unedited)
NAME OF WORKER Vivian Morris
ADDRESS 225 W. 130th St. New York
DATE.
Dec. 14, 1938
SUBJECT PRICE WAR IN TEE BRONX STAVE MART
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Upon hearing rumors of a price war in the Bronx slave
mart, I decided again to make a survey of them. Having been informed
that the one located at 170th Street and Walton Avenue MRS One of the
swankiest of these degrading thing I wended my way to this location.
This MRS a nasty, hazy, morning and a sticky rain padded the
gritty New York side -walks. As I made my way to my destination it was
mith firm suspicion that the corners would be deserted on such a morning
as this.
When I reached my destination, I found that I was very
very, wrong because "the sisters of the market" were standing in the
corner store door way and also blocked the door of the next building.
They carried their working paraphernalia in their shopping bass, little
grips, brown paper bags, and news papers.
Some of them peered out of the door mays, shifting from foot
to foot and humming as they watched and waited. As a whole, these women
were better dressed and warmer clad than the ladies at 167 Street and
Gerard Avenue.
I moved in trying to force conversation with the women, and
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got exactly no where, because there women weretight lipped end viewed
me with distrust and answered in mon-syllabic "Yesses and Nois".
tried a new method of opening the conversation by saying,
don't see as many young girls around here as I did on the other corner."
"What coiner?" asked a balloon like lady in a tight brown coat.
"One hundred sixty seventh and Gerard, I answered.
"You come from dere?" she asked belligerently.
"Yes at least I MRS there last week."
"Well aini no use you "cheapies" comini fium irouni dere
ant tryin' to meki business bad frouni head foi us," she grumbled evilly
rolling her eyes at me. "We run many a one' way fiumheah."
The mumbling undertone which her fellow watchers gave vent to
"seconded themotion" on her none tooleiled threat.
"Oh I wouldn't do a thing like that," I assured them firmly.
"Doan' know, you may be lak den Father Divine people," she
jerked a thumb in the direction of some women who were in a door may across
the street.
"What did they do?" I asked feigning nonchalance.
"Dey do everything irong" answered the large brawn coated one.
"Comini iroun' heah soutini "peace sister" an wukkini fo' nuthini. "dere
was a tine viten we got good prices on dis coiner; but den dey come. Dey
take fifteen, twenty an even as low as ten cent an hour. Ontil dey come
nobody never tutk less dan twenlyfive cent an hour foi days wuik."
"But they aren't on your corner, naw," I coaxed, seeking still more
information.
"Oh, me an anudder girl beat two of den up so, one day, 'till
dey uz nigh senseless. So now dey doani come on dis paitickiler coiner no MAin
*What did they do" I asked. She was thawing out by the minute.
"Me ant de girl wuz beini interviewed by two fine madams who
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looked class mid high toned. Dey had 'greed to pay us fifty cents an
hour foi ten hours muik mad we were on de way to dejob, wien up cone
two of den wenches taktin 'bout "Peace madam does yill want some one
tuh muik? We'll vulk foi thutty cent an hour." De madams stopped
and dey both got red in de face an' looked at each udder an' den say
to us, "Sorry girls but we'll tek de two udder girls." We wuz fit to
be tied viten de girl wid me say, "Ahill vouik fo' thutty cent' ma' not
to be out done Ali say' "Me to." Wen den "madams" warnit lookini we
both shuck our fist at dam oli women an 'dey den went away. De next
day we cone to de coiner an' dere dey were. Widout sayini nuthin;
we jisti lit into dem ant beat den up bad. Dey did' lift a ham'
to proteck dey seifs. Dey jis' let us beat den an' dey jisi pray on'
pray, takini bout "Peace, Father is wid us."
Some uh de udder girl pried us loose fium den ant dey
went 'bout dey business. But now no' of den cone den evah. Look at
dat coiner" she peints to the old women on the other corner, who are
dressed in plain old fashioned clothes. "But dey besi not light heah."
"Do they get much work?" I asked.
"Yeah -do "cheapies" go over dere an hire den. Dey vuiks Co'
nuthin; I get long pretty good do'. Ah 'got two regilar days mai
mah madam be long any minute now. Wien dey want classy wuikkers dey come
to dis coiner. Nobody heah wulks foi less dam thutty cents an' hour if
dey do, we run den off dis conier, understan?" she looked meaningly atme.
"I see," said I.
A long law, bl,:ick car pulled up and the only person in it was
the chauffeur. He beckened to the girl who had been talking to me.
Her face spread wider &nd she beamed, saying to me. "Deres, my
madam's chauffeur now, honey. Ain't he a sweet thing?"
As the brawn coated one minced through the rain to the car, one of
the women from the opposite corner started across the street. The brown
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coated one stopped and stood with arms akimbo, ignoring the rain.
"Doan you dart cross dat street an' think yo c'n steal dis job flum
me you low down thing. Git on back cross de street."
The woman stopped fbr a few seconds then turned and retraced her
steps.
There is really a price war in the 170th Street and Walton Avenue
mart.
I decided to walk away while there was still time.