Document text
Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
STATE New York
NAME OF WORKER Vivian Morris
ADDRESS 225 West 130 Street
DATE June 1, 1939
SUBJECT COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE 111th Street and 7th Avenue
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
1. Date and time of interview
2. Place of interview
3. Name and address of informant
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in
touch with informant.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
JON 9 1939
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms,
each bearing the proper headinL and the Timber to which the material
refers.)
COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE
The girl stood near the curb leaning heavily against
the hydrant. She was in earnest conversation with a man
who shook his head violently from time to time and then
edged away. She stood glaring at him passing down the
street. When the man turned the corner I walked over to her.
"Whut want?" she said, with evident annoyance and
suspicion.
'Y'aint gotta git sore at me." I tried to be as hard
as she, assuming an attitude of one who's in on it. To come
as an enquiring reporter would have evinced either suspicion
of a policewoman, or a healthy stream of invectives and to
go and mind my goddam business.
"How I ain't gotta git sore at you? Who you? I ain't
seen you before. Watcha want, huh?"
"Sure y'aint seen me before. I just got into town. I
been workinl this in Philly an business is so hell lousy I
just couldn' do much. The cops is a gettin strict. Wuz run
in last week an, got warned to stay hell outa Philly or be
sent away. So I come here. I don't know nothin' about New
York. I gotta get acquainted. I gotta talk to sumbody. I
don' know one square from the other. So I come over tl you.
Nothin, wrong in that is there?"
2.
"Naw, I Opose there am' nothint wrong. Whatcha wanta
talk about.? That ole www....wwww. got me sore.... They're
gittint cheaper alla time. I gotta make a livini. What the
hella they care. They am' gotta heart. Offerinl me a -buck.
Imagine: A buckl Just the kinda guys that want more outa
yuh fur their lousy buck than whut they use to git fur five.
Well, c'mon, sister; let's go ova tImy bung hole ant I'll
show yuh th' ropes. But don'tcha go pickin' up on nis block.
We' strict on territory, ant thl boss am' got no sympathy with
outside chiselirs. Maybe he'll take ya in ant maybe not.
Let's git."
The girl pulled herself off the hydrant, suffled her
clothing and took me to her room.
The room was the filthiest affair imaginable not like
those in the wealthier districts who cater to the monied
population. The whole get-up consisted of a bed with soiled
linen and no pillow, an old bureau and a single chair. The
walls were de -plastered in numerous places. No windows.
"Some duinp" she stated factually.
"There's worse. Whut else city -a need?"
"Whut else? Oney ma las' year I been pullin' in cheap
customers. Had a joint ten times bettern nis. Them days is
gone. Letts git tl talkint."
"Howldya git inta this business. Y'r pretty young yet.
Been in it long?"
"Nam, oney four years. 'T ain't long; some a us has
worked fur the boss ten fifteen years. Been doin' swell
some a em till the depression. Things kinda fell out. Some
3.
'em customers lost jobs an' asked fur cuts. We hadda accom-
modate or else lose 'era."
"How come ya got inta this stuff. It's kinda lousy
business. Ylain't so bad lookin'."
"Hey, you askinl me questions or whut? Awright, aint
no harm askin'. Yeh, it am' hot. Yur right, sister. I
hates it like all hell. I hates myself too fur doint it.
But whut the hell are yuh gonna do? Whut? I am' got no
folks. I'm 22 now, oney 22. Figger it out. Been at it
four goddam years. Means I wuz oney 18 When I git started.
Why? Cuz I didn't have nobuddy here ant didn' have no job
an, no money. I gotta eat, I gotta live, Hey? I need cloes.
Livinl in a stinkinl hole am' no joke. Nuthin' wuz in sight
so I hadda do umpl. I hadda. I wuz oney 18, see --18t Imagine."
The girl burst into tears that left tracks down her heavily
rouged and powdered face.
"Awright, I don' hafta cry. It's a long time ago. A
whole lifetime fur me. Oney four years an' 'at means a whole
lifetime, see? Whut wuz I t' do? I gits acquainted with
sumbuddy an' gits introduced to this here boss, an' the bastard
makes more outa it than I do. I supplies myself ant he takes
the cash an, gives me a goddam handout. I can't even do
business ona side. He'd kill me. He'd break my neck. I
tried it oncet an' he beat me up. I ell' done it since.
Jail? Been in jail moreln hair on yo' hed. They gits
tired jailin' me. All they say is 'again?' Take a tip
sister; if yuh works fur somebody git holda white customers.
They pays better. Yeh, I wanta git outa this like all hell.
4.
When? An' how? No jobs forced me in ant no jobs is
keepin' me in. They says this is a rich country. I am'
seen it nevva. I don' expects tl see it nevva. I almost
give up hope fur anythi'l except this here so n' so business.
Whut else is there, huh? Nothing. Well, if ya wanta
see thl boss, let's git. goinl now, Awright--
I'll be seem' yulat"