Document text
A4,4.1
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Forms te be Filled out fqr Eiich.In4srview
FORMA
Circumstances ff Interview
STATE New York
NAME OF WORKER Vivian Morris
ADDRESS 225 W. 130 St. New York
DATE
December 8, 1938
SUBJECT A. B. C. EMPLOYMENT AGENCY
1. Date and time o? interview
2. Place or interview
3. Name and address of informant
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in
touch with informant.
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Observations December 2, 1938, 9145 A. M. 1 P. M.
200 W. 135 St. New York 'dity Roam 212 B
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
Creque's Employment is situated on the 3rd floor at above address
A small, stuffy room with eight or ten tenches, six of which are reserved for
women and the remaining four for men.
A wooden partition with a small glass window separates Mr. Creque from his clients.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms, each
bearing the proper heading and the nuiber to which the material refers.')
FORM C
Text of Iltervicw
STATE New York
NAN,E OF WOXER Vivian Morris
ADDRESS 225 W. 130 St. New York
DATE December 8, 1938
SUBJECT A. B. C. EMPLOYMENT AGENCY
(reditc:)
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Mr. Creque is a short red -skinned vegro, with large bland eyes which do
not belie the guile that lies in his alert scheming brain. He knew the tricks,
alright.
The °phone rang.
Yr. Creque picked the 'phone up and placed it between his shoulder and his
ear, holding it thusly so that he could write more freely. "ABC Employment Agency."
The people who are seeking jobs out front suddenly halted their cross
exchange of problems, the better to hear the telephone conversation that was going
on in the office back of the glass partition.
"You want a girl for 8 hours? That will be ,43.20 Mrs. Fink; No, you pay
carfare both ways. I'll send her right out. Goodbye :burs. Fink."
Creque got up and walked over to the opening that stood for a door. His
eyes roamed over the group as if he was searching for someone to send to Mrs. Fink,
but he knew that Mrs. Banks would be the person elected to be sent out. Hadn't
she been the first to be sent out every morning when there was a call for day's
work? In fact the massive Mrs. Banks was so certain, that she had already risen
from her seat.
"Mrs. Banks," Creque beckoned to her.
"Who me? Ah'm sho luckyl beamed the beefy krs. Banks as she flounced out
of the room to the office.
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"Here, Mrs. Banks," said Creque, handing her a card, "Mrs. Fink is
expecting you in half an hour."
"Fink", asked Mrs. Banks dubiously, "Adnt she Joosh? You know Ah don't
wukk fo' no Joosh folks, cause dey sets de clock back an,
1=1,
"Mrs. Banks, you know I wouldn't send you out on a Jewish job. I have
never done it, have I? Of course not. Forty cents, please.
That's 10% of $3.20."
"You sho' cale'late fas'I" said Mrs. Banks handing him the money.
That job being settled, the hubbub burst out again among the hopefuls
in the receiving line.
The smart, young girl in the green hat was talking, confidentially, to
the girl in the yellow coat:
"You know, chile, Ah'm goin' tell you sampin dat he'ps you git on roun'
heah. Yo' know ole Crick, whatever his name is, laks me. Bet Ah gits the fust
partime job dat comes heah. Nevah tek nothin' but parttime, honey; you' makes more
money dat way. As Ah was goint to say, the way to git roun' ole Crick, in dare is to
say, in a whiney voice, 'Mr. Crick, why don't ya gi' me a break on these part time
jobs. Ah'm a hard-working girl trying tl git along.' Dat ole fool will fall all
over hisself tryin' to git fresh, but you'll git jobs long as y'u don't let him
date y'u up. Ah know chile OI an' yto kine 0' show y'o figgerl"
Dere's the foam now ---Part time —Match 'mm call me."
She started to powder her nose.
"Miss Lane."
The lady in the green hat got up and went to Mr. Creque's office. The
lady with the white, high, laced -up shoes, dropped her lower lip and began grumbling:
"Sho' Lawd don' know why dat fas1 gal gits all de parttime jobs fust.
Mr. Crick mus' be lakin' huhl"
There was subdued laughter from the other members of the unemployed
audience.
-3
Mr. Creque rapped, sternly, an his desk and the merriment ceases.
As Mr. Creque was talking to Miss Lane, a spry, wiry young woman quickly
cane in upon them.
Mr. Creque was confounded at her for bursting in unheralded. He began
indignantly: *Mrs. Gray, why dont
"Dont' Mrs. Gray me," flamed that little lady. "What do you mean sending
me and six other women after one job?"
"Mrs. Gray
*Shut upt Give me my four Dollars t she commanded.
"After four days
OD ilik• OM
"I want my money, now!"
Creque got up and gingerly touched the arm of the irate woman, saying:
"Please sit down and lower your voice. P -1 -e -a -s -e."
"Lower nothin'", fumed the lady condescending to sit down.
"Now the law says, after three days, you can collect your money, if I don't
get you another job."
The lady stood up smelling with anger and a vitriolic outburst was on the
way.
"Please sit down," said Creque, softly, "I'll give you your money. Creque
handed her the money under the desk, saying: f"Please keep quiet.") "How Mrs. Grey,
cons in Friday, and I'll return your money, if I've found no other job for you. Gooday."
Mrs. Gray tucked -the money in her stocking looking at Creque as if he were
What was he ta;pg about? With an apprehensive glance, she scurried from
the roam.
A tall, raw-boned bumpkin walked in and made his may to Mr. Croquets office.
He stood twisting his cap and shifting his feet.
*Nell, what is it?" asked Mr. Creque, confidently.
"Well," fluttered the gawky youth, "dat job you' sent me on at dat dere
bolain, -alley
*Nell"?
-4-
"Dat woman dawn dere tol' me dat y'o wukked twelve hours stead of eight.
Y'o does the janitor's wukk, an' y'u on'y gits paid every mont"
"What?" asked Drogue, in mock surptise.
"YassUh. An' 'stead of gittin' $36 a mont, ya on'y gits thutty five."
"I'll call them up" fumed Creque, as he picked up the 'phone. "Misrepresent-
ing the facts to me'."
"Hello". "I sent you a boy down dare and I want to know who talked to
him. Miss Cohen? Wait a minute."
He turned to the boy asking "Who talked to you? Miss Cohen?" Then he
turned back to the 'phone and said: "OK. I have it straight now. Goodbye."
"Is it straight now?" asked the gawk.
"Yes--er. You went to the wrong woman. You were to see Mrs. Foley
Mrs. Foley---yes---Mrs. Foley."
"Den An Muss go back?"
"No, no" flustered Creque, quickly. "Illl send you out on a better job.
Let me see ---Tomorrow yes, tomorrow."
"My money
"Oh you won't need dat money after you get your job tomorrow.
Goodday.
"Yassah." The gawky fellow shuffled out.
What a hell of a. trying day an employment manager hasi but it is nothing
compared to the bitter disappointments and false exultations that the poor person
suffers as he sits day in and day out waiting for a job which only comes in one
case out of twenty, and then the good jobs are "in the bag."