Document text
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Date received
Oft 0P/ii
Consignment no.
Shipped from 4#
Label
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Amount
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Form —3
14.47j7Ard UNIT
Place of origin
Project worker
Project editor
Remarks_ 25116•Aqn...ee.„4.411.&
Collection (or Type)
Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
STATE
New York
NAME OF WORKER Terry Roth Sam Schwartz
ADDRESS 47 W. 69th Street
DATE March 4, 1939
SUBJECT AAS BORN AN IDEA
1. Date and tir. of nterview April 3, 1939
2. Place of interview
Furriers Union
250 W. 26th Street
New York City
152 W. 13th Street
3. Name and address of informant Mrs. Sarah Cohen
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in
touch with informant. Miss Spiro, Educational Director
6. Name and address of person, if any, accompanyinL you
Sam Schwartz
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
(Use RS many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms, each
bearing the proper heading and the number to which the material refers.)
FORM C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
STATE New York
FOLKLORE
NEV[ YORK
NAME OF '.i0REIR Terry Roth Sam Schwartz
ADDRESS 4? W. 69th Street
DATE March 4, 1939
SUBJECT WAS BORN AN IDEA
152 IL 13th Street
WAS BORN AN IDEA
In the 1926 strike I was between the workers in Webster
Hall. You know, the workers with the cards. I don't have to
tell you about cards. All over they played cards in Webster
Hall. The hall keeper, he come over and told them. "Please,
workers, don't play because I am not allowed for you to play."
He came over again. When he came over the third time he
took one of them by the collar and sat tlim on the floor. I thought
he'd kill him. But I can't blame the worker. When he sits and plays
cards he forgets his troubles. And that time, in my mind, was born
an idea between the workers. And the next day I brought in the strik-
ing halls my awn set chess and I start to play with my comrades. The
most of the workers didn't know even what it is. So one passed by,
a leader. Because he is one, he is more important than 1,000 of us.
He saw it was crowded around me and one of the boys, he played with
me. So they all asked. "What's the matter?" "Oh," that leader
says, "she's a crazy. Let her. Don't mind her." I really looked
crazy. I was really dressed very shabby, with rags. I took it like
a sport. Because I play an important role in the union?
-2
Then we started to play in the union maybe once a month.
I saw that it was very interesting for the workers. It had a
good psychological effect on the union. I came over to the ed-
ucational department. It was in the lookout week, the first
week in January last year. But before I came to the education
ooml_ittee, I went to the Public Library. I saw in the Red Ency-
clopedia, because the Red Russian Encyclopedia is more words than
the British, what it means chess, and what the Russian leaders
say about chess.
I told them. "Comrades. I think it's time whe should have
for the furriers chess. Here I see not only cards, but that they
are playing dice. It's poison for the union. Right here on the
floor." I told them. "Even dice." So it was one comrade, he is
a right one. "Cards?" In the Union? No I don't think they are
playing cards in the union."
"Alright. So no cards. But I think there should be chess."
So they gave me money, ten dollars to buy two sets and I huy ten.