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Forms to be Filled out ;for Each Interview
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
STATE NE•w York
NAME OF WORKER Herman Spector
ADDRESS 701 Crotona .1) ark North, Bronx
DATE November 25, 1938
SUBJECT UNDER 'ME BRIDGE
1. Date and time o7 interview
2. Place of interview
November 22, 1938
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Near Fulton Fish Market, New York City
3. Name and address of informant Informant is an anonymous tramp, born
in Holland, a city beachcomber whose
haunt is the East Side waterfront, near
the Fulton Fish district.
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you
Despite his ragged state,
touch with informant.
he possesses a certain
quiet confidence and is
never servile or obsequious.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying Y°uivliddle--ageds he has
reddish hair, watery but
unwavering blue eyes,
and broken stubs of
teeth. He wears a cap,
open denim shirt, and
frayed, ill -matched jacket
and pants.
As I interviewed him, be
stood close by a Negro who
was eviscerating salvaged
fish over a drain....
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 number to which the material refers.)
FORM C
Text of Iitterview (Unedited.)
STATE New York
NE OF muxa Herman Spector
ADDRESS 701 Crotona Park North, Bronx
DATE' November 25, 1938
SUBJECT UNDER THE BRIDGE
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Dem good fish, sure. See: when it is here red (indicating
gills,) is good to eat. Odderwise, no. I know all kinds fish, sure.
Been fisherman twenty years. Old time ships? Worked on beam trawler,
odder ships. Seen 37 countries, dot's all. Now on de bum, sure, I
don't care. Eat, go anyplace I want, do what I like. You tit* I
care about rich man? Rich man can't sleep. I sleep good nobody
gotta worry about me. Can rich man go by himself? I answer you
every question no. He gotta have bodyguard. Dey trow bum (bomb)
at him. I take walk across bridge, I go on South Street, wait on
line Lodging House. Who care for me, who trow bum? Why? I got
nottink. Gee Pee Morgan you know dis man? why dey trow bum in
his place? Dey liking him? No, dey got hate for dis man.
I like to be like dis. I am Robinson Caruso, giff me island,
I be by myself. What I need automats, teleph&ne? I got no worry. I
eat not so good,d, but sometink. Drepression? Yes. All over is
de same. I don't want to bear from odder country; I don't want to
mix in it. Dis is best country for me. Man can travel on odder
side, tink you can do dis? I answer you every question no. Sure
I know, I come from one dem countries. No, not Germany Holland.
I got no use dem dictators. Even Mission preacher, he say: I hate
-2
dictator. When he say dis himself, dis mus' be true. Here(addressing
Negro,) dot's wrong way. Cot fish like dis sol
Over here is good, but not built up like odder side. Don't
tell about den buildings. High? If dey get stone in old country,
make twice more high. Dot bridge yah, dot is wondaful ting. Dis
engineer is big man who make dis. Frenchman. He don't fink he will
make, kills himself. I know. I am only dummy, but I now dis is
great man. He tinks he don't make it, but he makes it. Sure, he must
get labor, he must get machines but he is got head
Good dot way? (to Negro) Goes faster, huh? Tell you
wot I tink. Once I got money, sure, I live on highclass street
Hoboken, Elevent' Street. Not so highclass, I do' know, still good
class for workingman. Dem times I got job, pay fifty dollar montl
rent. Now (shuug,) no job. Live like dis. LaGuardie not de fault.
If he knows, he changes. You know who is de fault? I answer you every
question. Racketeers; den de fault. (Negro leaves with full pail -load
of cast-off fish, saying: "Gotta get ice nowt")
No, he don't eat den. He sell den fish. How much he makes?
He makes fifty cents I betchoo. Me? Why I gotta do dot? I got enough
what I want. I don't starve. Gee Pee Morgan (etc.)