Document text
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FOLKLORE
Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
NEW YORK
FORMA
Circumstances of Interview
STATE NEW' YORK
NAME OF WORKER .EMANDEL VERSCHLEISER
ADDRESS 1419 Jesup Ave. Bronx.
DATE Nov. 231 1938
SUBJECT YIDDISH FOLKLORE D COVIN
1. Date and time o7 interview Nov. 20, 1938
2. Place of interview
"Crusader" Cafeteria on 14 St. K. Y. Co
3. Name and address of informant
D. Covin, 220 E. 16th St. N. Y. C.
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.
Playing checkers is one of his occupations. Writes a little which
he tries to sell to Yiddish papers.
(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 Interview (Unedited)
STATE hew York
NE OF WORKER Emanuel Verschleiser
ADDRESS 1419 Jesup Ave. Bronx
DATE
Nov. 23, 1938
SUBJECT YIDDISH FOLKLORE D. COVII)
A CHECKERS FLAYE2.S DISCUSSES THE GAYE
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Everybody thinks he knows how to play checkers. It looks an easy
wt.
game. That's why so many people play it. It seems nothing to it. Byt it
takes genius, a real genius to play a real good game. It takes years and years
to learn it I and a friend of mine, we are both from New Haven, Conn, we
used to come to the Labor Lyceum there and play. Ae have been playing it for years
and we thought ourselves good at it.. Then came a young kid and he played us
a few gam and we knew that we knew nothing about checkers. I can win from
almost anybody unless he is a professional. There are many places, in Coney
Island and amusement parks where they play chess and checkers. There are a few
long tables, some for chess and some for checkers. The rules of the game are
that a man sits down and plays a game. If he loses he pays ten c ents, if he wins, he
pays nothing. I can play with as many people as you want at the. same time.
I just have to have one look at the board while the other one sits and thinks.
From the ten cents, I get five cents and the concessionaire gets five cents. A
good day, I make ten dollars, I make five dollars and he makes five dollars. In
the good years before the crisis, during the summers I used to make fifteen, twenty
dollars a week. Of course now, the people are poor, it is hard to make something.
-2-
A guy loses a couple of nickels, he starts to get nervous and counts his change.
Last year I played. During the summer I hardly made five dollars a week. The
wives stand around and they keep nagging their husbands. Naturally they'd
rather go to a movie. Once a woman came after her man in such a rage that
she overturn all our tables. She made a scandal and said sh4d call the police on us.
Many comic things happened but who remembers them now. It's a scientific game.
There are many books about it. There are some professionals who make a living at,
giving exhibitiions, teaching it, playing tournaments. There is Newhall Banks, was
champion of America not so long ago. There's AIM= Ryan, champion of New York
State. There's another good player: Azer Lang. Another good player, Ginsburg of
Brooklyn. In Coney Island, among the professionals, Ferguson would be a good player
if he wouldn't be a drunk. There's Carl, "the bum". Everybody calls him "the
bum". There are many places in iiew York, where they play all kinds of penny games
and show all kinds of breaks, and they play checkers there too. There is a place
or Broadway and 53rd St., there is a place on 42nd St. and Times Square. I used to
come and play in the 53rd St. Place. There an interesting story happened to me.
I even wrote it down. I played with a man. He looked like a tramp. You know,
a hard old derby and shabby, old clothes. He lost five games one after another.
He gave me five dimes. Then I wanted to give him a dime back. In the last game
I took one move back and that should not be done. But he refused. Are went out
together. He bought me a fifty cent cigar and invited me to call at his house and
play whenever I have time. He gave me five telephone numbers where to reach him.
That was the famous millionaire, I. Segal, the owner of the Segal Lock Co. I played
with him many times. I asked him why he came to play in such places and why he
dressed up so. So he said he did it to learn the game. I asked hint for a job.
So he gave me to sell a little machine for sharpening razors which he invented. I
sold a little. I come now to some barber place where they play the game. iut
there is nothing in it now.