6) “Poor Devil”

Outside of the sheds, work was still dangerous. Workers were crushed, injured, and combusted. Jack gives us a tour of the abandoned quarries, which he punctuates with bittersweet memories and reflections. He tells a joke about a trick laid-off workers used to get a meal. In the end, Jack just wants to be able to get by.

Oral history transcript to be performed: Jack Gills, Derrick Operator (1930s, Federal Writers’ Project interview)

Guest performer: Richard Gaiotti

This is an independently produced show. Please consider supporting En Masse on Patreon.

SOUND & MUSIC CREDITS

Music: "Unidentified Cajun harmonica tune (II)" by Unidentified [harmonica]. From the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Sound Effect: "Bar Crowd - Logans Pub - Feb 2007" by lonemonk. From freesound.org. CC BY

Sound Effect: "Cableway » Cableway_03" by alessandro.gargiulo. From freesound.org. CC BY

Sound Effect: "Flamenquillo_PlazadelSol" by tallers. From freesound.org.  CC BY

Sound Effect: "Hail, Interior, Light, A" by InspectorJ. From freesound.org. CC BY

Sound Effect: "Kuppi rikki / Porcelain cup falls and breaks on the floor" by YleArkisto. From freesound.org. CC BY

Sound Effect: "Old train » Train 06 (two trains)" by Glaneur de sons. From freesound.org. CC BY

Sound Effect: "Railway station crowd" by arnaud coutancier. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC

Sound Effect: "Rain on a construction site" by oloyolol. From freesound.org. CC BY

Sound Effect: "voices » 20070916.yell" by dobroide. From freesound.org. CC BY