Charles LeRoy Lewis - Special Collections - University of Baltimore

LEWIS;099 II:2:72
because we didn't have a floral design, and he got up in the
meeting and questioned about the floral design. I said it
was all taken care of. I didn't see it. . .I said I didn't
care whether you seen it; I just told you it was all taken
care of. So, after the meeting was over 1 took him aside
and I said I want you to do me a favor. He said, what's that?
I said I want you to go down and see his wife and
ask her if the organization gave her anything for her husband.
After a few minutes he turned white, walked away. Later on
he come back to me and he says, I'm sorry I was so damned
dense. I mean, we were no organization to do that. We had
a guy that was sick, arm broke. I went up there to see him
how he was. Hell, they were ready to shut his . , ,
[END TAPE I1 SIDE 2; BEGIN TAPE III SIDE 11
Lewis: . . .they know you don't squander their money: I
mean if somebody really wanted to know what I done w ith it,
I would tell them, but 1 'rn not going to get up in front of
the meeting . . .
Harvey: OK, let me put an introduction on here again, Mr.
Lewis. This interview, this is Tape 11 of an interview with
Mr. Roy Lewis of Hampden. The interview was conducted at
the Hampden Woodberry Remington Community Center an July 29,
by Bill Harvey and Susie Hawes; Baltimore Neighborhood
Heritage Project.
Let me ask you this: how would you compare the old
lodges, the Mechanics, and all them to the
groups today, the new clubs like the Barn Burners and Pang-
ers, and so forth?