Celedonia ”Cal” Jones (CJ) and Robert Harris (RH)

CJ: I remember moving to 143rd street between Lennox and 7th. That was probably one of the toughest blocks in the city. The first day I came out to play and this fella comes up and he says, ”Hey.” So I says, ”Well I’m Cal,” and I put my hand out to shake, and he, BANG, he hits me in the eye. I said all I wanted to do is be friends, he says, ”And that’s how we start friends in this block.” So that was the kind of reception I got moving in to this block.

I remember this day, it was like 95 degrees, we were out on the sidewalk, and we were about nine and eleven years old. So I said let’s play box ball and that was like hitting the ball you know ran the bases and all, and it was hot, so we said it’s too hot to play. And we were talking and my brother said, ”I guess it would really be something if someone tried to run around this court in this weather and so this fella Gordon said, ”Ahh, it wouldn’t bother me.” My brother Joe said, ”I’ll bet you can’t run around the court 52 times?” So Gordon says, ”Yes I could.” They bet a dime. That was big money.

RH: That was big money.

CJ: Okay, so Gordon starts running around the court and people are beginning to come out and people are saying, what is that fool running around the court for? What’s that little boy…y’all better stop him he’s going to fall out, you know. Gordon’s…, 28, 29, times and as he past he’d say to Joe, ”You better have my dime. And everyone would say, ”Whoa. Fight fight.” And I said to Joe, ”Joe where you going to get a dime to pay him?” Joe said, ”I don’t know.” So, meanwhile he’s running around the court, he’s going, 49, and he’s barely making the round, so when he hits the 50th time my brother Joe says, ”I don’t have a dime, I’m not going to pay you, and we can fight right now.” And he’s standing up there telling Joe, ”I’m going to hurt you.” Joe says, ”Come on.” Joe was dancing around like Joe Louis. I mean that was the kind of block it was, that was a tough block.