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[[Image:ThreeHobosChicago1929.jpg|thumb|Hoboes in Chicago, 1929]]
[[Image:ThreeHobosChicago1929.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Hobos in Chicago, 1929.]]
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{{otheruses}}
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'''Hobo''' is a term that refers to a [[subculture]] of wandering [[homeless]] people,<ref>{{cite web | authorlink = Answers.com | title = "hobo." | work = The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition | publisher = Houghton Mifflin Company | date = 2004 |url = http://www.answers.com/topic/hobo | format = | accessdate = 2007-01-16 }}</ref> particularly those who make a habit of [[freighthopping|hopping freight trains]]. The iconic image of a hobo is that of a downtrodden, shabbily-dressed and perhaps drunken male, one that was solidified in [[American culture]] during the [[Great Depression]]. Hobos are often depicted carrying a [[bindle]] and/or a sign asking for money.


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The hobo imagery has been employed by entertainers to create wildly successful characters in the past, two of them being [[Emmett Kelly]]'s "Weary Willy" and [[Red Skelton]]'s "Freddy the Freeloader".
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'''Hobo''' is a term that refers to a [[subculture]] of wandering [[homeless]] people,<ref>{{cite web | authorlink = Answers.com | title = "hobo." | work = The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition | publisher = Houghton Mifflin Company | date = 2004 |url = http://www.answers.com/topic/hobo | format = | accessdate = 2007-01-16 }}</ref> particularly those who make a habit of [[freighthopping|hopping freight trains]]. The iconic image of a hobo is that of a downtrodden, shabbily-dressed and perhaps drunken male, one that was solidified in [[American culture]] during the [[Great Depression]]. Hoboes are often depicted carrying a [[bindle]] and/or a sign asking for money/work/food.


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Hobos differentiate themselves as travelers who are homeless and willing to do work, whereas a "[[tramp]]" travels but will not work and a "bum" does neither.
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The hobo imagery has been employed by entertainers to create horribly failing characters in the past, two of them being [[Emmett Kelly]]'s "Weary Willy" and [[Red Skelton]]'s "Freddy the Freeloader".


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The origin of the term is not confirmed, though there is a plethora of popular theories. Author Todd DePastino has suggested that it may come from the term ''hoe-boy'' meaning "farmhand", or a greeting such as ''Ho, boy!'' [http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/143783in.html]. [[Bill Bryson]] suggests in ''[[Made In America (book)|Made in America]]'' that it could either come from the [[railroad]] greeting, "Ho, beau!" or a [[syllabic abbreviation]] of "'''ho'''meward '''bo'''und". Others have said that the term comes from the [[Manhattan]] intersection of [[Houston Street (Manhattan)|'''HO'''uston]] and [[Bowery|'''BO'''wery]], where itinerant people once used to congregate.
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Hoboes differentiate themselves as travelers who are homeless and willing to do work, whereas a ''[[tramp]]'' travels but will not work and a ''bum'' does neither.

==Etymology==
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The origin of the term is not confirmed, though there is a plethora of popular theories. Author Todd DePastino has suggested that it may come from the term ''hoe-boy'' meaning "farmhand", or a greeting such as ''Ho, boy!''.<ref>[http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/143783in.html]</ref> [[Bill Bryson]] suggests in ''[[Made In America (book)|Made in America]]'' that it could either come from the [[railroad]] greeting, "Ho, beau!" or a [[syllabic abbreviation]] of "'''ho'''meward '''bo'''und". Others have said that the term comes from the [[Manhattan]] intersection of [[Houston Street (Manhattan)|'''HO'''uston]] and [[Bowery|'''BO'''wery]], where itinerant people once used to congregate.


Still another theory of the term's origins is that it derives from the city of [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]], [[New Jersey]], which was a terminus for many railroad lines in the [[19th century]]. The word "hobo" may also be a shortening of the phrase which best describes the early hobo's method of transportation, which was "hopping [[boxcars]]", or of the phrase "homeless body" or "homeless [[bohemian]]".
Still another theory of the term's origins is that it derives from the city of [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]], [[New Jersey]], which was a terminus for many railroad lines in the [[19th century]]. The word "hobo" may also be a shortening of the phrase which best describes the early hobo's method of transportation, which was "hopping [[boxcars]]", or of the phrase "homeless body" or "homeless [[bohemian]]".


==History==
==History==
It is unclear exactly when hoboes appeared on the American railroading scene. With the end of the American Civil War in the mid 19th Century, many soldiers looking to return home took to hopping freight trains. Others looking for work on the American frontier followed railroads westward aboard freight trains in the late 19th Century.
It is unclear exactly when hobos appeared on the American railroading scene. With the end of the American Civil War in the mid 19th Century, many soldiers looking to return home took to hopping freight trains. Others looking for work on the American frontier followed railroads westward aboard freight trains in the late 19th Century.

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In 1906, Prof. Edmund Kelly, after an exhaustive study, put the number of tramps in America at 500,000 (about .6% of the U.S. population). The article citing this figure, ''What Tramps Cost Nation'', was published by New York Telegraph in 1911 and estimated the number had surged to 700,000. <ref>New York Telegraph: ''What Tramps Cost Nation'', page D2. The Washington Post, June 18, 1911</ref> In the article, the words hobo and tramp are used interchangeably.


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The population of hobos increased greatly during the [[Great Depression]] era of the 1930s. With no work and no prospects at home, many decided to travel for free via freight trains and try their luck elsewhere.
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In 1906, Prof. Edmund Kelly, after an exhaustive study, put the number of tramps in America at 500,000 (about .6% of the U.S. population). The article citing this figure, ''What Tramps Cost Nation'', was published by New York Telegraph in 1911 and estimated the number had surged to 700,000.<ref>New York Telegraph: ''What Tramps Cost Nation'', page D2. The Washington Post, June 18, 1911</ref> In the article, the words hobo and tramp are used interchangeably.


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Nowadays there are very few railroad-riding hobos left. Some itinerant individuals today travel by car rather than rail, but still identify themselves as hobos.
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The population of hoboes increased greatly during the [[Great Depression]] era of the 1930s. With no work and no prospects at home, many decided to travel for free via freight trains and try their luck elsewhere.


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Life as a hobo was a dangerous one. In addition to the problems of being itinerant, poor, far from home and support, and the hostile attitude of many train crews, the railroads employed their own security staff, often nicknamed ''bulls'', who had a reputation for being rough with trespassers. Also, riding on a freight train is a dangerous enterprise. One can easily fall under the wheels, get trapped between cars, or freeze to death in bad weather. When freezer cars were loaded at an ice factory, any hobo inside was likely to be killed.
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Nowadays there are very few railroad-riding hoboes left. Some itinerant individuals today travel by car rather than rail, but still identify themselves as hoboes.


Hobos tended to band together for protection and formed an informal "brotherhood". One of these Brotherhoods used the Title TOURIST UNION #63, it was a fact that anyone carrying a Union Card while traveling during THE GREAT DEPRESSION was given a "free pass" [being unemployed was a crime in several states during the 1920's and 1930's] to travel to the next town.
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Life as a hobo was a dangerous one. In addition to the problems of being itinerant, poor, far from home and support, and the hostile attitude of many train crews, the railroads employed their own security staff, often nicknamed ''bulls'', who had a reputation for being rough with trespassers. Also, riding on a freight train is a dangerous enterprise. One can easily fall under the wheels, get trapped between cars, or freeze to death in bad weather. When freezer cars were loaded at an ice factory, any hobo inside was likely to be killed.


==National Hobo Convention==
==National Hobo Convention==
The [[National Hobo Convention]] is held in [[Britt, Iowa|Britt]], [[Iowa]] each year in early to mid August. Hoboes come to town and stay in the "Hobo Jungle" telling stories around campfires at night. A hobo king and queen are named each year and get to ride on special floats in the Hobo Day parade. Following the parade, [[mulligan stew]] is served to hundreds of people in the city park as live entertainment, a carnival, and a flea market give everyone something to do.
The [[National Hobo Convention]] is held in [[Britt, Iowa|Britt]], [[Iowa]] each year in early to mid August. Hobos come to town and stay in the "Hobo Jungle" telling stories around campfires at night. A hobo king and queen are named each year and get to ride on special floats in the Hobo Day parade. Following the parade, [[mulligan stew]] is served to hundreds of people in the city park as live entertainment, a carnival, and a flea market give everyone something to do.


In the year 1900 the town fathers of Britt invited Tourist Union #63 to bring their annual convention to Britt [for several years the National Convention was held on Market Street in Chicago]. And here it has stayed from the year 1900 to the year 2007.
In the year 1900 the town fathers of Britt invited Tourist Union #63 to bring their annual convention to Britt [for several years the National Convention was held on Market Street in Chicago]. And here it has stayed from the year 1900 to the year 2007.
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== Hobo lingo in use up to the 1940s ==
== Hobo lingo in use up to the 1940s ==


*''Accommodation car'' - The [[caboose]] of a train
*''Accommodation car'' - The caboose of a train
*''Angellina'' - young inexperienced kid
*''Angellina'' - young inexperienced kid
*''Bad Road'' - A train line rendered useless by some hobo's bad action
*''Bad Road'' - A train line rendered useless by some hobo's bad action
*''Banjo'' - A small portable [[frying pan]].
*''Banjo'' - A small portable frying pan.
*''Barnacle'' - a person who sticks to one job a year or more
*''Barnacle'' - a person who sticks to one job a year or more
*''Beachcomber'' - a hobo that hangs around [[dock (maritime)|dock]]s or sea[[port]]s
*''Beachcomber'' - a hobo that hangs around docks or seaports
*''Big House'' - [[Prison]]
*''Big House'' - Prison
*''Bindle stick'' - Collection of belongings wrapped in cloth and tied around a stick
*''Bindle stick'' - Collection of belongings wrapped in cloth and tied around a stick
*''Bindlestiff'' - A hobo who steals from other hoboes.
*''Bindlestiff'' - A hobo who steals from other hobos.
*''Blowed-in-the-glass'' - a genuine, trustworthy individual
*''Blowed-in-the-glass'' - a genuine, trustworthy individual
*''Bone polisher'' - A mean [[dog]]
*''Bone polisher'' - A mean dog
*''Bone orchard'' - a [[graveyard]]
*''Bone orchard'' - a graveyard
*''Bull'' - A railroad officer
*''Bull'' - A railroad officer
*''Bullets'' - [[Bean]]s
*''Bullets'' - Beans
*''Buck'' - a Catholic [[priest]] good for a dollar
*''Buck'' - a Catholic priest good for a dollar
*''C, H, and D'' - indicates an individual is Cold, Hungry, and Dry (thirsty)
*''C, H, and D'' - indicates an individual is Cold, Hungry, and Dry (thirsty)
*''California Blankets'' - [[Newspaper]]s, intended to be used for bedding
*''California Blankets'' - Newspapers, intended to be used for bedding
*''Calling In'' - Using another's [[campfire]] to warm up or cook
*''Calling In'' - Using another's campfire to warm up or cook
*''Cannonball'' - A fast train
*''Cannonball'' - A fast train
*''Carrying the Banner'' - Keeping in constant motion so as to avoid being picked up for loitering or to keep from freezing
*''Carrying the Banner'' - Keeping in constant motion so as to avoid being picked up for loitering or to keep from freezing
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*''Cover with the moon'' - Sleep out in the open
*''Cover with the moon'' - Sleep out in the open
*''Cow crate'' - A railroad stock car
*''Cow crate'' - A railroad stock car
*''Crumbs'' - [[louse|Lice]]
*''Crumbs'' - Lice
*''Doggin' it'' - Traveling by [[bus]], especially on the [[Greyhound bus]] line
*''Doggin' it'' - Traveling by bus, especially on the Greyhound bus line
*''Easy mark'' - A hobo sign or mark that identifies a person or place where one can get food and a place to stay overnight
*''Easy mark'' - A hobo sign or mark that identifies a person or place where one can get food and a place to stay overnight
*''Elevated'' - under the influence of drugs or alcohol
*''Elevated'' - under the influence of drugs or alcohol
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*''Flop'' - a place to sleep
*''Flop'' - a place to sleep
*''Glad Rags'' - One's best clothes
*''Glad Rags'' - One's best clothes
*''Graybacks'' - Lice
*''Grease the Track'' - to be run over by a train
*''Grease the Track'' - to be run over by a train
*''Gump'' - a scrap of meat
*''Gump'' - a scrap of meat
*''Honey dipping'' - Working with a shovel in the sewer
*''Honey dipping'' - Working with a shovel in the sewer
*''Hot'' - A [[fugitive]] hobo
*''Hot'' - A fugitive hobo
*''Hot Shot'' - train with priority freight, stops rarely, goes faster
*''Hot Shot'' - train with priority freight, stops rarely, goes faster
*''Jungle'' - An area off a railroad where hobos camp and congregate
*''Jungle'' - An area off a railroad where hobos camp and congregate
*''Jungle Buzzard'' - a hobo or [[tramp]] that preys on their own
*''Jungle Buzzard'' - a hobo or tramp that preys on their own
*''Knowledge bus'' - A [[school bus]] used for shelter
*''Knowledge bus'' - A school bus used for shelter
*''Main Drag'' - the busiest road in a town
*''Main Drag'' - the busiest road in a town
*''Moniker'' / ''Monica'' - A [[nickname]]
*''Moniker'' / ''Monica'' - A nickname
*''Muligan'' - a type of [[community stew]], created by several hoboes combining whatever food they have or can collect
*''Muligan'' - a type of community stew, created by several hobos combining whatever food they have or can collect
*''Nickel note'' - five-dollar bill
*''Nickel note'' - five-dollar bill
*''On The Fly'' - jumping a moving train
*''On The Fly'' - jumping a moving train
*''Padding the hoof'' - to travel by foot
*''Padding the hoof'' - to travel by foot
*''Possum Belly'' - to ride on the roof of a [[passenger car]]. One must lay flat, on his/her stomach, to not be blown off
*''Possum Belly'' - to ride on the roof of a passenger car. One must lay flat, on his/her stomach, to not be blown off
*''Pullman'' - a rail car
*''Pullman'' - a rail car
*''Punk'' - any young kid
*''Punk'' - any young kid
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*''Tokay Blanket'' - drinking alcohol to stay warm
*''Tokay Blanket'' - drinking alcohol to stay warm
*''Yegg'' - A traveling professional thief
*''Yegg'' - A traveling professional thief

''Hobo'' by Eddy Joe Cotton, Harmony Books, New York. ISBN 0-609-60738-3


==Hobo code==
==Hobo code==
To cope with the difficulty of hobo life, hoboes developed a system of symbols, or a code. Hoboes would write this code with chalk or coal to provide directions, information, and warnings to other hoboes. Some
To cope with the difficulty of hobo life, hobos developed a system of symbols, or a code. Hobos would write this code with chalk or coal to provide directions, information, and warnings to other hobos. Some
signs included "turn right here", "beware of hostile railroad police", "dangerous dog", "food available here", and so on. For instance:
signs included "turn right here", "beware of hostile railroad police", "dangerous dog", "food available here", and so on. For instance:


*A cross signifies "angel food," that is, food served to the hoboes after a party.
*A cross signifies "angel food," that is, food served to the hobos after a party.
*A triangle with hands signifies that the homeowner has a gun.
*A triangle with hands signifies that the homeowner has a gun.
*Sharp teeth signify a mean dog.
*Sharp teeth signify a mean dog.
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*A [[top hat]] and a triangle signify wealth.
*A [[top hat]] and a triangle signify wealth.
*A spearhead signifies a warning to defend oneself.
*A spearhead signifies a warning to defend oneself.
*A circle with two [[parallel]] arrows means to get out fast, as hoboes are not welcome in the area.
*A circle with two [[parallel]] arrows means to get out fast, as hobos are not welcome in the area.
*Two interlocked humans signify [[handcuffs]]. (i.e. hoboes are hauled off to jail).
*Two interlocked humans signify [[handcuffs]]. (i.e. hobos are hauled off to jail).
*A [[Caduceus|Caduceus symbol]] signifies the house has a medical doctor living in it.
*A [[Caduceus|Caduceus symbol]] signifies the house has a medical doctor living in it.
*A cat signifies that a kind lady lives here.
*A cat signifies that a kind lady lives here.
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*Three [[diagonal]] lines means it's not a safe place.
*Three [[diagonal]] lines means it's not a safe place.
*A square with a slanted roof (signifying a house) with an X through it means that the house has already been "burned" or "tricked" by another hobo and is not a trusting house.
*A square with a slanted roof (signifying a house) with an X through it means that the house has already been "burned" or "tricked" by another hobo and is not a trusting house.
*Two shovels, signifying work was available (Shovels, because most hoboes did manual labor).
*Two shovels, signifying work was available (Shovels, because most hobos did manual labor).

Naturally, hobo code would vary from place to place around the country.
Naturally, hobo code would vary from place to place around the country.


Another version of the Hobo Code exists as a display in the Steamtown Railroad Museum at [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]], operated by the National Park service.
Another version of the Hobo Code exists as a display in the STEAMTOWN RAILROAD MUSEUM at Scranton Pennsylvania operated by the National Park service.


Another code was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri. This code was voted upon as a concrete set of laws to govern the Nation-wide Hobo Body, it reads this way;
Another code was was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri. This code was voted upon as a concrete set of laws to govern the Nation-wide Hobo Body, it reads this way;


#Decide your own life, don't let another person run or rule you.
1.-Decide your own life, don't let another person run or rule you.
#When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
2.-When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a
gentleman at all times.
#Don't take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hoboes.
3.-Don't take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals
or other hobos.
#Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but insure employment should you return to that town again.
4.-Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs
nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but insure
employment should you return to that town again.
#When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
5.-When no employment is available, make your own work by using your
added talents at crafts.
#Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals treatment of other hoboes.
6.-Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example
for locals treatment of other hobos.
#When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as bad, if not worse than you.
7.-When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another
hobo will be coming along who will need them as bad, if not worse than
you.
#Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
8.-Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
#If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
9.-If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
#Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.
10.-Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.
#When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.
11.-When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances,
cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an
extra crew member.
#Do not cause problems in a train yard, Another hobo will be coming along who will need passage thru that yard.
12.-Do not cause problems in a train yard, Another hobo will be coming
along who will need passage thru that yard.
#Do not allow other hoboes to molest children, expose to authorities all molesters, they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
13.-Do not allow other hobos to molest children, expose to authorities all
molesters, they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
#Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
14.-Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
#Help your fellow hoboes whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.
15.-Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.


==Hoboes==
==Hobos==
===Notable hoboes===
===Notable hobos===
<!-- real people famous for being hoboes, in alphabetical order-->
<!-- real people famous for being hobos, in alphabetical order-->
* [[Jack Black (author)|Jack Black]]
* [[Jack Black (author)|Jack Black]], the author, not the actor
* [[George The Tramp]] (George Ferguson Munro)
* [[Maurice W. Graham]], known as "Steam Train Maurie".
* [[Leon Ray Livingston]], known as "A No.1".
* [[Maurice W. Graham]] aka "Steam Train Maurie"
* [[Leon Ray Livingston]] ("A No.1")
* [[George Ferguson Munro]]
* [[Utah Phillips]]
* [[Utah Phillips]]
* [[Seasick Steve]]
* [[Seasick Steve]]
* [[Boxcar Betty|Ege Cengiz]] aka "Boxcar Betty"
* [[Robert Joseph Silveria, Jr.]], known as "Sidetrack", who killed 34 other hoboes before turning himself in to the authorities.
* [[Robert Joseph Silveria, Jr.|Sidetrack]] - killed 34 other hobos before turning himself in to the authorities
* [[Jim Tully]], an author who penned several pulp fiction books during the years of [[1928]] through [[1945]]. One of his published works, ''[[Beggars of Life]]'', was adapted as a silent film of the same name; Mr. Tully noted that the book and movie was loosely based on his years hoboing in the western U.S.


===Notable people who have hoboed===
===Notable people who have hoboed===
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* [[Loren Eiseley]]
* [[Loren Eiseley]]
* [[Woody Guthrie]]
* [[Woody Guthrie]]
* [[Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema]]
* [[Eric Hoffer]]
* [[Eric Hoffer]]
* [[Jack London]]
* [[Jack London]]
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* [[Harry Partch]]
* [[Harry Partch]]


===Fictional hoboes===
===Fictional hobos===
<!-- maintain alphabetical order-->
<!-- maintain alphabetical order-->


* [[Boxcar Betty]]
* [[Boxcar Betty]]
* Tiki Mick - Villain in ''[[D. Gray-man]]'' whose alter ego is a hobo. He travels with a group of friends by train, stopping in towns for mining jobs and playing poker with other travelers to earn money through gambling.
* Tiki Mick - Villain in [[D. Gray-man]] whose alter ego is a hobo. He travels with a group of friends by train, stopping in towns for mining jobs and playing poker with other travelers to earn money through gambling.


==Hoboes in media==
==Hobos in media==
===Movies===
===Movies===


*''[[Emperor of the North]]'', directed by Robert Aldrich, 1973. {{OCLC|70283150}}. Loosely based on [[Jack London]]'s ''The Road''.
*''[[Emperor of the North]]'', directed by Robert Aldrich, 1973. {{OCLC|70283150}}. Loosely based on [[Jack London]]'s ''[[The Road]]''.
*''[[The Billion Dollar Hobo]]'', starring [[Tim Conway]] and [[Will Geer]], 1977.


===Books===
===Books===
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*''[[On the Road]]'', by [[Jack Kerouac]]
*''[[On the Road]]'', by [[Jack Kerouac]]
*''[[Lonesome Traveler]]'', by Jack Kerouac ("The Vanishing American Hobo")
*''[[Lonesome Traveler]]'', by Jack Kerouac ("The Vanishing American Hobo")
*More: [[List of books and films about hobos and freighthopping]].
*''[[Areas of My Expertise]]'' by [[John Hodgman]] - Humor book which features a lengthy section on "hoboes", including a list of 700 hobo names which spawned an online effort to illustrate the complete list.


===Television & Radio===
===Television & Radio===
[[BBC Radio 4]] recently broadcast a one-off programme about the Hobo Convention entitled "Hobo Heaven", and in 2006 broadcast a memorial to 5-time elected "King of the Hoboes" Steamtrain Maury Graham, who passed away in November of 2006 - or as hoboes call it "He Caught The Westbound".
[[BBC Radio 4]] recently broadcast a one off programme about the Hobo Convention entitled "Hobo Heaven"
* ''[[The Littlest Hobo]]'' - A movie and TV series about a dog of the same name.
* [[The Littlest Hobo]] - A movie and TV series about a dog of the same name.


===Songs===
===Songs===
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*"[[Aqualung (song)|Aqualung]]" and "[[Locomotive Breath]]" by [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]]
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*[[Streets of London]] by [[Ralph McTell]]
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*[[Big Rock Candy Mountain]] by [[Harry McClintock]]
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*[[Hard Travelin']] by [[Woody Guthrie]]
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*Hobo by [[The Hackensaw Boys]]
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*[[Hobo Bill]] by [[Cisco Houston]]
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*[[Hobo Blues]] by [[John Lee Hooker]]
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*[[Hobo's Lullaby]] by [[Woody Guthrie]]
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*[[I Ain't Got No Home]] by [[Cisco Houston]]
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*[[I Am a Lonesome Hobo]] by [[Bob Dylan]]
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*[[King of the Road (song)|King of the Road]] by [[Roger Miller]]
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*[[Littlest Hobo Song]] by [[Terry Bush]]
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*[[Funk Of The Sound Hobos]] by [[Audiovoid]]
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*[[Long Train Runnin']] by [[the Doobie Brothers]], also sings of [[freighthopping]]
*[[Mysteries of a Hobo's Life]] by [[Cisco Houston]]
*[[Only a Hobo]] by [[Bob Dylan]]
*[[Ramblin' Gamblin' Willie]] by [[Bob Dylan]]
*[[Papa Hobo]] by [[Paul Simon]]
*[[Hobo Chang Ba]] by [[Captain Beefheart]]
*[[The Hobo]] by [[John Lee Hooker]]
* The work of [[Ramblin' Jack Elliott]]
* The work of [[Ramblin' Jack Elliott]]
* The work of [[Utah Phillips]]
* The work of [[Utah Phillips]]
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* The work of [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]], including "Hobo Bill's Last Ride" and "Hobo's Meditation," among others.
* The work of [[Seasick Steve]]
* The work of [[Seasick Steve]]
⚫
* The work of [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]], including "Hobo Bill's Last Ride" and "Hobo's Meditation," among others.
⚫
*"[[Funk Of The Sound Hobos]]" by [[Audiovoid]]
⚫
*[[Jack Straw (song)|Jack Straw]] by [[Robert Hunter (lyricist)|Robert Hunter]] and [[Bob Weir]]
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*[[Waltzing Matilda]] by [[Banjo Paterson]]
*[[Hobo Music]] by [[Janster]]
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*[[Hobo Joe]] by Dutch band [[Livin' Blues]]
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*[[Lännen lokari]] (Western Logger) by [[Hiski Salomaa]]
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*[[Kulkurin Valssi]] (Hobo Waltz) by [[Arthur Kylander]]
*"[[Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet]]" a 74-minute sound recording of a hobo singing on a London street, by composer [[Gavin Bryars]].
*"[[Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet]]" a 74-minute sound recording of a hobo singing on a London street, by composer [[Gavin Bryars]].
*"[[Littlest Hobo Song]]" by [[Terry Bush]]
*[[Cold Water (song)|Cold Water]] by [[Tom Waits]]
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*"[[Hobo Chang Ba]]" by [[Captain Beefheart]]
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*"[[Long Train Runnin']]" by [[the Doobie Brothers]], also sings of [[freighthopping]]
⚫
*"[[I Am a Lonesome Hobo]]", "[[Only a Hobo]]" and "[[Ramblin' Gamblin' Willie]]" by [[Bob Dylan]]
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*"[[Hard Travelin']]" and "[[Hobo's Lullaby]]" by [[Woody Guthrie]]
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*"Hobo" by [[The Hackensaw Boys]]
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*"[[Hobo Blues]]" and "[[The Hobo]]" by [[John Lee Hooker]]
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*"[[Hobo Bill]]", "[[I Ain't Got No Home]]" and "[[Mysteries of a Hobo's Life]]" by [[Cisco Houston]]
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*"[[Hobo Music]]" by [[Janster]]
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*"[[Jack Straw (song)|Jack Straw]]" by [[Robert Hunter (lyricist)|Robert Hunter]] and [[Bob Weir]]
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*"[[Aqualung (song)|Aqualung]]" and "[[Locomotive Breath]]" by [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]]
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*"[[Kulkurin Valssi]]" (Hobo Waltz) by [[Arthur Kylander]]
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*"[[Hobo Joe]]" by Dutch band [[Livin' Blues]]
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*"[[Big Rock Candy Mountain]]" by [[Harry McClintock]]
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*"[[Streets of London]]" by [[Ralph McTell]]
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*"[[King of the Road (song)|King of the Road]]" by [[Roger Miller]]
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*"[[Waltzing Matilda]]" by [[Banjo Paterson]]
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*"[[Lännen lokari]]" (Western Logger) by [[Hiski Salomaa]]
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*"[[Papa Hobo]]" by [[Paul Simon]]
*"[[Cold Water (song)|Cold Water]]" by [[Tom Waits]]


==See also==
==See also==
{{wiktionary|hobo}}
{{wiktionary|hobo}}
*[[Freight Train Riders of America]], a brotherhood of hoboes
*[[Freight Train Riders of America]], a brotherhood of hobos
*[[Freighthopping]]
*[[Freighthopping]]
*[[Hobo nickel]], an art form associated with hoboes
*[[Hobo nickel]], an art form associated with hobos
*[[John Hodgman]], humorist who writes about hoboes
*[[John Hodgman]], humorist who writes about hobos
*[[List of books and films about hobos and freighthopping]]
*''[[Midnight Hobo]]''
*''[[Midnight Hobo]]''
*[[National Hobo Convention]], held in [[Britt, Iowa]] by the Hobo Foundation
*[[National Hobo Convention]], held in [[Britt, Iowa]] by the Hobo Foundation
*[[Wobbly lingo]], the jargon of the hoboes who joined [[Industrial Workers of the World|the union]]
*[[Wobbly lingo]], the jargon of the hobos who joined [[Industrial Workers of the World|the union]]
*"[[Hobo With a Shotgun]]", parody trailer created by the fictional Dartmouth Pictures, included in the movie ''[[Grindhouse (film)|Grindhouse]]''
*[[Hobo with a shotgun]], parody trailer created by the fictional Dartmouth Pictures, included in the movie [[Grindhouse]]

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==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.northbankfred.com/index.html North Bank Fred] contains numerous photographs, links, stories, and academic reports about hoboes and freighthopping.
*[http://www.northbankfred.com/index.html North Bank Fred] contains numerous photographs, links, stories, and academic reports about hobos and freighthopping.
*[http://www.hobosinwood.com/index.html Hobos in wood] Carved hobos, stories, links, stories, about hobos and lives.
*[http://www.hobonickels.org Original Hobo Nickel Society], Numismatic community interested in carved coins, primarily 1913-1938 Buffalo Nickels. Both classic carved nickels and recent carved nickels are generically called "[[Hobo Nickels]]."
*[http://www.worldpath.net/~minstrel/hobosign.htm Fran's Hobo Page], by Fran DeLorenzo. Includes hobo history and a glossary of hobo signs.
*[http://www.worldpath.net/~minstrel/hobosign.htm Fran's Hobo Page], by Fran DeLorenzo. Includes hobo history and a glossary of hobo signs.
*[http://www.slackaction.com/signroll.htm Slackaction: Hobo Signs & Symbols]
*[http://www.slackaction.com/signroll.htm Slackaction: Hobo Signs & Symbols]
*[http://www.epcc.edu/ftp/Homes/monicaw/borderlands/12_hobo_sign_language.htm Hobo Sign Language In El Paso]
*[http://www.epcc.edu/ftp/Homes/monicaw/borderlands/12_hobo_sign_language.htm Hobo Sign Language In El Paso]
*[http://ia300127.us.archive.org/2/items/700HoboNames/Hobo_Names.mp3 "700 Hoboes"], MP3 of John Hodgman's recording of 700 hobo names
*[http://ia300127.us.archive.org/2/items/700HoboNames/Hobo_Names.mp3 700 Hoboes],MP3 of John Hodgman's recording of 700 hobo names
*[http://www.hobo.com/ Iowa Hobo Foundation]
*[http://www.hobo.com/ Iowa Hobo Foundation]
*[http://www.stephanvanfleteren.com/gallery_hobo/index.html ''Hobo's in the U.S.A.''], a photo documentary on hoboes by Stephan Vanfleteren, a Belgian photographer.
*[http://www.stephanvanfleteren.com/gallery_hobo/index.html Hobo's in the U.S.A.], a photo documentary on hobo's by Stephan Vanfleteren, a Belgian photographer.

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==References==
<references/>


[[Category:Subcultures]]
[[Category:Subcultures]]

Revision as of 18:49, 24 November 2007

Hobos in Chicago, 1929.
For other uses, see Hobo (disambiguation).

Hobo is a term that refers to a subculture of wandering homeless people,[1] particularly those who make a habit of hopping freight trains. The iconic image of a hobo is that of a downtrodden, shabbily-dressed and perhaps drunken male, one that was solidified in American culture during the Great Depression. Hobos are often depicted carrying a bindle and/or a sign asking for money.

The hobo imagery has been employed by entertainers to create wildly successful characters in the past, two of them being Emmett Kelly's "Weary Willy" and Red Skelton's "Freddy the Freeloader".

Hobos differentiate themselves as travelers who are homeless and willing to do work, whereas a "tramp" travels but will not work and a "bum" does neither.

The origin of the term is not confirmed, though there is a plethora of popular theories. Author Todd DePastino has suggested that it may come from the term hoe-boy meaning "farmhand", or a greeting such as Ho, boy! [1]. Bill Bryson suggests in Made in America that it could either come from the railroad greeting, "Ho, beau!" or a syllabic abbreviation of "homeward bound". Others have said that the term comes from the Manhattan intersection of HOuston and BOwery, where itinerant people once used to congregate.

Still another theory of the term's origins is that it derives from the city of Hoboken, New Jersey, which was a terminus for many railroad lines in the 19th century. The word "hobo" may also be a shortening of the phrase which best describes the early hobo's method of transportation, which was "hopping boxcars", or of the phrase "homeless body" or "homeless bohemian".

History

It is unclear exactly when hobos appeared on the American railroading scene. With the end of the American Civil War in the mid 19th Century, many soldiers looking to return home took to hopping freight trains. Others looking for work on the American frontier followed railroads westward aboard freight trains in the late 19th Century.

In 1906, Prof. Edmund Kelly, after an exhaustive study, put the number of tramps in America at 500,000 (about .6% of the U.S. population). The article citing this figure, What Tramps Cost Nation, was published by New York Telegraph in 1911 and estimated the number had surged to 700,000. [2] In the article, the words hobo and tramp are used interchangeably.

The population of hobos increased greatly during the Great Depression era of the 1930s. With no work and no prospects at home, many decided to travel for free via freight trains and try their luck elsewhere.

Nowadays there are very few railroad-riding hobos left. Some itinerant individuals today travel by car rather than rail, but still identify themselves as hobos.

Life as a hobo was a dangerous one. In addition to the problems of being itinerant, poor, far from home and support, and the hostile attitude of many train crews, the railroads employed their own security staff, often nicknamed bulls, who had a reputation for being rough with trespassers. Also, riding on a freight train is a dangerous enterprise. One can easily fall under the wheels, get trapped between cars, or freeze to death in bad weather. When freezer cars were loaded at an ice factory, any hobo inside was likely to be killed.

Hobos tended to band together for protection and formed an informal "brotherhood". One of these Brotherhoods used the Title TOURIST UNION #63, it was a fact that anyone carrying a Union Card while traveling during THE GREAT DEPRESSION was given a "free pass" [being unemployed was a crime in several states during the 1920's and 1930's] to travel to the next town.

National Hobo Convention

The National Hobo Convention is held in Britt, Iowa each year in early to mid August. Hobos come to town and stay in the "Hobo Jungle" telling stories around campfires at night. A hobo king and queen are named each year and get to ride on special floats in the Hobo Day parade. Following the parade, mulligan stew is served to hundreds of people in the city park as live entertainment, a carnival, and a flea market give everyone something to do.

In the year 1900 the town fathers of Britt invited Tourist Union #63 to bring their annual convention to Britt [for several years the National Convention was held on Market Street in Chicago]. And here it has stayed from the year 1900 to the year 2007.

Hobo lingo in use up to the 1940s

  • Accommodation car - The caboose of a train
  • Angellina - young inexperienced kid
  • Bad Road - A train line rendered useless by some hobo's bad action
  • Banjo - A small portable frying pan.
  • Barnacle - a person who sticks to one job a year or more
  • Beachcomber - a hobo that hangs around docks or seaports
  • Big House - Prison
  • Bindle stick - Collection of belongings wrapped in cloth and tied around a stick
  • Bindlestiff - A hobo who steals from other hobos.
  • Blowed-in-the-glass - a genuine, trustworthy individual
  • Bone polisher - A mean dog
  • Bone orchard - a graveyard
  • Bull - A railroad officer
  • Bullets - Beans
  • Buck - a Catholic priest good for a dollar
  • C, H, and D - indicates an individual is Cold, Hungry, and Dry (thirsty)
  • California Blankets - Newspapers, intended to be used for bedding
  • Calling In - Using another's campfire to warm up or cook
  • Cannonball - A fast train
  • Carrying the Banner - Keeping in constant motion so as to avoid being picked up for loitering or to keep from freezing
  • Catch the Westbound - to die
  • Chuck a dummy - Pretend to faint
  • Cover with the moon - Sleep out in the open
  • Cow crate - A railroad stock car
  • Crumbs - Lice
  • Doggin' it - Traveling by bus, especially on the Greyhound bus line
  • Easy mark - A hobo sign or mark that identifies a person or place where one can get food and a place to stay overnight
  • Elevated - under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • Flip - to board a moving train
  • Flop - a place to sleep
  • Glad Rags - One's best clothes
  • Grease the Track - to be run over by a train
  • Gump - a scrap of meat
  • Honey dipping - Working with a shovel in the sewer
  • Hot - A fugitive hobo
  • Hot Shot - train with priority freight, stops rarely, goes faster
  • Jungle - An area off a railroad where hobos camp and congregate
  • Jungle Buzzard - a hobo or tramp that preys on their own
  • Knowledge bus - A school bus used for shelter
  • Main Drag - the busiest road in a town
  • Moniker / Monica - A nickname
  • Muligan - a type of community stew, created by several hobos combining whatever food they have or can collect
  • Nickel note - five-dollar bill
  • On The Fly - jumping a moving train
  • Padding the hoof - to travel by foot
  • Possum Belly - to ride on the roof of a passenger car. One must lay flat, on his/her stomach, to not be blown off
  • Pullman - a rail car
  • Punk - any young kid
  • Reefer - a refrigerator car
  • Road kid - A young hobo who apprentices himself to an older hobo in order to learn the ways of the road
  • Road stake - the small amount of money a hobo may have in case of an emergency
  • Rum dum - A drunkard
  • Sky pilot - a preacher or minister
  • Soup bowl- A place to get soup, bread and drinks
  • Snipes - Cigarette butts "sniped" (eg. in ashtrays)
  • Spear biscuits - Looking for food in garbage cans
  • Stemming - panhandling or mooching along the streets
  • Tokay Blanket - drinking alcohol to stay warm
  • Yegg - A traveling professional thief

Hobo by Eddy Joe Cotton, Harmony Books, New York. ISBN 0-609-60738-3

Hobo code

To cope with the difficulty of hobo life, hobos developed a system of symbols, or a code. Hobos would write this code with chalk or coal to provide directions, information, and warnings to other hobos. Some signs included "turn right here", "beware of hostile railroad police", "dangerous dog", "food available here", and so on. For instance:

  • A cross signifies "angel food," that is, food served to the hobos after a party.
  • A triangle with hands signifies that the homeowner has a gun.
  • Sharp teeth signify a mean dog.
  • A square missing its top line signifies it is safe to camp in that location.
  • A top hat and a triangle signify wealth.
  • A spearhead signifies a warning to defend oneself.
  • A circle with two parallel arrows means to get out fast, as hobos are not welcome in the area.
  • Two interlocked humans signify handcuffs. (i.e. hobos are hauled off to jail).
  • A Caduceus symbol signifies the house has a medical doctor living in it.
  • A cat signifies that a kind lady lives here.
  • A wavy line (signifying water) above an X means fresh water and a campsite.
  • Three diagonal lines means it's not a safe place.
  • A square with a slanted roof (signifying a house) with an X through it means that the house has already been "burned" or "tricked" by another hobo and is not a trusting house.
  • Two shovels, signifying work was available (Shovels, because most hobos did manual labor).

Naturally, hobo code would vary from place to place around the country.

Another version of the Hobo Code exists as a display in the STEAMTOWN RAILROAD MUSEUM at Scranton Pennsylvania operated by the National Park service.

Another code was was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri. This code was voted upon as a concrete set of laws to govern the Nation-wide Hobo Body, it reads this way;

1.-Decide your own life, don't let another person run or rule you. 2.-When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times. 3.-Don't take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos. 4.-Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but insure employment should you return to that town again. 5.-When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts. 6.-Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals treatment of other hobos. 7.-When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as bad, if not worse than you. 8.-Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling. 9.-If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help. 10.-Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible. 11.-When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member. 12.-Do not cause problems in a train yard, Another hobo will be coming along who will need passage thru that yard. 13.-Do not allow other hobos to molest children, expose to authorities all molesters, they are the worst garbage to infest any society. 14.-Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home. 15.-Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.

Hobos

Notable hobos

Notable people who have hoboed

Fictional hobos

  • Boxcar Betty
  • Tiki Mick - Villain in D. Gray-man whose alter ego is a hobo. He travels with a group of friends by train, stopping in towns for mining jobs and playing poker with other travelers to earn money through gambling.

Hobos in media

Movies

  • Emperor of the North, directed by Robert Aldrich, 1973. OCLC 70283150. Loosely based on Jack London's The Road.

Books

Television & Radio

BBC Radio 4 recently broadcast a one off programme about the Hobo Convention entitled "Hobo Heaven"

Songs

See also

Look up hobo in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. ^ ""hobo."". The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. 2004. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
  2. ^ New York Telegraph: What Tramps Cost Nation, page D2. The Washington Post, June 18, 1911
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