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{{About||the typeface|Hobo (typeface)|other uses}} |
{{About||the typeface|Hobo (typeface)|other uses}} |
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[[File:Hobos2.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Two hobos walking along railroad tracks, after being put off a train. One is carrying a [[bindle] |
[[File:Hobos2.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Two hobos walking along railroad tracks, after being put off a train. One is carrying a [[bindle]]]] |
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A '''hobo''' is a [[Migrant worker|migratory worker]] or [[Homelessness|homeless]] [[Vagabond (person)|vagabond]], especially one who is [[Poverty in the United States|penniless]]. The term originated in the [[Western United States|Western]]—probably [[Northwestern United States|Northwestern]]—United States during the last decade of the 19th century.<ref name="oup">{{cite web| url=http://blog.oup.com/2008/11/hobo/ | title=On Hobos, Hautboys, and Other Beaus| publisher=Oxford University Press |work=OUPblog| date=November 12, 2008 | accessdate=2009-08-05}}</ref> Unlike "[[tramp]]s", who work only when they are forced to, and "[[Slacker|bums]]", who do not work at all, "hobos" are workers who wander.<ref name="oup"/><ref name="ocandk">{{cite web| last=Mencken| first=H.L.| authorlink=H. L. Mencken| work=[[The American Language]] (4th ed.)| year=1937| title=On the road again | url=http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2009/07/on-road-again.html | publisher= grammarphobia.com(July 25, 2009)| accessdate=2009-08-05|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20110711122111/http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2009/07/on-road-again.html |archivedate = July 11, 2011|deadurl=yes}}</ref> |
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==Etymology== |
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[[File:ThreeHobosChicago1929.jpg|thumb|left|325px|Portrait of three hobos sitting under a covered structure in Chicago, Illinois, in 1929]] |
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The origin of the term is unknown. Etymologist [[Anatoly Liberman]] says that the only details certain about its origin is that the word emerged in [[American English]] and was first noticed around 1890.<ref name="oup"/> Liberman points out that many [[folk etymology|folk etymologies]] fail to answer the question: "Why did the word become widely known in California (just there) by the early Nineties (just then)?"<ref name="oup"/> 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 Interview with Todd DePastino, author of ''Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America''] from the [[University of Chicago Press]] website</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".<ref name="Smith 2009">{{Cite book | last=Bryson | first=Bill | authorlink=Bill Bryson | title=[[Made in America (book)|Made in America]] | year=1998 | nopp=yes | isbn=978-0-380-71381-3 |page={{Page needed|date=September 2010}}| location= | publisher=}}</ref> [[H. L. Mencken]], in his ''[[The American Language]]'' (4th ed., 1937), wrote: |
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<blockquote>Tramps and hobos are commonly lumped together, but see themselves as sharply differentiated. A hobo or bo is simply a migratory laborer; he may take some longish holidays, but sooner or later he returns to work. A tramp never works if it can be avoided; he simply travels. Apart from either is the bum, who neither works nor travels, save when impelled to motion by the police.<ref name="ocandk"/></blockquote> |
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==History== |
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It is unclear exactly when hobos first appeared on the American railroading scene. With the end of the [[American Civil War]] in the 1860s, many discharged veterans looking to return home took to hopping freight trains. Others looking for work on the American frontier followed the railways west aboard freight trains in the late 19th Century. |
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In 1906, Professor Layal Shafee, after an exhaustive study, put the number of tramps in America at about 500,000 (about 0.6% of the U.S. population). His article "What Tramps Cost Nation" was published by ''The New York Telegraph'' in 1911, when he 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> |
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The number of hobos increased greatly during the [[Great Depression]] era of the 1930s.<ref name=">[http://www.virginia.edu/sociology/publications/faculty%20articles/OlickArticles/galeholocaust.pdf Virginia.edu]</ref> With no work and no prospects at home, many decided to travel for free by freight train and try their luck elsewhere. |
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Life as a hobo was dangerous. In addition to the problems of being itinerant, poor, far from home and support, plus a hostile attitude of many train crews, they faced the railroads' security staff, nicknamed ''bulls'', who had a reputation of violence against trespassers.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} Riding on a freight train is dangerous in itself. British poet [[W.H. Davies]], author of ''[[The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp]]'', lost a foot when he fell under the wheels trying to jump aboard a train. It was easy to be trapped between cars, and one could freeze to death in bad weather. When freezer cars were loaded at an ice factory, any hobo inside was likely to be killed.<ref name="Life and Times">[http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6813169-life-and-times-of-an-american-hobo Life and Times of an American Hobo] Life and Times of an American Hobo</ref> |
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According to Ted Conover in ''Rolling Nowhere'' (1984), as many as 20,000 people were living a hobo life in North America. Modern freight trains are much faster and thus harder to ride than in the 1930s, but they can still be boarded in railyards.<ref>Conover, Ted (1984). ''Rolling Nowhere''. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-60319-0 {{Page needed|date=August 2012}}</ref> |
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==National Hobo Convention== |
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In 1900, the town fathers of [[Britt, Iowa]] invited Tourist Union #63 to bring their annual convention to town, and the [[National Hobo Convention]] has been held in August each year ever since.<ref name="Moon">Moon, Gypsy: "Done and Been", page 24. Indiana University Press, 1996.</ref> Hobos 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 (food)|mulligan stew]] is served to hundreds of people in the city park. Live entertainment, a carnival, and a flea market are also part of the festivities. |
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==Culture== |
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===Expressions used through 1940s=== |
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{{merge|Wobbly lingo|discuss=Talk:Wobbly lingo#Merger proposal|date=December 2012}} |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! Hobo term |
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! Explanation |
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|- |
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| Accommodation car |
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| the [[caboose]] of a train |
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|- |
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| Angellina |
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| young inexperienced child |
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|- |
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| Bad Road |
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| a train line rendered useless by some hobo's bad action |
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|- |
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| Banjo |
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| (1) a small portable [[frying pan]]. (2) a short, "D" handled [[shovel]] |
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|- |
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| Barnacle |
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| a person who sticks to one job a year or more |
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|- |
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| Beachcomber |
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| a hobo who hangs around [[dock (maritime)|docks]] or [[seaport]]s |
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|- |
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| Big House |
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| [[prison]] |
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|- |
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| Bindle stick |
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| collection of belongings wrapped in cloth and tied around a stick |
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|- |
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| Bindlestiff |
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| a hobo who carries a bindle. |
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|- |
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| Blowed-in-the-glass |
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| a genuine, trustworthy individual |
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|- |
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| 'Bo |
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| the common way one hobo referred to another: "I met that 'Bo on the way to Bangor last spring." |
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|- |
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| Boil Up |
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| specifically, to boil one's clothes to kill lice and their eggs. Generally, to get oneself as clean as possible |
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|- |
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| Bone polisher |
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| a mean [[dog]] |
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|- |
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| Bone orchard |
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| a [[graveyard]] |
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|- |
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| Bull |
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| a railroad officer |
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|- |
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| Bullets |
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| [[bean]]s |
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|- |
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| Buck |
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| a Catholic [[priest]] good for a dollar |
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|- |
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| Buger |
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| today's lunch |
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|- |
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| C, H, and D |
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| indicates an individual is Cold, Hungry, and Dry (thirsty) |
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|- |
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| California Blankets |
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| [[newspaper]]s, intended to be used for bedding |
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|- |
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| Calling In |
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| using another's [[campfire]] to warm up or cook |
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|- |
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| Cannonball |
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| a fast train |
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|- |
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| Carrying the Banner |
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| keeping in constant motion so as to avoid being picked up for loitering or to keep from freezing |
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|- |
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| Catch the Westbound |
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| to die |
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|- |
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| Chuck a dummy |
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| pretend to faint |
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|- |
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| Cover with the moon |
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| sleep out in the open |
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|- |
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| Cow crate |
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| a railroad stock car |
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|- |
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| Crumbs |
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| [[louse|lice]] |
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|- |
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|Docandoberry |
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|anything that grows on the side of a river that's edible |
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|- |
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| Doggin' it |
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| traveling by [[bus]], especially on the [[Greyhound bus]] line |
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|- |
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| Easy mark |
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| a hobo sign or mark that identifies a person or place where one can get food and a place to stay overnight |
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|- |
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| Elevated |
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| under the influence of drugs or alcohol |
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|- |
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| Flip |
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| to board a moving train |
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|- |
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| Flop |
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| a place to sleep, by extension, "[[Flophouse]]", a cheap hotel. |
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|- |
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| Glad Rags |
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| one's best clothes |
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|- |
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| Graybacks |
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| lice |
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|- |
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| Grease the Track |
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| to be run over by a train |
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|- |
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| Gump |
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| a chicken <ref>{{cite book|last=Bruns|first=Roger|title=Knights of the Road: A Hobo History|year=1980|publisher=Methuen Inc.|location=New York|isbn=0-416-00721-X|pages=201}}</ref> |
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|- |
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| Honey dipping |
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| working with a shovel in the sewer |
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|- |
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| Hot |
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| (1) a [[fugitive]] hobo. (2) a decent meal: "I could use three hots and a flop." |
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|- |
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| Hot Shot |
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| train with priority freight, stops rarely, goes faster; synonym for "Cannonball" |
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|- |
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| Jungle |
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| an area off a railroad where hobos camp and congregate |
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|- |
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| Jungle Buzzard |
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| a hobo or [[tramp]] who preys on their own |
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|- |
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| Knowledge bus |
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| a [[school bus]] used for shelter |
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|- |
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| Main Drag |
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| the busiest road in a town |
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|- |
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| Moniker'' / ''Monica |
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| a [[nickname]] |
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|- |
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| Maeve |
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| a child hobo usually a girl |
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|- |
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| Mulligan |
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| a type of [[community stew]], created by several hobos combining whatever food they have or can collect |
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|- |
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| Nickel note |
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| five-dollar bill |
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|- |
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| On the Fly |
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| jumping a moving train |
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|- |
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| Padding the hoof |
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| to travel by foot |
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|- |
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| Possum Belly |
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| to ride on the roof of a [[passenger car (rail)|passenger car]]. One must lie flat, on his/her stomach, to not be blown off |
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|- |
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| Pullman |
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| a railroad sleeper car. Most were made by George Pullman company. |
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|- |
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| Punk |
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| any young kid |
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|- |
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| Reefer |
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| a compression of "[[refrigerator car]]". |
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|- |
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| Road kid |
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| a young hobo who apprentices himself to an older hobo in order to learn the ways of the road |
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|- |
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| Road stake |
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| the small amount of money a hobo may have in case of an emergency |
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|- |
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| Rum dum |
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| a drunkard |
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|- |
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| Sky pilot |
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| a preacher or minister |
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|- |
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| Soup bowl |
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| a place to get soup, bread and drinks |
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|- |
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| Snipes |
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| cigarette butts "sniped" (e.g. in ashtrays) |
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|- |
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| Spare biscuits |
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| looking for food in garbage cans |
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|- |
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| Stemming |
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| panhandling or mooching along the streets |
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|- |
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| Tokay Blanket |
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| drinking alcohol to stay warm |
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|- |
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| Yegg |
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| a traveling professional thief, or burglar |
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|} |
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Many hobo terms have become part of common language, such as "Big House", "glad rags", "main drag", and others. |
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===Hobo (sign) code=== |
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[[File:HoboMarkingsCanalStFerry.jpg|thumb|300px|Hobo code at a [[Canal Street Ferry]] entrance in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]]] |
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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: |
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* A cross signifies "angel food", that is, food served to the hobos after a sermon. |
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* A triangle with hands signifies that the homeowner has a gun.<ref name="university">Moon, Gypsy: "Done and Been", page 198. Indiana University Press, 1996.</ref> |
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* A horizontal zigzag signifies a barking dog.<ref name="Moon"/> |
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* A square missing its top line signifies it is safe to camp in that location. |
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* A [[top hat]] and a triangle signify wealth. |
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* A spearhead signifies a warning to defend oneself. |
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* A circle with two parallel arrows means to get out fast, as hobos are not welcome in the area.<ref name="Moon"/> |
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* Two interlocked circles signify [[handcuffs]]. (i.e. hobos are hauled off to jail). |
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* A [[Caduceus as a symbol of medicine|Caduceus symbol]] signifies the house has a doctor living in it. |
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* A cross with a smiley face in one of the corners means the doctor at this office will treat hobos for free. |
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* A cat signifies that a kind lady lives here.<ref name="Moon"/> |
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* A wavy line (signifying water) above an X means fresh water and a campsite. |
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* Three [[diagonal]] lines mean it's not a safe place. |
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* 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. |
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* Two shovels, signifying work was available (shovels, because most hobos performed manual labor). |
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Another version of the Hobo Code exists as a display in the [[Steamtown National Historic Site]] at [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]], operated by the [[National Park Service]]. |
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A [[QR code|QR]] Hobo Code, with a [http://fffff.at/qr-stenciler-and-qr-hobo-codes/ QR stenciler], was released by the [[Free Art and Technology Lab]] in July 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |
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| title = QR Code Stencil Generator and QR Hobo Codes |
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| work = F.A.T., Free Art and Technology Lab |
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| accessdate = 2012-07-18 |
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| date = 2011-07-19 |
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| url = http://fffff.at/qr-stenciler-and-qr-hobo-codes/ |
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}}</ref> |
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===Hobo (ethical) code=== |
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An ethical code was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.hobo.com/tourist_union_63.htm | title=Tourist Union 63 | publisher=National Hobo Museum|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20110724195757/http://www.hobo.com/tourist_union_63.htm |archivedate = July 24, 2011|deadurl=yes}}</ref> This code was voted upon as a concrete set of laws to govern the Nation-wide Hobo Body; it reads this way: |
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# Decide your own life, don't let another person run or rule you. |
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# When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times. |
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# Don't take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos. |
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# 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 ensure employment should you return to that town again. |
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# When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts. |
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# Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals' treatment of other hobos. |
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# 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. |
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# Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling. |
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# If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help. |
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# Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible. |
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# 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. |
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# Do not cause problems in a train yard, another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard. |
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# Do not allow other hobos to molest children, expose all molesters to authorities, they are the worst garbage to infest any society. |
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# Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home. |
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# Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday. |
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<!-- do not add made-up crap here unless you want to lose your editing privileges--> |
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==Hobos== |
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===Notable hobos=== |
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* [[Jack Black (author)]] |
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* Charles Elmer Fox, author of ''Tales of an American Hobo (Singular Lives)'' (1989)<ref>ISBN 978-0-87745-251-5</ref> |
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* [[Maurice W. Graham]], a.k.a. "Steam Train Maurie" |
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* [[Joe Hill]] |
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* [[T-Bone Slim]] |
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* Monte Holm, author of ''Once A Hobo: The Autobiography of Monte Holm'' (1999)<ref>ISBN 978-1-882792-76-4</ref> Died in 2006 at age 89.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hobonickels.org/holm.htm|title=Monte Holm Dead at 89|accessdate=2010-02-06|publisher=Original Nickel Hobo Society}}</ref> |
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* [[Leon Ray Livingston]], a.k.a. "A No.1" |
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* [[Christopher McCandless]], a.k.a. "Alexander Supertramp" |
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* [[Harry McClintock]] |
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* [[Utah Phillips]] |
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* [[Robert Joseph Silveria, Jr.]], a.k.a. "Sidetrack", who killed 34 other hobos before turning himself in to the authorities |
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* Bertha Thompson, a.k.a. "Boxcar Bertha" was widely believed to be a real person. ''Sister of the Road'' was penned by [[Ben Reitman]] and presented as an autobiography. |
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* [[Jim Tully]], an author who penned several pulp fiction books, 1928 through 1945. |
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* Steven Gene Wold, a.k.a. "[[Seasick Steve]]" |
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{{col-begin}}{{col-break}} |
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===Notable people who have hoboed=== |
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* [[Raul Hector Castro]]<ref name="Tucson City Morgue">[http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue/2009/04/06/113664-the-american-dream-and-ra-l-castro/ Tucson Citizen Morgue]</ref> |
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* [[Ted Conover]] rode the rails doing research for his writing |
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* [[W. H. Davies]] |
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* [[Jack Dempsey]] |
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* [[George Orwell]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Down and Out in Paris and London |author= |url=http://www.george-orwell.org/Down_and_Out_in_Paris_and_London/index.html |date= |accessdate=2012-12-07}}</ref> |
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* [[U Dhammaloka]] |
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* [[Loren Eiseley]] |
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* [[Woody Guthrie]] |
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* [[Harry Kemp]] |
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* [[Louis L'amour]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Louis L'amour: A brief biography |author= |url=http://www.louislamour.com/aboutlouis/biography.htm |publisher=louislamour.com |date= |accessdate=2008-12-07}}</ref> |
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* [[Jack London]] |
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* [[Jack Kerouac]] |
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* [[Robert Mitchum]] |
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* [[Harry Partch]] |
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* [[Dave Van Ronk]]<ref>Van Ronk, Dave. The Mayor of MacDougal Street. 2005.</ref> |
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* [[Dale Wasserman]]<ref>"Dale Wasserman, 94; Playwright Created 'Man of La Mancha'" obituary by Dennis McLellan of the ''Los Angeles Times'', printed in ''The Washington Post'' December 29, 2008.</ref> |
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{{col-end}} |
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==In mainstream culture== |
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Examples of characters based on hobos include [[Emmett Kelly]]'s "Weary Willy" and [[Red Skelton]]'s "Freddy the Freeloader". |
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===Books=== |
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* ''All the Strange Hours: The Excavation of a Life'', by [[Loren Eiseley]], 1975. ISBN 978-0-8032-6741-1 |
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* ''[[The Areas of My Expertise]]'' by [[John Hodgman]] - Humor book which features a lengthy section on "hobos", including a list of 700 hobo names which spawned an online effort to illustrate the complete list. |
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* ''[[Bottom Dogs]]'', by [[Edward Dahlberg]] |
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* ''Beggars of Life'', (1924), by [[Jim Tully]] |
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* ''The Drift'' by John Ridley |
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* ''[[Evasion (book)|Evasion]]'' by Anonymous |
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* ''From Coast to Coast with Jack London'' by "A-No.-1" ([[Leon Ray Livingston]]) |
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* ''Hard Travellin': The Hobo and His History'', by Kenneth Allsop. ISBN 978-0-340-02572-7. |
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* ''[[Hobo (book)|Hobo]]'', by Eddy Joe Cotton, 2002. ISBN 978-0-609-60738-1 |
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* ''The Hobo - The Sociology of the Homeless Man'', by [[Nels Anderson]], 1923. |
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* ''The Hobo Handbook - A Field Guide to Living by Your Own Rules'', by [[Josh Mack]], 2011. ISBN 978-1-4405-1227-8 (Book on the Hobo lifestyle, written by one who has ridden the rails in recent years.) |
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* ''[[The Jungle]]'' by [[Upton Sinclair]] contains a section in which the main character, [[Jurgis Rudkus]], abandons his family in Chicago and becomes a hobo for a while. |
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* ''Knights of the Road'', by Roger A. Bruns, 1980. ISBN 978-0-416-00721-3. |
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* ''Lonesome Road'', by Thomas Minehan, 1941. |
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* ''[[Lonesome Traveler]]'', by Jack Kerouac ("The Vanishing American Hobo") |
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* ''[[The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane]]'' by [[Kate DiCamillo]] |
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* ''Muzzlers, Guzzlers, and Good Yeggs'' by [[Joe Coleman (painter)|Joe Coleman]] |
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* ''[[Of Mice and Men]]'', by [[John Steinbeck]] |
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* ''[[On the Road]]'', by [[Jack Kerouac]] |
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* ''Once a Hobo...'' (1999), by Monte Holm |
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* ''One More Train to Ride: The Underground World of Modern American Hobos'' by [[Clifford Williams (academic)|Clifford Williams]]. |
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* ''[http://erroluys.com/RidingtheRails.htm Riding the Rails: Teenagers on the Move During the Great Depression]'' by [[Errol Lincoln Uys]], (Routledge, 2003)ISBN 978-0-415-94575-2 |
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* ''Riding Toward Everywhere'' by William T. Vollmann, 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-125675-2 |
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* ''[[The Road (novel by Jack London)|The Road]]'', by [[Jack London]] |
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* ''Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails with America's Hoboes'' by [[Ted Conover]] - Paperback: 304 pages, Publisher: Vintage (September 11, 2001), ISBN 0-307-72786-8{{Please check ISBN|reason=Check digit (8) does not correspond to calculated figure.}} |
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* ''Sister of The Road: The Autobiography of Boxcar Bertha'' - (as told to) Dr. Ben Reitman |
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* ''[[Stumptown Kid]]'', By Carol Gorman and Ron J. Finley |
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* ''Tales of an American Hobo'' (1989), by Charles Elmer Fox |
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* ''Tramping on Life'' (1922) and ''More Miles'' (1926), by [[Harry Kemp]] |
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* ''Waiting for Nothing'', [[Tom Kromer]] |
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* ''[[You Can't Win (book)|You Can't Win]]'', by Jack Black |
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* '' The Family Under the Bridge'', by Natalie Carlson |
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* ''Meet Kit'' (series), by Valerie Tripp |
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===Comics=== |
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* ''[[Kings in Disguise]]'' (1988), by [[James Vance (comics)|James Vance]] and [[Dan Burr]] |
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* ''[[Laugh-Out-Loud Cats]]'', [[webcomic]] by Adam Koford, featuring two anthropomorphic cats as hobos. |
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* Many cartoons depict hobos as main or secondary characters, hobo related activities such as traveling by train, with a [[bindle]], or in company of hobos. For example, ''8 Ball Bunny'' (1950) with [[Bugs Bunny]], [[Merrie Melodies]] ''Hobo Gadget Band'' (1939), ''Mouse Wreckers'' (1948) and [[MGM]]'s ''Henpecked Hoboes'' (1948). |
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===Movies=== |
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* ''[[Wild Boys of the Road]]'' (1933), directed by [[William A. Wellman]] |
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* ''[[Sullivan's Travels]]'' (1941), directed by [[Preston Sturges]]. |
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* ''[[Emperor of the North Pole]]'' aka ''Emperor of the North'' (1973), directed by Robert Aldrich. {{OCLC|70283150}}. Loosely based on [[Jack London]]'s ''The Road''. |
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* ''[[Hard Times (1975 film)|Hard Times]]'' aka ''The Streetfighter'' (1975), directed by [[Walter Hill (filmmaker)|Walter Hill]] (his directorial debut), and starring [[Charles Bronson]] (as a hobo turned [[street fighting|street fighter]]) and [[James Coburn]] (as a gambler who becomes his manager). |
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* ''[[The Billion Dollar Hobo]]'' (1977), starring [[Tim Conway]] and [[Will Geer]]. |
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* ''[[The Journey of Natty Gann]]'' (1985), young girl riding the rails to find her father. |
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* ''[[Life Stinks]]'' (1991), directed by and starring [[Mel Brooks]]. |
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* ''[[Tokyo Godfathers]]'' (2003), an [[anime]] directed by [[Satoshi Kon]]. |
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* ''[[The Polar Express (film)|The Polar Express]]'' (2004), a [[Computer animation|computer-animated]] [[Film|feature film]] directed by [[Robert Zemeckis]] and starring [[Tom Hanks]], features a gruff but helpful hobo character (one of five characters played by Hanks) who seems to be the corporeal appearance of a [[spirit]] or [[angel]]. |
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* ''[[Into the Wild (film)|Into the Wild]]'' (2007), directed by [[Sean Penn]], based on [[Jon Krakauer|Jon Krakauer's]] non-fiction book about Christopher McCandless |
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* ''[[Resurrecting the Champ]]'' (2007), starring [[Samuel L. Jackson]] and [[Josh Hartnett]], directed by [[Rod Lurie]]. |
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* ''[[Kit Kittredge: An American Girl]]'' (2008), starring [[Abigail Breslin]], [[Chris O'Donnell]], [[Julia Ormond]] and [[Max Thieriot]]. Directed by [[Patricia Rozema]]. |
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* ''[[Hobo with a Shotgun]]'' (2011), an [[exploitation film]] directed by Jason Eisener and written by John Davies, starring [[Rutger Hauer]] as a [[vigilante]] hobo. |
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* ''[[Ironweed]]'' (2011), an [[exploitation film]] directed by Héctor Babenco and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by William Kennedy, who also wrote the screenplay. Stars Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, with Carroll Baker, Michael O'Keefe, Diane Venora, Fred Gwynne, Nathan Lane, and Tom Waits in supporting roles. |
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===Documentaries=== |
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* ''[[American Experience]]'', "[[IMDbTitle:1406220|Riding the Rails]]" (1999), a [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] documentary by Lexy Lovell and Michael Uys, narrated by [[Richard Thomas (actor)|Richard Thomas]], detailing the hobos of the [[Great Depression]], with interviews of those who rode the rails during those years. |
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* ''[[IMDbTitle:1646104|Hobo]]'' (1992), a documentary by [[John T. Davis]], following the life of a hobo on his travels through the United States. |
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* "[[The Human Experience]]", (2008), a documentary by Charles Kinnane. The first experience follows Jeffrey and his brother Clifford to the streets of New York City where the boys live with the homeless for a week in one of the coldest winters on record. The boys look for hope and camaraderie among their homeless companions, learning how to survive on the streets. |
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*[[The American Hobo]] (2003), a documentary Narrated by [[Ernest Borgnine]] featuring interviews with [[Merle Haggard]] and [[James Michener]]. |
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===Songs=== |
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Musicians known for hobo songs include [[Ramblin' Jack Elliott]], [[Utah Phillips]], [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]], [[Seasick Steve]], and [[Boxcar Willie]]. |
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Examples of hobo songs include: |
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* "[[Big Rock Candy Mountain]]" by [[Harry McClintock]], recorded by various artists including [[Tom Waits]], [[Lisa Loeb]], [[The Restarts]] and [[Harry Dean Stanton]]. |
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* "[[Hallelujah, I'm a Bum]]" recorded by Harry McClintock, [[Al Jolson]], and others |
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* "Hard Travelin'" and "[[Hobo's Lullaby]]" by [[Woody Guthrie]] |
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* [[Here Comes Your Man]] by the [[Pixies]] is about hobos travelling on trains in California and dying because of earthquakes.<ref>[http://www.frankblack.net/songs/default.asp?mode=index&songID=254 Here Comes Your Man]</ref> |
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* "Hobo" by [[The Hackensaw Boys]] |
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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 Bill's Last Ride" by [[Jimmy Rogers]], also recorded by [[Manfred Mann's Earth Band]] |
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* "Hobo Blues" and "The Hobo" by [[John Lee Hooker]] |
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* "Hobo Chang Ba" by [[Captain Beefheart]] |
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* "Hobo Flats" by [[Oliver Nelson]] |
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* "Hobo Jungle" by [[The Band]] |
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* "Hobo Kinda Man" by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] |
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* "The Hobo Song" by [[John Prine]] also covered by [[Johnny Cash]] |
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* "[[Hobo's Lullaby]]" (aka "Weary Hobo"), written by [[Goebel Reeves]], recorded by various artists including [[Woody Guthrie]], [[Arlo Guthrie]], [[Emmylou Harris]], [[Pete Seeger]], [[The Kingston Trio]], and Ramblin' Jack Eliot |
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* "Hobos on Parade" by [[Shannon Wright]] |
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* "[[I Am a Lonesome Hobo]]", "Only a Hobo" and "Ramblin' Gamblin' Willie" by [[Bob Dylan]] |
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* "[[Jack Straw (song)|Jack Straw]]" by [[Robert Hunter (lyricist)|Robert Hunter]] and [[Bob Weir]] |
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* "[[Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet]]" a recording of a hobo singing on a London street, by composer [[Gavin Bryars]]. |
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* "[[King of the Road (song)|King of the Road]]" by [[Roger Miller]] |
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* "Kulkurin Valssi" (Hobo Waltz) by [[Arthur Kylander]] |
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* "Lännen lokari" (Western Logger) by [[Hiski Salomaa]] |
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* "Last of the Hobo Kings" by [[Mary Gauthier]] |
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* "[[Like a Hobo]]" by [[Charlie Winston]] |
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* "Mary Lane" by [[Fred Eaglesmith]] |
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* "Morning Glory" by [[Tim Buckley]] lyrics by [[Larry Beckett]] |
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* "Papa Hobo" and "Hobo's Blues" by [[Paul Simon]] |
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* "[[Ramblin' Man]]" by [[Hank Williams Sr.]] |
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* "[[Streets of London (song)|Streets of London]]" by [[Ralph McTell]] |
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* "[[Waiting for a Train]]" by Jimmie Rodgers |
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* "Hopscotch Willie" by [[Stephen Malkmus]] |
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===Television=== |
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* [[Criminal Minds (season 4)|''Criminal Minds'' (season 4)]], episode 5 "Catching Out" (2008) |
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* ''Mad Men'' (season 1), episode 8, "[[The Hobo Code#Season 1 .282007.29|The Hobo Code]]" (2007) |
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* ''[[The Littlest Hobo]]'' |
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==See also== |
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* [[Freight Train Riders of America]], a brotherhood of hobos |
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* [[Freighthopping]] |
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* [[Hobo nickel]], an art form associated with hobos |
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* [[Kirby, Texas|Kirby]], [[Texas]], the "hobo capital of Texas" |
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* [[Shoulder pole]] |
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* [[Wobbly lingo]], the jargon of the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] |
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* [[Hobo (typeface)]], designed by [[Morris Fuller Benton]] for [[American Type Founders]] in 1910 |
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==References== |
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;Notes |
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{{Reflist}} |
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;Further reading |
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{{Refbegin}} |
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# Brady, Jonann (2005). [http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1020800&page=1 "Hobos Elect New King and Queen"]. ''ABC Good Morning America'', includes Todd "Ad Man" Waters' last ride as reigning Hobo King plus hobo slide show with Adman’s photo’s taken on the road. |
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# Bannister, Matthew (2006). [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/lastword_28dec2006.shtml "Maurice W Graham 'Steam Train', Grand Patriarch of America's Hobos who has died aged 89"]. ''Last Word''. BBC Radio. Matthew Bannister talks to fellow King of the Hobos "Ad Man" Waters and to obituary editor of ''[[The New York Times]]'', Bill McDonald. |
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# Davis, Jason (2007). [http://kstp.com/article/stories/S208805.shtml?cat=69 "The Hobo"], ''On The Road'' 30 minute special. KSTP television. Covers "Ad Man" Waters taking his daughter out on her first freight ride. |
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# Harper, Douglas (2006)[1986]. [http://www.americanethnography.com/article.php?id=118 "Waiting for a Train"], Excerpt from ''Good Company: A Tramp Life'' ISBN 978-1-59451-184-4 |
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# Johnson, L. Anderson. "Riding The Rails For The Homeless". ''The New York Times''. July 12, 1983, sec B page 3, col 3. Story on "Ad Man" Waters The Penny Route. |
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{{Refend}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Wiktionary|hobo}} |
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* [http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA01/white/hobo/firstpage.html In Search of the American Hobo 1876-1939] from American Studies at the University of Virginia |
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* [http://www.worldpath.net/~minstrel/hobosign.htm Fran's Hobo Page], by Fran DeLorenzo. Includes hobo history and a glossary of hobo signs. |
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[[Category:Rail transportation in the United States]] |
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[[Category:American folklore]] |
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[[Category:Transport culture]] |
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[[Category:Criticism and refusal of work]] |
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[[Category:Hoboes|*Main]] |
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[[cs:Hobo]] |
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[[ko:호보]] |
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[[hu:Hobó]] |
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[[nl:Hobo (zwerver)]] |
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[[ja:ホーボー]] |
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[[pt:Hobo (vagabundo)]] |
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Revision as of 22:18, 16 January 2013
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Hobos2.jpg/225px-Hobos2.jpg)
A hobo is a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, especially one who is penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century.[1] Unlike "tramps", who work only when they are forced to, and "bums", who do not work at all, "hobos" are workers who wander.[1][2]
Etymology
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/ThreeHobosChicago1929.jpg/325px-ThreeHobosChicago1929.jpg)
The origin of the term is unknown. Etymologist Anatoly Liberman says that the only details certain about its origin is that the word emerged in American English and was first noticed around 1890.[1] Liberman points out that many folk etymologies fail to answer the question: "Why did the word become widely known in California (just there) by the early Nineties (just then)?"[1] Author Todd DePastino has suggested that it may come from the term hoe-boy meaning "farmhand", or a greeting such as Ho, boy!.[3] 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".[4] H. L. Mencken, in his The American Language (4th ed., 1937), wrote:
Tramps and hobos are commonly lumped together, but see themselves as sharply differentiated. A hobo or bo is simply a migratory laborer; he may take some longish holidays, but sooner or later he returns to work. A tramp never works if it can be avoided; he simply travels. Apart from either is the bum, who neither works nor travels, save when impelled to motion by the police.[2]
History
It is unclear exactly when hobos first appeared on the American railroading scene. With the end of the American Civil War in the 1860s, many discharged veterans looking to return home took to hopping freight trains. Others looking for work on the American frontier followed the railways west aboard freight trains in the late 19th Century.
In 1906, Professor Layal Shafee, after an exhaustive study, put the number of tramps in America at about 500,000 (about 0.6% of the U.S. population). His article "What Tramps Cost Nation" was published by The New York Telegraph in 1911, when he estimated the number had surged to 700,000.[5]
The number of hobos increased greatly during the Great Depression era of the 1930s.[6] With no work and no prospects at home, many decided to travel for free by freight train and try their luck elsewhere.
Life as a hobo was dangerous. In addition to the problems of being itinerant, poor, far from home and support, plus a hostile attitude of many train crews, they faced the railroads' security staff, nicknamed bulls, who had a reputation of violence against trespassers.[citation needed] Riding on a freight train is dangerous in itself. British poet W.H. Davies, author of The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp, lost a foot when he fell under the wheels trying to jump aboard a train. It was easy to be trapped between cars, and one could freeze to death in bad weather. When freezer cars were loaded at an ice factory, any hobo inside was likely to be killed.[7]
According to Ted Conover in Rolling Nowhere (1984), as many as 20,000 people were living a hobo life in North America. Modern freight trains are much faster and thus harder to ride than in the 1930s, but they can still be boarded in railyards.[8]
National Hobo Convention
In 1900, the town fathers of Britt, Iowa invited Tourist Union #63 to bring their annual convention to town, and the National Hobo Convention has been held in August each year ever since.[9] Hobos 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. Live entertainment, a carnival, and a flea market are also part of the festivities.
Culture
Expressions used through 1940s
![]() | It has been suggested that this article be merged with Wobbly lingo. (Discuss) Proposed since December 2012. |
Hobo term | Explanation |
---|---|
Accommodation car | the caboose of a train |
Angellina | young inexperienced child |
Bad Road | a train line rendered useless by some hobo's bad action |
Banjo | (1) a small portable frying pan. (2) a short, "D" handled shovel |
Barnacle | a person who sticks to one job a year or more |
Beachcomber | a hobo who 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 carries a bindle. |
Blowed-in-the-glass | a genuine, trustworthy individual |
'Bo | the common way one hobo referred to another: "I met that 'Bo on the way to Bangor last spring." |
Boil Up | specifically, to boil one's clothes to kill lice and their eggs. Generally, to get oneself as clean as possible |
Bone polisher | a mean dog |
Bone orchard | a graveyard |
Bull | a railroad officer |
Bullets | beans |
Buck | a Catholic priest good for a dollar |
Buger | today's lunch |
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 |
Docandoberry | anything that grows on the side of a river that's edible |
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, by extension, "Flophouse", a cheap hotel. |
Glad Rags | one's best clothes |
Graybacks | lice |
Grease the Track | to be run over by a train |
Gump | a chicken [10] |
Honey dipping | working with a shovel in the sewer |
Hot | (1) a fugitive hobo. (2) a decent meal: "I could use three hots and a flop." |
Hot Shot | train with priority freight, stops rarely, goes faster; synonym for "Cannonball" |
Jungle | an area off a railroad where hobos camp and congregate |
Jungle Buzzard | a hobo or tramp who preys on their own |
Knowledge bus | a school bus used for shelter |
Main Drag | the busiest road in a town |
Moniker / Monica | a nickname |
Maeve | a child hobo usually a girl |
Mulligan | 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 lie flat, on his/her stomach, to not be blown off |
Pullman | a railroad sleeper car. Most were made by George Pullman company. |
Punk | any young kid |
Reefer | a compression of "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" (e.g. in ashtrays) |
Spare 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, or burglar |
Many hobo terms have become part of common language, such as "Big House", "glad rags", "main drag", and others.
Hobo (sign) code
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/HoboMarkingsCanalStFerry.jpg/300px-HoboMarkingsCanalStFerry.jpg)
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 sermon.
- A triangle with hands signifies that the homeowner has a gun.[11]
- A horizontal zigzag signifies a barking dog.[9]
- 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.[9]
- Two interlocked circles signify handcuffs. (i.e. hobos are hauled off to jail).
- A Caduceus symbol signifies the house has a doctor living in it.
- A cross with a smiley face in one of the corners means the doctor at this office will treat hobos for free.
- A cat signifies that a kind lady lives here.[9]
- A wavy line (signifying water) above an X means fresh water and a campsite.
- Three diagonal lines mean 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 performed manual labor).
Another version of the Hobo Code exists as a display in the Steamtown National Historic Site at Scranton, Pennsylvania, operated by the National Park Service.
A QR Hobo Code, with a QR stenciler, was released by the Free Art and Technology Lab in July 2011.[12]
Hobo (ethical) code
An ethical code was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri.[13] 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.
- 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 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 ensure employment should you return to that town again.
- 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 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.
- Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
- If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
- 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.
- Do not cause problems in a train yard, another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.
- Do not allow other hobos to molest children, expose all molesters to authorities, they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
- Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
- Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.
Hobos
Notable hobos
- Jack Black (author)
- Charles Elmer Fox, author of Tales of an American Hobo (Singular Lives) (1989)[14]
- Maurice W. Graham, a.k.a. "Steam Train Maurie"
- Joe Hill
- T-Bone Slim
- Monte Holm, author of Once A Hobo: The Autobiography of Monte Holm (1999)[15] Died in 2006 at age 89.[16]
- Leon Ray Livingston, a.k.a. "A No.1"
- Christopher McCandless, a.k.a. "Alexander Supertramp"
- Harry McClintock
- Utah Phillips
- Robert Joseph Silveria, Jr., a.k.a. "Sidetrack", who killed 34 other hobos before turning himself in to the authorities
- Bertha Thompson, a.k.a. "Boxcar Bertha" was widely believed to be a real person. Sister of the Road was penned by Ben Reitman and presented as an autobiography.
- Jim Tully, an author who penned several pulp fiction books, 1928 through 1945.
- Steven Gene Wold, a.k.a. "Seasick Steve"
Notable people who have hoboed
|
In mainstream culture
Examples of characters based on hobos include Emmett Kelly's "Weary Willy" and Red Skelton's "Freddy the Freeloader".
Books
- All the Strange Hours: The Excavation of a Life, by Loren Eiseley, 1975. ISBN 978-0-8032-6741-1
- The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman - Humor book which features a lengthy section on "hobos", including a list of 700 hobo names which spawned an online effort to illustrate the complete list.
- Bottom Dogs, by Edward Dahlberg
- Beggars of Life, (1924), by Jim Tully
- The Drift by John Ridley
- Evasion by Anonymous
- From Coast to Coast with Jack London by "A-No.-1" (Leon Ray Livingston)
- Hard Travellin': The Hobo and His History, by Kenneth Allsop. ISBN 978-0-340-02572-7.
- Hobo, by Eddy Joe Cotton, 2002. ISBN 978-0-609-60738-1
- The Hobo - The Sociology of the Homeless Man, by Nels Anderson, 1923.
- The Hobo Handbook - A Field Guide to Living by Your Own Rules, by Josh Mack, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4405-1227-8 (Book on the Hobo lifestyle, written by one who has ridden the rails in recent years.)
- The Jungle by Upton Sinclair contains a section in which the main character, Jurgis Rudkus, abandons his family in Chicago and becomes a hobo for a while.
- Knights of the Road, by Roger A. Bruns, 1980. ISBN 978-0-416-00721-3.
- Lonesome Road, by Thomas Minehan, 1941.
- Lonesome Traveler, by Jack Kerouac ("The Vanishing American Hobo")
- The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
- Muzzlers, Guzzlers, and Good Yeggs by Joe Coleman
- Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
- On the Road, by Jack Kerouac
- Once a Hobo... (1999), by Monte Holm
- One More Train to Ride: The Underground World of Modern American Hobos by Clifford Williams.
- Riding the Rails: Teenagers on the Move During the Great Depression by Errol Lincoln Uys, (Routledge, 2003)ISBN 978-0-415-94575-2
- Riding Toward Everywhere by William T. Vollmann, 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-125675-2
- The Road, by Jack London
- Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails with America's Hoboes by Ted Conover - Paperback: 304 pages, Publisher: Vintage (September 11, 2001), ISBN 0-307-72786-8
- Sister of The Road: The Autobiography of Boxcar Bertha - (as told to) Dr. Ben Reitman
- Stumptown Kid, By Carol Gorman and Ron J. Finley
- Tales of an American Hobo (1989), by Charles Elmer Fox
- Tramping on Life (1922) and More Miles (1926), by Harry Kemp
- Waiting for Nothing, Tom Kromer
- You Can't Win, by Jack Black
- The Family Under the Bridge, by Natalie Carlson
- Meet Kit (series), by Valerie Tripp
Comics
- Kings in Disguise (1988), by James Vance and Dan Burr
- Laugh-Out-Loud Cats, webcomic by Adam Koford, featuring two anthropomorphic cats as hobos.
- Many cartoons depict hobos as main or secondary characters, hobo related activities such as traveling by train, with a bindle, or in company of hobos. For example, 8 Ball Bunny (1950) with Bugs Bunny, Merrie Melodies Hobo Gadget Band (1939), Mouse Wreckers (1948) and MGM's Henpecked Hoboes (1948).
Movies
- Wild Boys of the Road (1933), directed by William A. Wellman
- Sullivan's Travels (1941), directed by Preston Sturges.
- Emperor of the North Pole aka Emperor of the North (1973), directed by Robert Aldrich. OCLC 70283150. Loosely based on Jack London's The Road.
- Hard Times aka The Streetfighter (1975), directed by Walter Hill (his directorial debut), and starring Charles Bronson (as a hobo turned street fighter) and James Coburn (as a gambler who becomes his manager).
- The Billion Dollar Hobo (1977), starring Tim Conway and Will Geer.
- The Journey of Natty Gann (1985), young girl riding the rails to find her father.
- Life Stinks (1991), directed by and starring Mel Brooks.
- Tokyo Godfathers (2003), an anime directed by Satoshi Kon.
- The Polar Express (2004), a computer-animated feature film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, features a gruff but helpful hobo character (one of five characters played by Hanks) who seems to be the corporeal appearance of a spirit or angel.
- Into the Wild (2007), directed by Sean Penn, based on Jon Krakauer's non-fiction book about Christopher McCandless
- Resurrecting the Champ (2007), starring Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Hartnett, directed by Rod Lurie.
- Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008), starring Abigail Breslin, Chris O'Donnell, Julia Ormond and Max Thieriot. Directed by Patricia Rozema.
- Hobo with a Shotgun (2011), an exploitation film directed by Jason Eisener and written by John Davies, starring Rutger Hauer as a vigilante hobo.
- Ironweed (2011), an exploitation film directed by Héctor Babenco and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by William Kennedy, who also wrote the screenplay. Stars Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, with Carroll Baker, Michael O'Keefe, Diane Venora, Fred Gwynne, Nathan Lane, and Tom Waits in supporting roles.
Documentaries
- American Experience, "Riding the Rails" (1999), a PBS documentary by Lexy Lovell and Michael Uys, narrated by Richard Thomas, detailing the hobos of the Great Depression, with interviews of those who rode the rails during those years.
- Hobo (1992), a documentary by John T. Davis, following the life of a hobo on his travels through the United States.
- "The Human Experience", (2008), a documentary by Charles Kinnane. The first experience follows Jeffrey and his brother Clifford to the streets of New York City where the boys live with the homeless for a week in one of the coldest winters on record. The boys look for hope and camaraderie among their homeless companions, learning how to survive on the streets.
- The American Hobo (2003), a documentary Narrated by Ernest Borgnine featuring interviews with Merle Haggard and James Michener.
Songs
Musicians known for hobo songs include Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Utah Phillips, Jimmie Rodgers, Seasick Steve, and Boxcar Willie.
Examples of hobo songs include:
- "Big Rock Candy Mountain" by Harry McClintock, recorded by various artists including Tom Waits, Lisa Loeb, The Restarts and Harry Dean Stanton.
- "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum" recorded by Harry McClintock, Al Jolson, and others
- "Hard Travelin'" and "Hobo's Lullaby" by Woody Guthrie
- Here Comes Your Man by the Pixies is about hobos travelling on trains in California and dying because of earthquakes.[22]
- "Hobo" by The Hackensaw Boys
- "Hobo Bill", "I Ain't Got No Home" and "Mysteries of a Hobo's Life" by Cisco Houston
- "Hobo Bill's Last Ride" by Jimmy Rogers, also recorded by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
- "Hobo Blues" and "The Hobo" by John Lee Hooker
- "Hobo Chang Ba" by Captain Beefheart
- "Hobo Flats" by Oliver Nelson
- "Hobo Jungle" by The Band
- "Hobo Kinda Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- "The Hobo Song" by John Prine also covered by Johnny Cash
- "Hobo's Lullaby" (aka "Weary Hobo"), written by Goebel Reeves, recorded by various artists including Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, Emmylou Harris, Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, and Ramblin' Jack Eliot
- "Hobos on Parade" by Shannon Wright
- "I Am a Lonesome Hobo", "Only a Hobo" and "Ramblin' Gamblin' Willie" by Bob Dylan
- "Jack Straw" by Robert Hunter and Bob Weir
- "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" a recording of a hobo singing on a London street, by composer Gavin Bryars.
- "King of the Road" by Roger Miller
- "Kulkurin Valssi" (Hobo Waltz) by Arthur Kylander
- "Lännen lokari" (Western Logger) by Hiski Salomaa
- "Last of the Hobo Kings" by Mary Gauthier
- "Like a Hobo" by Charlie Winston
- "Mary Lane" by Fred Eaglesmith
- "Morning Glory" by Tim Buckley lyrics by Larry Beckett
- "Papa Hobo" and "Hobo's Blues" by Paul Simon
- "Ramblin' Man" by Hank Williams Sr.
- "Streets of London" by Ralph McTell
- "Waiting for a Train" by Jimmie Rodgers
- "Hopscotch Willie" by Stephen Malkmus
Television
- Criminal Minds (season 4), episode 5 "Catching Out" (2008)
- Mad Men (season 1), episode 8, "The Hobo Code" (2007)
- The Littlest Hobo
See also
- Freight Train Riders of America, a brotherhood of hobos
- Freighthopping
- Hobo nickel, an art form associated with hobos
- Kirby, Texas, the "hobo capital of Texas"
- Shoulder pole
- Wobbly lingo, the jargon of the Industrial Workers of the World
- Hobo (typeface), designed by Morris Fuller Benton for American Type Founders in 1910
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c d "On Hobos, Hautboys, and Other Beaus". OUPblog. Oxford University Press. November 12, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
- ^ a b Mencken, H.L. (1937). "On the road again". The American Language (4th ed.). grammarphobia.com(July 25, 2009). Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Interview with Todd DePastino, author of Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America from the University of Chicago Press website
- ^ Bryson, Bill (1998). Made in America. [page needed]. ISBN 978-0-380-71381-3.
{{cite book}}
: Unknown parameter|nopp=
ignored (|no-pp=
suggested) (help) - ^ New York Telegraph: "What Tramps Cost Nation", page D2. The Washington Post, June 18, 1911
- ^ Virginia.edu
- ^ Life and Times of an American Hobo Life and Times of an American Hobo
- ^ Conover, Ted (1984). Rolling Nowhere. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-60319-0 [page needed]
- ^ a b c d Moon, Gypsy: "Done and Been", page 24. Indiana University Press, 1996.
- ^ Bruns, Roger (1980). Knights of the Road: A Hobo History. New York: Methuen Inc. p. 201. ISBN 0-416-00721-X.
- ^ Moon, Gypsy: "Done and Been", page 198. Indiana University Press, 1996.
- ^ "QR Code Stencil Generator and QR Hobo Codes". F.A.T., Free Art and Technology Lab. 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
- ^ "Tourist Union 63". National Hobo Museum. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ ISBN 978-0-87745-251-5
- ^ ISBN 978-1-882792-76-4
- ^ "Monte Holm Dead at 89". Original Nickel Hobo Society. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
- ^ Tucson Citizen Morgue
- ^ "Down and Out in Paris and London". Retrieved 2012-12-07.
- ^ "Louis L'amour: A brief biography". louislamour.com. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ Van Ronk, Dave. The Mayor of MacDougal Street. 2005.
- ^ "Dale Wasserman, 94; Playwright Created 'Man of La Mancha'" obituary by Dennis McLellan of the Los Angeles Times, printed in The Washington Post December 29, 2008.
- ^ Here Comes Your Man
- Further reading
- Brady, Jonann (2005). "Hobos Elect New King and Queen". ABC Good Morning America, includes Todd "Ad Man" Waters' last ride as reigning Hobo King plus hobo slide show with Adman’s photo’s taken on the road.
- Bannister, Matthew (2006). "Maurice W Graham 'Steam Train', Grand Patriarch of America's Hobos who has died aged 89". Last Word. BBC Radio. Matthew Bannister talks to fellow King of the Hobos "Ad Man" Waters and to obituary editor of The New York Times, Bill McDonald.
- Davis, Jason (2007). "The Hobo", On The Road 30 minute special. KSTP television. Covers "Ad Man" Waters taking his daughter out on her first freight ride.
- Harper, Douglas (2006)[1986]. "Waiting for a Train", Excerpt from Good Company: A Tramp Life ISBN 978-1-59451-184-4
- Johnson, L. Anderson. "Riding The Rails For The Homeless". The New York Times. July 12, 1983, sec B page 3, col 3. Story on "Ad Man" Waters The Penny Route.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/40px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png)
- In Search of the American Hobo 1876-1939 from American Studies at the University of Virginia
- Fran's Hobo Page, by Fran DeLorenzo. Includes hobo history and a glossary of hobo signs.