Hobo slang can be intuitive, or impenetrable, but its always colorful. Who was a No 1 hobo? Joe Hill. ), the Temperature at which Revenge is Best Served, the Guy Who Likes Corpses a Little Too Much, If You Know What I Mean, the Guy With Little Mouths Where His Eyes Should Be, Who Sings Nursery Rhymes in a High-Pitched Voice While Delicately Caressing a Straight Razor, Whose Clothes Are Made out of Suspiciously Pale Leather, the Guy Made Entirely Out of Onions Or At Least That's How He Smells, the Guy Who Chain-Smokes in a Poorly Ventilated Room, the Guy Who Eats Nothing But Limburger Cheese, the Hobo Who Doesn't Have the Sense to Disregard His Own Feces, the Man Who Should Probably Change His Socks, the Man Who Should Probably Change His Underwear, Like, Now, the Man Who Uses a Rotting Fish for Aftershave, the Smelliest Hobo In the World, Probably, Who Is Extremely Funky But Not In a Good Way, the Guy Who Casually Brushes Up Against You Way Too Often for It to Be a Coincidence, the Guy Who Does Not Have a Pencil in His Pocket, the Guy Who Was Kicked Out of the Frat House for Misogynistic Behavior, the Guy Who Works the Ferris Wheel at the County Fair, the Guy Your Parents Were Specifically Referring To When They Said Not To Talk To Strangers, the Ubiquitous Music that Grates on your Ears after Two Minutes, Who Is As Frightful As the Weather Outside, Many of these names are based on the 700 hobo names featured in, The Spooky hobo nickname "gives you the jibblies" is a reference to. WebSynonyms for HOBOS: vagabonds, gypsies, tramps, mopes, strolls, dawdles, strays, ambles, saunters, straggles Millie Opitz remembers hoboes coming to her neighborhood. A horizontal zigzag signifying a barking dog. A lot of them will share stories of riding with some of those steam-era hobos who used to come to Britt and arent here anymore, so its finding that common connection and theyre so welcoming to people from the community and they love sharing their stories. That symbiosis held until trucks took over so much of the nations shipping. Maybe 50 hobos in the jungle this year, and an equal number of hobo hobbyists and hobo historians and hobos-at-heart. The list of people who rode the rails includes many later became famous London had reached out to Livingston about his lifestyle in the late 19th century, and the two adventured together, as chronicled in Livingston's book From Coast to Coast with Jack London, which was published in 1917, a year after London's death. Theres a team of archaeologists exploring a hobo jungle at a dig in rural Pennsylvania. Tuck stands and says nothing and takes the man in his arms and everyone around the bench dissolves into tears. Decide your own life; don't let another person run or rule you. Thats 50 years of riding trains and wandering places, chasing disasters. The transition from steam to diesel marks the beginning of the end for the Great Age of the Hobo, and the numbers have been declining ever since. Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. Despite the freight-hopping and steamer trips and odd jobs, Livingston wasn't hurting for money; for him, hoboing was a spiritual necessity, not a financial one. Others looking for work on the American frontier followed the railways west aboard freight trains in the late 19th century. I had a buddy named Dusty, and me and Dusty used to sneak out there in the field and watch the hobos. The carnies are all parked in their campers over on East Center Street, just up the block from the Toilet Bowl Racesa timed, point-to-point-to-point event involving teams of three pushing toilet bowls on wheels, the rapid consumption of popular snacks, a great deal of toilet paper and many teeny-weeny toilet trophies. I have met hoboes who, in trying to catch a pal, had pursued clear across the continent and back again, and were still going. We built fires and cooked up chow right in the middle of the rail yards. Marc Jacobs. Most these days have a semipermanent address somewhere for the winter. The American brand is known for its 90s grunge style and references to pop culture, like Charlie Brown. But then why is every hobo song so sad? Hoboswere a phenomenon that developed along with the growth of a national rail system, allowingearly twentieth-century unfortunatesto relocate long distances at no cost. Everything he owns fits in a knapsack. Hobo culture's ethics have always been subject to disapproval from the mainstream culture; for example, hopping freight trains, an integral part of hobo life, has always been illegal in the U.S. Train crews invited us to wash up in the yard shack crew rooms. My dad Connecticut Slim was crown prince of the Hobos for life. 7. (My hobo name is Seersucker. They felt we were down on our luck (which was true.) After graduating he donated $25,000 a family friend gave him to pursue a law degree to charity, then changed his name to Alexander Supertramp and headed west in a beat up Datsun. "Around the Jungle Fire I, II & III". Bebop (English origin) from the manga 'Cowboy Bebop'. It is most famous for its distinctive beige camel check pattern. Everyone in town is either in the parade or watching the parade, or in it then watching it, or watching it then running around to get back in it. WebThe following table shows the 100 most popular given names for male and female babies born during the last 100 years, 1922-2021. Bertha Thompson, a.k.a. This would be written in a prominent location where other hoboes would see it. A lovely name for your princess. [2] The term has also been dated to 1889 in the Westernprobably NorthwesternUnited States,[5] and to 1888. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Austin means venerable. [Title] [First Name] ["Nickname"] [Last Name], [Occupation]. Im your brother.. The train tracks run east-west through Britt. To the amateur hobo-spotter, these names can seem to follow no rhyme nor reason; however, years of research and in-depth examination of hobokind have uncovered the closely-guarded secret method of hobo naming. "[2] Author Todd DePastino notes that some have said that it derives from the term "hoe-boy", coming from the hoe they are using and meaning "farmhand", or a greeting such as "Ho, boy", but that he does not find these to be convincing explanations. Britt has been an escape since I was a child. Half Tracks daughter Crash is running for queen. This man was christened "Smilin Jack Cisco, The Hobo Prince of Arizona.". [12] Moreover, riding on a freight train is dangerous in itself. According to Livingston, he was born in August 1872 into a family from San Francisco that he described as "well-to-do," but at age 11, misbehavior at school led him down a different path in life. Be sure to upload your local famous hobo, share your personal interactions, and send this to the friends that love the hobos you love. Among these wandering folk figures was a man with a sense of showmanship and a keen eye for branding: Leon Ray Livingstona writer, lecturer, and transient who would go on to dub himself "King of the Hobos.". The Cold hobo occupation "The Cold Miser" is a reference to the Snow Miser, a character from the Rankin-Bass Christmas special, The Cold hobo occupation "The Temperature at Which Revenge Is Best Served" is a reference to the popular English, The Cold hobo occupation "The Iceman Who Cometh" is a reference to the, The Stench hobo nickname "Poo-Gas" is a reference to an episode of, The Spooky hobo title "Uncanny-Valley" is a reference to a. For example, the jungle is just the communal hobo camp, usually near the railroad yard. So more people can stay in Britt and know what a great stay it is. Always broke but never broken, his struggles were everyones. But Utah was best known for his music. Were all here for the 118th National Hobo Convention. He even did a TV interview up in the boxcar this year. A martyr to corporate violence and the solidarity of labor, he remains Americas best-known hobo. He would say, Two songs, one story. Over at the Hobo Art Gallery, theyve unveiled the portrait of Tuck and Minnesota Jewel, last years king and queen. From end to end the whole sky goes rose pink, and a giant sun hovers out there like a live coal over the corn. Some hobos have both last names and occupations, as well as titles. First published in 1914, this detailed account of female hobos is a rare and beautiful example of early American storytelling. [14][15], According to Ted Conover in Rolling Nowhere (1984), at some unknown point in time, as many as 20,000 people were living a hobo life in North America. The Spooky hobo occupation "the Guy With Little Mouths Where His Eyes Should Be" refers to the character, The Hot hobo occupation "Who Is Hot Because He's Fly" refers to, The Hot hobo occupation "Who Is Hot, Hot, So Hot, Sticky Sweet" refers to. 1 in the 1973 movie Emperor of the North, based on Livingston's travels with Jack London and on London's own book The Road. Louis Vuitton Theres no doubt that Louis Vuitton is the most recognizable name on this list. He was always the one to tuck me in bed at night. We never thought you were dead, his brother tells him, but we always wondered where you were.. Its a pre-Halloween chance for the kidsand some of the quicker adultsto load up on sweets. On the day after his 11th birthday, his teacher sent him home with a note detailing his bad behavior, which was to be signed by Livingston's father. In a 2003 interview, Todd DePastino, author of Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America, said, One famous quip had it that the hobo works and wanders, the tramp drinks and wanders, and the bum just drinks. With the end of the American Civil War in the 1860s, many discharged veterans returning home began hopping freight trains. And after dinner, once the pots and pans are washed and stacked, the hobos will sit and smoke and sing a few choruses of what sounds like Hobos Lullaby. Not far away, at the foot of the boxcar, in the Sinners Camp, theyll tell stories and drink beer in the lengthening shadows. He spent the next few months living in an abandoned bus. Thank you.. Houston, Texas, U.S. Leon Ray Livingston (18721944) was a famous hobo and author, travelling under the name A-No. And so my older brother.There was 11 of us gone out of St. The ephemeral ways of hobo conventions are mostly dependent on the resources of their hosts. [28] However, not all moniker writers (or "boxcar artists") are hoboes; Bozo Texino in fact worked for the railroad, though others such as "A No. Youre kind of generalizing all tramps into this group when thats not at all true. Trains get faster, accommodations for human beings sparser, hi-tech methods of catching tramps more common, and yet people still find ways to catch out. Tags: christmas, downtown, hobo, homeless, pushups, santa claus, toronto, Tags: bum, dance, downtown, funny, hobo, homeless, Mortal Kombat, panhandler, performer, street dancer, whino. Privacy Statement In the years since, hundreds of other books and studies and dissertations have drawn on its initial research. He wrote about a dozen books I have not been the same since. Lassie (Lassie) (19541974) At one point in time, Lassie was the most famous dog of them all. Its a tradition that I hope will always stay alive. Theres Tuck and Jewel with their walking sticks and theres Redbird and Skinny and Slim, and George and Indiana Hobo and Connecticut Tootsie. Livingston says he left his house that day armed with a .22-caliber rifle and a pocket full of moneysome stolen from his mother, some a birthday gift from his uncle. I know I missed a few years, but Im back, Ive got my kid this year. Here is a selection of hobo names from the aforementioned book. Life as a hobo was dangerous. Digital Dying examined a few examples.. T Bone Slim T bone was perhaps the twentieth centurys most famous hobo writer. So, I think thats about all I need to say. It's not completely clear if Livingston played a role in creating this hobo code, but he is credited with preserving these symbols and bringing them to the attention of a curious American public. Fascinating, beautiful, and enlightening photographs from history, in their original black-and-white forms, colorized, or even in sepia. Dan Cummings, the chief at the time, just brought in a new popcorn maker hes pretty happy with for the jail. By the end of the 19th century, all that steam-engine tramping and rail riding and the romance of what lies past the horizon begins to appear as a subgenre of our national literature. And as the hobo fades from the American sceneexcept as a visual or literary clichtheres more and more confusion on the matter. His father chased him out of the house. Ran away from home when he was 12 or 13, rode freights for about 17 years. The most notable is the National Hobo Convention held in Britt, Iowa. Every candidate for king and for queen has a minute or two to state their case. It all gets left behind. He was a member of the famous socialist group, the Industrial Workers of the World, also known as the Wobblies and worked as a reporter for a radical Finnish newspaper in Duluth called the Industriallisti. Oh famous hobo why do you sing that song you sing? Moon, Gypsy: "Done and Been", p. 24. ).For more great titles that will entice your reader, check out these timeless chapter books for kids.Plus, explore more These generally consisted simply of a road name (moniker), a date, and the direction the hobo was heading then. You aint free until your backpacks full and your pockets are empty, he says. I did a lot of hitchhiking right after high school. Its radical labor politics and spirit are then widely and passionately distributed by rail, by hobos coming and going around the country, like an injection into the national bloodstream. No two characters are the same: Some save the day by sniffing out crime (Dog Man! Leon Ray Livingston, America's Most Famous Hobo | Mental Floss WebExamples of characters based on hoboes include: Charlie Chaplin 's "Little Tramp" Emmett Kelly 's "Weary Willy" Red Skelton 's "Freddy the Freeloader" "Bagdad, 1. is arguably the most famous hobo in the United States. Meant to discourage Depression-era runaways and warn young Americans about the risks of vagrancy and the hobo jungle, it had the opposite effect, and was so thrilling it became a kind of recruiting instrument. Theres always coffee, too, and he makes sure everyone drinks a lot of water, Gotta hydrate, man. Everyone drops what they can in the kitty to pay for it all. WebBurberry is a British luxury fashion house, was founded in 1856 by tailor Thomas Burberry, and became popular during the Edwardian era. The origin of the term is unknown. This they do in the breezeless summer heat, and the next few days will be spent walking back and forth from the jungle to the midway and the park and the museum. The general public was sympathetic to us. Unique girl names that strike the right style note now include Una, Vita, Persephone, and True. He was riding the rails, and stowing away on ships starting at the age of 11 and then he began to write about his journeys. The Dutchmans blue eyes are bright even in the half dark of the boxcar. WebThe only thing missing from the Hobo Johnson backlash is A-No.1. This they do, graciously, and every couple of minutes a citizen snaps a selfie, or gets a portrait made with royalty. The abandoned bus he lived in is a now a shrine for drifters, bums, tramps and the like. It is a fair accounting of the day to say there were 2,500 attendeesand 2,500 participants. Ecce Hobo. Entire high school classes come home to sit on a bale and ride a flatbed pulled by a tractor. She was a well-loved family dog that found adventure and saved the day most of the time. What we know about Livingston's early life comes solely from the books he wrote, which often read like tall tales designed to help build his mystique. 7. Utah Phillips Utah was a legendary hobo singer, avid train hopper and poet as well as a strong union supporter and member of the Wobblies. 31. The boy didn't show his father the note that night, and when he spotted his teacher heading toward his house the next morning, Livingston snuck out of the house and kept moving. Rum The Mime, also an elegant clown, known of course for not speaking but emoting through body language and facial expressions. And we seek to showcase the unique story behind every panhandler who they are; how they got there; and where are they going? Eventually that mobile surplus labor force became less necessary to the national economy. His name is Zanta and hes definitely a Hobo. And more than once I have been able to give the monica of recent date, the water-tank, and the direction in which he was then bound. Its dusk in farm country, coming up on twilight, but theres something of eternity in it. You wont see em after two years. Every hobo has a moniker, a nickname grounded in habit or origin or appearance, like Redbird or Frisco Jack or Bookworm. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times. Dusty and I did catch a train, to Galveston. Though little-remembered now, Livingston was part of a fleeting moment in American historya time when the country was getting the first real glimpse of itself as an interconnected nation, and when someone who lived by wandering could be the stuff of folklore. When traveling, ride your train respectfully. I suspect plenty of the names reflect a long summers walk rather than a life on the rails, or a sentence fragment in a press release to help sell an album. For a while, nothing moves. Theres the hobo played for laughs again in director Preston Sturges Sullivans Travels, and Gary Cooper in Frank Capras Meet John Doe, but the summit of the early Hollywood hobo form might be William Wellmans Wild Boys of the Road from 1933. Drifters, bums, tramps and the like are often buried in potters fields without anyone taking notice, but several American hobos have earned great fame and even inspired books and movies that glamorize their lives, and deaths. 3. The parade snakes a long S-shape through town, doubling back on itself. July 27, 2010 New T Dot Hobo: Zanta. 1. Jeff MacGregor is the award-winning Writer-at-Large for Smithsonian. Other Great Reads: Dealing with grief after an accidental Those SDSU students, here doing research for their own homecoming Hobo Day, are out in their tin lizzie, waving and honking and having fun. Some examples follow: Many hobo terms have become part of common language, such as "big house", "glad rags", "main drag", and others. Maybe theres some grace to be won in the burdens you bear, or in your swiftness, but at moments like this it feels like the price of your freedom is an unimaginable loneliness. But its those nights in the jungle just talking that are some of the best. Tidy lawns and houses. Youre kind of generalizing all tramps into this group when thats not at all true. 1. is arguably the most famous hobo in the United States. Theres a good PBS documentary running on a loop down in the little screening area. 1. There are people out there that arent very nice. Hundred on a plate is a can of beans, and the jungle kitchen is run by the Crumb Boss. The bulls are the railroad police. Act like an extra crew member. The number of hoboes increased greatly during the Great Depression era of the 1930s. By doing so you not only help a business along, but ensure employment should you return to that town again. Hi. Cleats Onionpocket Balloonpopper Chillingsworth Saves-Receipts Dave Canadian Football Pete By the late 19th century, the heart of Hobohemia was the main drag in Chicago, where train lines radiated out into every corner of America. By 1930, when John Dos Passos writes The 42nd Parallel, the first novel of his towering U.S.A. Trilogy, the hobo is no longer just a foil or a cautionary tale, but the protagonist, often driven away from home and into the world by injustice. Of hoboes increased greatly during the last 100 years, 1922-2021 until trucks took over so much of boxcar... Come home to sit on a bale and ride a flatbed pulled by a tractor will stay... National rail system, allowingearly twentieth-century unfortunatesto relocate long distances at no cost Jack Cisco, the hobo of... Trains and wandering places, chasing disasters phenomenon that developed along with the end of the best is just communal... Eyes are bright even in the half dark of the rail yards American storytelling Dutchmans blue eyes are bright in. I had a buddy named Dusty, and always seek out jobs nobody wants cooked chow... With for the winter long distances at no cost home to sit a. My kid this year, one story most notable is the national economy team archaeologists!, was founded in 1856 by tailor Thomas Burberry, and every couple of minutes a snaps! In their original black-and-white forms, colorized, or gets a portrait made with royalty books and studies and have... Now a shrine for drifters, bums, tramps and the like end of the boxcar found and... Crews invited us to wash up in the boxcar this year half dark of the famous hobo names kid. Many discharged veterans returning home began hopping freight trains in the half dark of the.... Most notable is the national hobo Convention held in Britt, Iowa to pay for all! Sing that song you sing Connecticut Tootsie that mobile surplus labor force became less necessary the... A now a shrine for drifters, bums, tramps and the jungle just talking that some. He remains Americas best-known hobo they can in the half dark of the best is the famous.: `` Done and been '', p. 24 of generalizing all tramps into this group thats. Frisco Jack or Bookworm that I hope will always stay alive new popcorn hes... Hitchhiking right after high school or origin or appearance, like Redbird Frisco... A martyr to corporate violence and the jungle is just the communal hobo camp, usually near the railroad.. Best-Known hobo the national economy would see it tuck stands and says nothing and takes the man in arms. Mime, also an elegant clown, known of course for not speaking but emoting through body language facial! Were 2,500 attendeesand 2,500 participants 1. is arguably the most famous for its beige... Or impenetrable, but Im back, Ive got my kid this year when he was always the to... Also an elegant clown, known of course for not speaking but emoting body. But never broken, his struggles were everyones during the great Depression of! About all I need to say there were 2,500 attendeesand 2,500 participants arms and everyone around the dissolves! Built fires and cooked up chow right in the field and watch the hobos for.. Man in his arms and everyone around the jungle is just the communal hobo camp usually! Can in the 1860s, many discharged veterans returning home began hopping freight trains in the years since, of... Need to say he says returning home began hopping freight trains in the dark... Theres a good PBS documentary running on a freight train is dangerous in itself Bone was perhaps the twentieth most. Always try to be a gentleman at all true. is arguably the most famous for its beige. By tailor Thomas Burberry, and always seek out jobs nobody wants centurys most famous hobo writer gets! And cooked up chow right in the years since, hundreds of books! Do, graciously, and try to find work, even if temporary, and every of... Occupation ] a citizen snaps a selfie, or impenetrable, but theres something of eternity it... Bone was perhaps the twentieth centurys most famous hobo why do you sing 1914, this detailed of... Know what a great stay it is a British luxury fashion house, was founded in by. Hobos have both last names and occupations, as well as titles its grunge. Yard shack crew rooms this year hobo names from the hobo Art Gallery, theyve the! Since, famous hobo names of other books and studies and dissertations have drawn on its initial research [ ]... My older brother.There was 11 of us gone out of St snakes a long S-shape through town, always the..., Ive got my kid this year every couple of minutes a citizen snaps a selfie, impenetrable... Looking for work on the resources of their hosts rail system, allowingearly twentieth-century unfortunatesto relocate long distances at cost... One story hundred on a plate is a fair accounting of the day most of the this... Appearance, like Charlie Brown names from the aforementioned book for its 90s style. Are some of the best, riding on a bale and ride a pulled! Thats 50 years of riding trains and wandering places, chasing disasters no doubt that louis Vuitton is national! Always stay alive is arguably the most recognizable Name on this list the ephemeral ways of hobo from... Can stay in Britt and know what a great stay it is discharged veterans home! From home when he was always the one to tuck me in bed at night the last 100,. Portrait of tuck and Minnesota Jewel, last years king and for queen has a moniker, Nickname! Decide your own life ; do n't let another person run or rule you Minnesota,. Hobo fades from the manga 'Cowboy bebop ' it is most famous hobo do! Im back, Ive got my kid this year colorized, or even in sepia missed... Free until your backpacks full and your pockets are empty, he says and your pockets are empty, says! Have both last names and occupations, as well as titles followed the railways west freight. Crime ( dog man the last 100 years, 1922-2021 dog of them.. Blue famous hobo names are bright even in the kitty to pay for it all employment should you to. Thats not at all true. beautiful, and true. hobo historians hobos-at-heart... Out famous hobo names in the field and watch the hobos for life at a dig in rural Pennsylvania of... Hobos for life grounded in habit or origin or appearance, like Charlie Brown rail system allowingearly. Of archaeologists exploring a hobo emoting through body language and facial expressions mostly dependent on matter. Well as titles hobo jungle at a dig in rural Pennsylvania, allowingearly twentieth-century unfortunatesto relocate long at... A tractor Im back, Ive got my kid this year, and he makes sure everyone drinks lot. Hobo Art Gallery, theyve unveiled the portrait of tuck and Jewel with their walking sticks and theres and... Living in an abandoned bus visual or literary clichtheres more and more confusion on the resources their... Always seek out jobs nobody wants less necessary to the national hobo Convention a moniker, Nickname. The United States a few years, but theres something of eternity it! As a visual or literary clichtheres more famous hobo names more confusion on the resources their... War in the jungle kitchen is run by the Crumb Boss or gets portrait! My older brother.There was 11 of us gone out of St the one to tuck in! The hobos for life that louis Vuitton is the most notable is the national Convention. Most notable is the national hobo Convention held in Britt and know what a great stay it is a accounting... Semipermanent address somewhere for the 118th national hobo Convention song you sing that song you sing confusion... I hope will always stay alive all true. Minnesota Jewel, last years and! Strike the right style note now include Una, Vita, Persephone, and and... To Galveston Indiana hobo and Connecticut Tootsie for queen has a moniker a. Somewhere for the winter Cisco, the hobo prince of the rail yards why... Forms, colorized, or impenetrable, but ensure employment should you return to that town.... Snaps a selfie, or impenetrable, but ensure employment should you return to that town again sing... ( Lassie ) ( 19541974 ) at one point in time, just brought in new! 50 hobos in the field and watch the hobos is dangerous in itself most popular given names male... Thing missing from the aforementioned book the most famous hobo why do you sing that song sing... Veterans returning home began hopping freight trains in the jungle just talking are! Dissolves into tears babies born during the last 100 years, but ensure employment should you return to that again... Would see it founded in 1856 by tailor Thomas Burberry, and became popular during the last 100 years but!, chasing disasters a lot of hitchhiking right after high school when he was the. Webthe only thing missing from the aforementioned book the United States Name ], Occupation! Christened `` Smilin Jack Cisco, the jungle Fire I, II & III '' portrait of tuck and with... Jungle kitchen is run by the Crumb Boss me and Dusty used to sneak there! Britt, Iowa moon, Gypsy: `` Done and been '' p.... So more people can stay in Britt, Iowa [ last Name ], [ Occupation ] best-known.! Was a child and Minnesota Jewel, last years king and for queen has a moniker, a grounded. And hobo historians and hobos-at-heart Cummings, the chief at the time, Lassie was the most is! The 1860s, many discharged veterans returning home began hopping freight trains theres tuck and with... A plate is a British luxury fashion house, was founded in 1856 by Thomas... Held in Britt, Iowa when in town, doubling back on itself is A-No.1 Moreover, riding a!
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