Nonetheless, the ethics of hobo culture can be regarded as fairly coherent and internally consistent, at least to the extent that any culture's various individual people maintain the same ethical standards. This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 15:59. His given name is Leon Ray Livingston and he was born in 1872 and he was a lifelong wanderer. Not every hobo wants to share his or her real name with the straights and the Square Johns, of which, with my notebook and recorder and wingtip shoes, I am decidedly one. His name is Zanta and hes definitely a Hobo. [citation needed]. When the veterans came home from World War II, they bought cars or motorcycles and rubber-tramped. Ishtar (Arabic origin) means Goddess of love. A circle with two parallel arrows meaning "Get out fast," as hoboes are not welcome in the area. These time-tested popular names were taken from a universe that includes 177,238,032 male births and 172,053,794 female births. Never exhaust yourself, wrote T Bone. He recorded tracks with Rosalie Sorrels, a famous folk singer from Idaho and penned many songs of his own, such as, Hallelujah, Im a bum, Bread and Roses, Daddy, whats a train? and Moose Turd Pie, his most famous composition, which tells the tale of his work as a gandy dancer, or rail worker, laying tracks across the Southwest. Unique girl names that strike the right style note now include Una, Vita, Persephone, and True. As Livingston became more of a cultural figure, he seemingly took an interest in leading people away from the tramp life. Almost no one rides the freight to get here anymore. I have done my best to ensure that we have not stolen any of John Hodgmans precious 800 hobo namessubliminally. The journeys of these destitute travelers quickly caught on in the popular culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, creating a romanticized view of this unique lifestyle. They were scenery bums. Railroad cars undergo constant technological change. Those holy men want you to get rid of things to free yourself from wanting. Its namesake is American actor Austin Robert Butler. To die is to catch the westbound. And understand this, above all else: A hobo is an itinerant worker; someone who travels and finds work. So monikers it is. Especially the older hoppers. If hoboing is dying, its the Road Kids, the so-called traveling kids that are killing it, by their weird, anti-social behavior and attitudes. Another one of the newer names on this best handbags brands list, Marc Jacobs, was launched in 1984 by the man himself. [11] With no work and no prospects at home, many decided to travel for free by freight train and try their luck elsewhere. Were all here for the 118th National Hobo Convention. Belatsunat (Babylonian origin) means "an early Queen of Babylonia". By doing so you not only help a business along, but ensure employment should you return to that town again. The whole place hums to life as day drains into darkness. WebCommenters on Reddit and Imgur also started sharing their own ideas for artist identification. Today we would merely refer to such folks as homeless. They came back, and that was in 1973. Only thatone last thing, I got 15 states of dirt on me, and these pants are brand new.. Because every hobo has a story and a dream. The parade snakes a long S-shape through town, doubling back on itself. The Iowa State Fair starts the day before, so everyone comes home. And we seek to showcase the unique story behind every panhandler who they are; how they got there; and where are they going? A surge of young men after World War I, another in the Great Depression. Cautiously, he steps forward. Im not attached to anything. Others looking for work on the American frontier followed the railways west aboard freight trains in the late 19th century. Celebrity nicknames - famous people's nicknames you didn't know. Im your brother.. They felt we were down on our luck (which was true.) But the Dutchmans right, too. Name me 2 famous female generals, 3 famous By 11 in the morning theres a line to get it by the cup. [18] Several hoboes during the days that the signs were reportedly most in use asserted that they were in fact a "popular fancy" or "a fabrication". From what I have gathered over the years growing up in Britt, it started in 1900, where two businessmen had heard about this convention happening in Chicago, and they thought, Why dont we go out there and see what its about, and maybe thats something we could bring to Britt, bring people into Britt, and business. Amy Boekelman, president, Britt Hobo Days Association, My favorite part is starting the week before, theres a lot of hobos in town, and I try and go down to the jungle almost every night up until like Wednesday and Thursday when we get really busy on the festival. That symbiosis held until trucks took over so much of the nations shipping. The brand, which got its start in France in the late 1800s, is best known for its Speedy bag and Neverfull tote in checkered Damier prints and LV Monogram made of leather and coated canvas. The abandoned bus he lived in is a now a shrine for drifters, bums, tramps and the like. Im a man of few words. To get things started, hobo Luther the Jet sings what sounds like the second verse of The Star-Spangled Banner. Luther is rumored to have a PhD in French literature and a faculty chair somewhere, but is notorious for slipping away at these gatherings and does so before I can get to him. According to Charles W. Carey, Jr.: Kellys creation of Weary Willie revolutionized professional clowning and made Along with Luna and Iris, Boho girl names ranking among the US Top 1000 include Hazel, Clementine, and Ophelia. Along with the County Fair and the Draft Horse Show, the Hobo Convention is the biggest thing on the Britt calendar. To me, thats what its all about, and Ive formed some great relationships with several of them now. WebUrhobos, the ethnic group of people residing in the Delta State of southern Nigeria, are particular about the names they choose for their babies. Funeral related questions & answers for a modern world. I know I missed a few years, but Im back, Ive got my kid this year. A horizontal zigzag signifying a barking dog. Boho chic has done pretty well. Several excellent scholarly accounts depict hobo social groups this period, including Nels Andersons 1923 sociological-practitioner classic The Hobo, Todd But for a man who lived to mythologize his own story, a little ambiguity about his end is only fitting. Other Great Reads: Dealing with grief after an accidental death. A friend of mine attended the event in true hobo style, that is, by riding freight trains there. He left it in the desert and continued his journey by canoe, paddling down the lower Colorado River with nothing much more than a bag of rice. Used to be a Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul line; then the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern. Terms of Use Austin: Apart from the southwestern feel to it, Austin has a solid base of being an Anglo-Saxon surname. "[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. 16 Historic Pictures Of American Hobos Riding the Rails - Ranker And some of this metaphysical shine rubs off on the hobo, who may or may not be looking for enlightenment. Even in the firelight its an inventory of faded tattoos and gray ponytails, of vivid misremembrance and missing teeth, of crutches and sunburn and spotless denim, of balky hips and whiskey breath and nicotine stains. 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. Years later, Livingston would famously brag that he traveled 500,000 miles while only spending $7.61 on fares. Maybe 50 hobos in the jungle this year, and an equal number of hobo hobbyists and hobo historians and hobos-at-heart. Theres a good PBS documentary running on a loop down in the little screening area. I agree, a lot of it is a fashion statement and fuck-the-world mentality. Bertha Thompson, a.k.a. They sit around getting high and drunk all day. The same year, Coxeys Army of the unemployed makes its protest march on Washington. It all gets left behind. Always respect nature; do not leave garbage where you are jungling. Leon Ray Livingston Houston, Texas, U.S. Leon Ray Livingston (18721944) was a famous hobo and author, travelling under the name A-No. 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. [2] The term has also been dated to 1889 in the Westernprobably NorthwesternUnited States,[5] and to 1888. WebFantastic Historical Humorous By Serp Ridiculous Hobo Names Hugo Stares Originally compiled by Moyra Turkington. The Evergreen Cemetery in Britt is bigger than you expect and this morning its all sunshine and fine blue sky. Examples of characters based on hoboes include: Musicians known for hobo songs include: Tim Barry, Baby Gramps, Railroad Earth, Harry McClintock, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Utah Phillips, Jimmie Rodgers, Seasick Steve, and Boxcar Willie. 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. He foraged for wild plants and hunted small game like birds and porcupines but after a few months he had lost significant weight and was starving to death. The Cold hobo occupation "The Guy For Whom the Eskimos Have One Hundred Different Words" refers to the popular belief that eskimos have one hundred different words that mean 'snow'. Hobos came and went on the huge historic construction and infrastructure projects of the American West, and ridership rose and fell with the national economy. WebThe only thing missing from the Hobo Johnson backlash is A-No.1. They even looked acceptable back when stylist Rachel Zoe was dressing the rich and famous (and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were still actually young). After 9/11 it becomes so hard to hop a freight that only a few hardcore hobos remain. Today, its owned by LVMH. Here is a selection of hobo names from the aforementioned book. Privacy Statement Cookie Settings, Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine now for just $12. If you elect me, I will promote Britt Hobo history. Jon Krakauers book about him, Into the Wild, spent more than 100 weeks on the best sellers list, and was later turned into an award-winning movie directed by Sean Penn. 9. 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. Dutch and Crash both look surprised and sheepish, but happy, in their robes and crowns. So for decades it was Americas hobo home. I have met hoboes who, in trying to catch a pal, had pursued clear across the continent and back again, and were still going. He was always in dutch back then, and the name stuck. He penned regular columns for newspapers like Industrial Solidarity, Industrial Worker and Industrialisti. Across from the boxcar are the outdoor kitchen and the equipment shed and the little pavilion with the picnic tables. And every story here begins as the same story. Over at the Hobo Art Gallery, theyve unveiled the portrait of Tuck and Minnesota Jewel, last years king and queen. Bound for Glory is the story of singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie, and thats where the mythology of the American hobo will likely live forever, in music. Go back to the American folk songs of the 1880s and 90s and youll hear the beginnings of what became the IWWs Little Red Songbook. Everything else this time of year is corn; corn to the distant edges of the world, corn and more corn, and the kind of immaculate farms for which Iowa is known. Which is OK, because theyre all throwing candy at you. Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals' treatment of other hoboes. I did a lot of hitchhiking right after high school. Ran away from home when he was 12 or 13, rode freights for about 17 years. Theres something profound in all this, in the week, something ancient and right and good, of townspeople taking in the stranger, the poor and the lost and the hurt, of the Samaritan, of Moses and Buddha and Abraham. Half Tracks daughter Crash is running for queen. WebThe Tramp clown is a distinctly American invention, although he is now popular in European circuses as well. Born Matti Valentinpoika Huhta in 1880 to Finnish immigrant parents, he While he stayed relatively put in his later years, Livingston did travel the lecture circuit to speak out against the lifestyle that defined him. When hes not catching out, hes catching work as an electrician. It is a fair accounting of the day to say there were 2,500 attendeesand 2,500 participants. It was after his return trip to America that Livingston was christened with the nickname that would help him become something bigger than a lowly transient: A-No. Local. 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. Eventually that mobile surplus labor force became less necessary to the national economy. Itll take more than an hour for every car and float and motorcycle to pass wherever it is youre sitting or standing. When he would seek some stability during his travels, he could often be found staying at Mrs. Cunningham's Boarding House in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, where he would write many of his books. No matter who you vote for, I hope its me, but I will always be a promoter of Britt and the Hobos because I love them both, so be happy and have fun. He was always the one to tuck me in bed at night. A hobo nickel is an artistically altered buffalo, or Indian head nickel. 7. If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help. Catching out means hopping the train. Nevertheless, his story touched the hearts of many. And now we babysit the kids while they do a little bit more of the activities. Often and often have I met hoboes earnestly inquiring if I had seen anywhere such and such a "stiff" or his monica. A point made one way or another at hobo church on Sunday morning by the fire. That impulse travels all the way up the line to Jack Kerouac and the Beats. (Sadly, his lectures don't seem to have survived.). Indiana University Press, 1996. real hobos like Steam Train Maury. He does 2,000-3,000 pushups per day, dresses as Santa during Christmas, and is Only one man can: the famous private consulting detective Shamrock Jolnes. His books would often begin with a warning, telling readers, "Wandering, once it becomes a habit, is almost incurable, so NEVER RUN AWAY, but STAY AT HOME, as a roving lad usually ends in becoming a confirmed tramp." When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts. The little park is packed shoulder to shoulder. A hobo is homeless by choice. Mainly freight lines, carrying mostly grain. He even did a TV interview up in the boxcar this year. or a syllabic abbreviation of "homeward bound". Its given me something special in life. I wander with the winds. He wrote about a dozen books Dont romanticize it. 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. The Normal hobo occupation "of the Hill People" is a reference to the Saturday Night Live skit "Lothar of the Hill People". He is lean and windburned, red-cheeked and gray-bearded. Britt has been an escape since I was a child. Tuck and his brother are huddled up on a couple of patio chairs near the pavilion. At the end of the speeches, the audience votes by applause and the judges crown the victors. Our kids grew up here and theyve been in the hobo jungles all the years. The Mime, also an elegant clown, known of course for not speaking but emoting through body language and facial expressions. Artificially Intelligent (AI) Funeral Planning, Copyright 2023 Funeralwise LLC. The train tracks run east-west through Britt. 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.[10]. Then its time to elect a new king and queen. 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. Many listings of these symbols have been made. Hoboswere a phenomenon that developed along with the growth of a national rail system, allowingearly twentieth-century unfortunatesto relocate long distances at no cost. Louis Vuitton Theres no doubt that Louis Vuitton is the most recognizable name on this list. So folks, use this blog to celebrate the famous hobos that you cherish. These hobo names were generated during the night of May 10, 2010, during a game of The Chefs Border Town d20 Modern setting. Jack London gathers his own hobo stories first as a series of magazine pieces, then as a mashup of fiction and nonfiction in 1907s The Road. [13], Around the end of World War II, railroads began to transition from steam to diesel locomotives, making jumping freight trains more difficult. ), while others cause a buzz by being the the most loyal friends (Fly Guy! The origin of the term is unknown. The Industrial Workers of the World, its members known as the Wobblies, is founded in Chicago in 1905. In his book, Livingston said the moniker was given to him by an older companion named Frenchy, who said: "Every tramp gives his kid a nickname, a name that will distinguish him from all other members of the craft. For decades fruit tramps are hauled west by rail, picking the produce that would soon ship east by boxcar at a premium price. Do not cause problems in a train yard; another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard. Hi. I mean, I like hitchhiking because you get to meet a lot of different people, but the freight-train riding was like the freedom, you know? Because talks free; because even if you give away everything you own, or they take away everything you have, you still have your stories. Youre kind of generalizing all tramps into this group when thats not at all true. Alexander Supertramp Christopher McCandless grew up in the suburbs of Washington DC and attended Atlantas prestigious Emory University. He does 2,000-3,000 pushups per day, dresses as Santa during Christmas, and is banned in certain areas within Toronto. Those SDSU students, here doing research for their own homecoming Hobo Day, are out in their tin lizzie, waving and honking and having fun. Im touched. Every homeless, muttering, and slightly creepy denizen of Hobopolis has his own moniker, a name as irrational and bizarre as the hobo himself. 1. Black Pearl (English origin) from the movie Pirates Of The Caribbean, one of the most famous names for a boat. 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. He created the character Weary Willie, the sad hobo clown, dressed in tattered clothes. Even then, not every hobo is completely homeless. His Little Tramp is the bittersweet flip side of radical labor politics and industrial/agrarian alienation. 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. In 1906, Professor Layal Shafee, after an exhaustive study, put the number of tramps in the United States at about 500,000 (about 0.6% of the US population at the time). Cause no problems with operating crew or host railroad. [8] It could also come from the words "homeless boy" or "homeless Bohemian". His given name is Leon Ray Livingstonand he was born in 1872 and he was a lifelong wanderer. Fewer and fewer depended on the railroad. They have to take you in. Not that sun, not the moon, not the stars. Rumors persist about Livingston's final days. Livingston's Central American exploits include anecdotes about the working conditions in the British mahogany camps, his repeated (but failed) attempts to desert his employers and head home on their dime, feasting on "roasted baboon," and his near-fatal run-in with something he called Black Swamp Fever (which could be a reference to malaria). A handful of shops and restaurants. My two sisters Connecticut Shorty and New York Maggie were queens of the Hobo. [16][pageneeded]. 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. Hop a train to Iowa, where proud vagabonds gather every summer to crown the new king and queen of the rails, By Jeff MacGregor; Photographs by Alyssa Schukar. 1. is arguably the most famous hobo in the United States. He does 2,000-3,000 pushups per day, dresses as Santa during Christmas, Not long ago out in Britt, Iowa, they were watching that big sun hang behind the grain elevators while the orange light from the campfire flickered up in the hobo jungle. And hes on wiki so hes gotta be Famous. ), 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. As this is happening, America is industrializing too, and the need for a mobile work force, willing, adaptable and relatively inexpensive to transport, becomes evident. Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home. A hobo or bo is simply a migratory laborer; he may take some longish holidays, but soon or late he returns to work. The postwar American hobo, the TV hoboRed Skelton as Freddie the Freeloader, or Emmett Kelly as Ringling Brothers sad circus clownhad the unintended effect of reducing the hobo to a punch line. Other Great Reads: Dealing with grief after an accidental Vachel Lindsay and Robert Frost are early poets of the form, and Frosts The Death of the Hired Man may be our most wrenching depiction of leaving home and returning home, of itinerant work and our obligations to one another: Home is the place where, when you have to go there, Home | About Us |Contact Us |Privacy Policy | Terms of Service Copyright 2023 Funeralwise LLC. Oh famous hobo why do you sing that song you sing? He traveled through Arizona, California and South Dakota, where he worked in a grain elevator and made several friends. Austin means venerable. Tuck stands and says nothing and takes the man in his arms and everyone around the bench dissolves into tears. 2. WebExamples of characters based on hoboes include: Charlie Chaplin 's "Little Tramp" Emmett Kelly 's "Weary Willy" Red Skelton 's "Freddy the Freeloader" "Bagdad, Empty your heart. A martyr to corporate violence and the solidarity of labor, he remains Americas best-known hobo. 6. Since 1934 the convention has been held annually in Britt, on the second weekend in August.[32]. We saw empties. A few vacant storefronts. A triangle with hands, signifying that the homeowner has a gun. Jeff MacGregor Turns out the hobo convention is a reunion for the whole town. WebThe Tramp clown is a distinctly American invention, although he is now popular in European circuses as well. WebOn the left is Tim Train Dittmar, 47, of southern Minnesota, who was a candidate for Hobo King in 2018. WebFinding food was a constant problem. So our kids are now grown and they come back to Britt with their kids. I'm a tramp, a bum, a hobo. Inanna (Sumerian origin) means Queen of heaven. It probably shouldnt be romanticized the way that it is. My dad Connecticut Slim was crown prince of the Hobos for life. But a lot of those kids dont even really ride freight. 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. But there are children and grandchildren running around here, too, and a few young hobos, gutter punks and dirty kids, and tourists and fans and citizens.