Other editions of book Hoboes: Wandering in America, 1870-1940

Scorned by most of society, and treated as second-class citizens at best, hoboes wandered America in search of work. They usually traveled by "flipping a freight" and matching wits with the railroad police until they reached their destination or were booted off the train. Hoboes built railroads, harvested wheat, cut down trees, mined for gold, herded cattle - and then moved on. Yet hoboes and tramps had a tight-knit community. They wrote songs about themselves, had their own slang, sign language, and codes of law and honor. They stopped at hobo "jungles" to wash and shave, swap stories with old friends, and share meals. This remarkable book documents the fascinating history of these colorful characters.By the early 1900s, hobo culture was flourishing. Many of these dispossessed and exploited workers found inspiration in the labor movement and revolutionary politics. They had their own intellectuals and political heroes: Joe Hill, Emma Goldman, Bill Haywood, and Ben Reitman are just some of the legendary figures from the hobo era. Hobo colleges - temporary lecture halls - held debates on socialism, industrial law, political science, and economics. And though the reality of hobo life was often brutal and tragic, many hoboes considered their days on the road the most exciting time of their lives.