Talk:Hobo/Archive 1

Archive 1

Ziggy the Bagman

Ziggy the Bagman is an interesting character, but is not a hobo. Firstly, this hobo is a term applicable to a specific subculture in the United States; he lives in Australia. Secondly, he is not a railrider, nor does he engage in the other specific subcultural activities associated specifically with hoboes. He is a "vagrant" or "homeless" (despite his disdain for the term), but not a hobo.167.80.244.204 20:17, 12 April 2007 (UTC)chevalier3

Agree. Nothing in the Ziggy the bagman suggests he's ever been a hobo, so I'm removing him from the list. -- Infrogmation 09:28, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, and sorry for not signing. 167.80.244.204 20:17, 12 April 2007 (UTC)chevalier3

Santiago

"Santiago One Cool HOBO" most likely should be deleted. There's nothing behind it or anything of significance for Santiago.

Kerouac?

Jack Kerouac is the difinitive hobo! He needs to be added here, along with Neal Cassidy. -Jackmont Jan 7 2007

Marshall McLuhan?

He mentioned the Hobo-phenomena as well, looking at it from the angle of an abandoned media (train - due to upcomming cars, busses and airplanes, wich he understood as media too). And than I found this: http://www3.georgetown.edu/grad/cct/academics/theses/stephenwanczyk.pdf. I didn't read it yet, but the subject (wi-fi-hoboism) seams interesting.

Old talk

The wikipedia isn't a dictionary. An encyclopedia article needs more than a definition. Same goes for Tramp.

Shouldn't there be something like, "Hoboes first became common among released soldiers after World War I rode the rails, hopping illegally on trains in their quest for work . . . a significant hobo culture developed and even today restless people ride the rails and call themselves hobos, although . . . "

---

I've removed the following, added over a series of edits by two anon IPs (probably the same user):

A "bum" can be a man who is over 40 and still lives with his mother. His living quarters are probably nasty since he himself is dirty. He doesn't care about his appearance. How did he get this way? Maybe he is a junkie who doesn't care about himself or others. The only time he calls someone is when he wants to use them for his purpose. He doesn't work and spends his life mooching off of others. You can tell a bum by his appearance. He doesn't own a toothbrush and smells very badly since showers are not on his list of things to do. In fact, he doesn't have a list of things to do since he does nothing.

It is, shall we say, rather idiosyncratic, and anyway, the article is about hobos, not bums. --Camembert

Loves lots of men?

The first paragraph says that a tramp, "loves lots of men." Isn't that a different sort of tramp?

Books movies and songs

I have a suggestion that the sections on books, movies and songs for both the Freighthopping and Hobo articles should get their own article, say, "Hobos and freighthopping in media". The reason for this is I can think of dozens more books to list and several more movies but if any more were added it would overwhelm the main articles. What does everyone else think about this? Kaibabsquirrel 29 June 2005 04:41 (UTC)

I went ahead and made the new article, it is at List of books and films about hobos and freighthopping; also replaced the list in the Hobo article with a link to the new one. Kaibabsquirrel 5 July 2005 09:46 (UTC)

Awesome. --Carl 7 July 2005 08:50 (UTC)

Why was the article moved?

On 10 July the Hobo article was moved to Hoboism. Why? This makes absolutely no sense. I have never heard hobos or hoboing referred to as an "ism". The commonly understood term is Hobo. This article should be moved back. Kaibabsquirrel 01:56, 11 July 2005 (UTC)

Notable Hobos

I do not see any mention in the article about Woody that he was a hobo or that he hopped trains. Could we have some clarification? PerlKnitter 14:16, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Jep, Woody did some freighthoppin' back then. Read all 'bout it in Bound for Glory. abelson 10:07, 8 November 2005 (UTC)

Actually, I wasn't doubting that he had. But if we are going to list him as a notable hobo, his article real should talk about it (or at least mention it) for when people click through. PerlKnitter 13:01, 8 November 2005 (UTC)

Here is another reference: [1] abelson 14:29, 8 November 2005 (UTC)

---

Clark Gable is listed as a notable hobo. I see no reference in the Clark Gable article of living as a hobo, train hopping, or even any reference to poverty. I don't think film roles (if any) should count. Can anyone substantiate this reference? 14:50, 16 Feb 2006 (GMT+9.5)

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Eugene O'Neill is listed as a hobo; his article does not mention this. Remove?. 167.80.244.204 20:56, 2 April 2007 (UTC)Chevalier3

---

No mention of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglass or Dr./author Ben Reitman No mention of the agricultural/timber/mining industies or The I.W.W. No mention of the decline after the switch from steam to diesel locamotives.

I believe that Burl Ives should be mentioned. I remember reading that he had "rode the rails" in the 1930's picking up new musical material as he went. Umioso 18:58, 29 April 2007 (UTC)

If you can find a reasonable reference, feel free to add it. -- Infrogmation 21:30, 29 April 2007 (UTC)

Is this a joke?

This page is mostly absurd. It lists hobos as "Hobo Sapiens." Last time I checked they were humans just like the rest of us. This article is mostly useless and could use some serious work.

• "Hobo Sapiens" joke removed, thanks. As for the "useless" part, be bold. mikka (t) 21:18, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

mime hobo

He's dressed like a pimp not a hobo!

Like most mime artists, it is an exaggeration or caricature of the subject. I choose to add this photo because it is one of the few I've seen that isn't abusive to a group of people... ie: posting photos of "bums" with missing teeth who are begging for the camera. 72.131.44.247 16:42, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Home Guard added Do you think North Bank Fred would let us use one of his photos?(I'd ask him,but I'm not that handy with a computer). (fixed formatting this line)

---

The distinction between hobo, tramp and bum, attributed currently to a sitcom pilot, has been in use for some time. The original phrase was apparently:

"A hobo is a migratory worker. A tramp is a migratory non-worker. A bum is a stationary non-worker"

Based on a google book search, this quote is attributed to St. John Tucker, though I didn't see a date. (Long Steel Rails, Norm Cohen p343)

Home Guard added: Try Nels Anderson page 87,along with simular quotes from Ben Reitman,Nicholas Klein and Roger Payne (fixed formatting this line)

12.65.73.151 17:47, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

No

This page is sourceless and spurious. It looks like a joke or a complete fake to me. I think it should be removed, or marked controversial, or needs cleanup, or some form of probation. Really.

Homeward Bound

Abreviation of Homeward Bound, soldiers returning from the American civil war were called Ho Bo'sThere goes a Hobo, bound home from the war.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hobo

That seems a lot more likely than the proposed explanations. If hobo came from Houston Bowery it would probably be pronounced Hue-bo, and how on earth would the proposed japanese orgin be explained? While Todd dePastino's theory is not completely unreasonable, what he says on this site: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/143783in.html seems to lend credence to the homeward bound theory.

Aaron Sin

I added the term "Aaron Sin" to hobo lingo, then deleted it, as I didn't feel comfortable adding something with limited proven usage. Anyone else aware of such usage?

Slop-tart?

In exchange for weapons? Ranieldule 19:44, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

I doubt half of the words can be referenced. Even Urban Dictionary doesn't mention sloptart as a word that has to do with weapons. Wikipedia should not be a forum for creating new words.--Infernallek 16:56, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

Photo

As already noted on this talk page, it's ethically questionable to take a picture of a neighborhood homeless person and add it to this article. The "Hobo Joe from Flushing NY" picture seems to depict a local homeless person, not a rail-hopping hobo. Note that the definition does not state that hobo is synonymous with "homeless"; rather, it suggests that a hobo is a type of homeless person who travels around the country via rails or other means. While the previous picture did not portray an actual hobo, it did depict the popular culture perception of a hobo, which is more relevant to the article than adding a picture of a modern homeless person (regardless of whether their nickname is "Hobo-something"). OhNoitsJamie ^Talk 12:14, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

while amusing, I'm guessing this probably isn't factual...

They also had annual meetings in New Jersey where they would gather to elect a King of the Hobos. Although in theory the Hobo constitution gave the King wide-ranging executive powers, in practice his role was largely ceremonial: taking the first swig of hooch at the Hooch Festival, appointing the mayors of Bumtown and Crackville and lighting the torch at the Hobo Games.

Bold textEmperor of The North Bold text The Hobo page says this movie is based on "On The Road" by Kerouac but if you follow the link to the movie description, it says it was based on "The Road" and another book by Jack London. Besides, almost everything Kerouac wrote was based on his own experiance but this takes place in London's time.

odd sentence, meaning obscured

What is meant by this sentence?

The population of hobos decreased during times of economic trouble, and their numbers increased greatly during the Great Depression. With no work and no prospects at home, many decided to travel and try their luck elsewhere.

Shurely shome mishtake? Should it be:

The population of hobos increased during times of economic trouble,

Books: The Road

The Road is by Jack Kerouac, not by Jack London. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.101.96.66 (talk • contribs).

The Kerouac book is On The Road. Jack London's book, The Road, is mentioned here: Jack_London#Nonfiction and autobiographical memoirs. -- Jim Douglas ^(talk) _(contribs) 18:52, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

Performance artist dressed as a hobo

Just my opinion, but it seems to me that the photo is an abomination. This fellow isn't dressed as a hobo, he is dressed like a hobo clown.

There are a LOT of good, authentic pictures of hoboes from 70-100 years ago that should do nicely. I'd like to see something that doesn't make a mockery of the entire article. Just my opinion. Richard Myers 12:16, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

citation conventions

citation conventions: I added some citations but I'm new at this.Hope I used the right form.

User:Homeguard, you should start a new section (by using the + at the top of the TALK page) when you wish to add a new TALK subject.

I also had to revert part of what you did, because you left a link to your user page at the top of the article. You should instead leave a link to your user page at the end of your entries here, on the TALK page. That is done by leaving four tildes ( ~ ) in a row.

I suggest spending some time in the sandbox, practicing your editing. It is here: Wikipedia:Sandbox

But you are also welcome here, glad you've joined us!

best wishes, Richard Myers 04:30, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

This article stood for six months with out a single citation and with a butt load of objections.Since no one but children trying to get out of research takes wikipedia seriously, and since I'm not retired, I don't have time for this crap.The references are there, you tore it down you fix it.

Great, so now the references are there, but not the material they reference, hence legitimizing a pile of crap.

Homeguard, if that was you again, i didn't remove your addition to the article. Someone else did. You left your name in the article, and THAT is what i removed.

This comment (above) was also poorly formatted, and forced scrolling on the page because you haven't yet understood the basics of editing Wikipedia. I fixed that, too.

The reference that you added no longer belongs, but that is because you did not follow best editing procedure. The new way of adding footnotes embeds the note within the original text.

Please spend a few hours in the sandbox to learn the techniques of proper procedures here. Then come back and do the editing that you would like to see, in a way that no one will object to.

Otherwise, you just take up the time of a lot of different editors, who must fix the problems you create in the articles.

And please sign your comments here.

Richard Myers 22:12, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

OK-theres a genuine ethical problem when someone keeps adding two references that are not used anywhere in the text.Anderson and Brun weren't used here, but now "editors" keep returning them.Homeguard

Brun isn't used now, no. However, there are other references that are. Please leave them be. --Eyrian 04:31, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Homeguard, thanks for signing your most recent entry here. But it is easiest and most useful to simply key in four tildes ( ~ ) in a row where you want your signature-- that does it for you while creating a link to your user page, and includes the date as well.

I know you're trying to help, but there are things that you don't yet understand. For example, when you leave an empty space in the first position of a line, that instructs Wikipedia to do something in particular. I had to remove the space from two of your lines in talk sections, above, to prevent page scrolling resulting from your input.

Please spend some time in the sandbox practicing. And please do not automatically assume that you know best concerning references-- you're still brand new here. I've had to fix your references edits once, and someone else has had to do the same when you persisted. Richard Myers 09:06, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Brun is back up.I guess i shouldn't expect more.And no, I'm not brand new here-only new to the technical side of thing.Remember content? Scholarship?are either of you vaguely familiar with either one?I was the first one to point out that Keroauc didn't inspire Emporer of The North- and of course that got changed back for a while.And the SUBSTANTIAL issue with the references is that you haven't read them and don't know what they say.Anderson's book in paticular emphasis Hobos as workers-and yet the material you can claim he references is ONE condescending paragraph to the effect that Hobos saw themselves as workers-and before largely unregistered people started howling on the talk page, even that wasn't there. (Power cedes nothing without a demand, remember?)There is a labor history aspect to this thing you seem oddly indifferent to-or you would have changed that a long time ago.So now you have the multiple refernces you need to get the page unflagged-but one runs contrary to its conclusions, the other isn't used.Together, they reference less than a quarter of the article,but no one reading it wouldn realize that. And no, I'm not interested in learning to edit here-I couldn't justify helping legitimize this project.Homeguard 5:48 est fri.

Hobo symbols

Markings by Algiers Ferry

Hobo or tramp markings bAlgiers, Louisiana entrance to the death to all across the the afgan river to Canal Street, New Orleans. "X" = "OK", slashed circle "A good way to go"? What about the rest? Wondering, -- Infrogmation 02:00, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

Kings in disguise

I'd like to add the reference to the (great) graphic novel Kings in disguise, by James Vance and Dan Burr [2], winner of the 1989 Eisner Award [3]. Filobus 21:50, 22 April 2007 (UTC)

Hobo Code

I came across a website with the hobo code and I found that there was another hobo code. It was: 16.-If present at a hobo court and you have testimony, give it, whether for or against the accused, your voice counts!

The Link is http://www.hobo.com/hobo_code.htm if anybody wants to check it out. Toby Keet 05:10, 27 September 2007 (UTC)

Notable people

Your list of “Notable people who have hoboed” might add Eric Hoffer. Hobo are very wierd people................... Regarding "Tassos"; the word links to the Wikipedia article, but the external link seems to go to a porn site. Can someone check this out and fix it? Turmarion 22:36 4 October 2007 (EDT) —Preceding signed but undated comment was added at 02:38, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

May want to include Christopher McCandless under notable people who have hoboed. (Source "Into the Wild") —Preceding unsigned comment added by 132.198.194.8 (talk) 01:52, 29 October 2007

Punctuation

The second sentence under "Hobo Code of Ethics" needs its comma upgraded to a semicolon and its semicolon to a colon.

-Jack Vermicelli 24.247.94.38 (talk) 22:29, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

Books

The article is locked, and has one book listed twice, can someone remove the former and add a "The" to the latter?

• "The Areas of My Expertise", by John Hodgman
• ...
• Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman - Humor book which features a lengthy section on "hoboes", including a list of 700 hobo names which spawned an online effort to illustrate the complete list.

Thanks!--192.100.124.218 (talk) 12:08, 20 March 2008 (UTC)

hobos live by my house. one of them is my uncle —Preceding unsigned comment added by 168.212.110.20 (talk) 18:14, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

• Fishbones by Irving "Fishbones" Stevens was written in 1983 about his life as a hobo in the 1930s and is still available by Amazon.ca --http://www.amazon.ca/Fishbones-Hoboing-Irving-L-Stevens/dp/0960920803--

I'm not sure how to add it with the semi-protection on even with my account being confirmed. DarkestRose (talk) 07:15, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

History - Please fix

Someone put this under history: "It is unclear exactly when homos appeared on the American railraving scene."

Since this page is protected and I usually don't login to make edits, I can't fix this on my own. Thanks!

SilentDude56k (talk) 18:38, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

• Actually, it's much worse. User Mannicle committed vandalism in several places. His entire edit on 10 August 2008 needs to be reverted. I'm not a registered user, so I can't make changes to this protected page (Ironic when you think about it). Sincerely, Stephen Eakin (72.187.72.217 (talk) 20:30, 11 August 2008 (UTC))

Mexican Civil War

"With the end of the Mexican Civil War in the mid 19th Century,"

What exactly is this referring to? Is this talking about the Mexican-American War? Mexican Civil War redirects to Mexican Revolution, which occurred in 1910. Then there's the Mexican War of Independence in 1810-1821, which is in the *early* 19th century, which doesn't say anything about U.S. Soldier involvement and occurred at a time when trains were still in their infancy. 63.87.189.17 (talk) 18:55, 28 October 2008 (UTC)

This was the result of vandalism that occurred on 9 September, and which was not caught, unfortunately. It is now fixed. Thanks for pointing it out. ---RepublicanJacobite_{The'FortyFive'} 02:07, 29 October 2008 (UTC)

I would like to make a minor proofreading suggestion, but am an infrequent contributor to Wikipedia. The hobo lexicon has a lay/lie error in the entry on passenger cars (the hobo would LIE on top of the car, rather than "lay").Garybletsch (talk) 01:20, 19 December 2008 (UTC)Gary Bletsch

article seems particularly prone to unreferenced details

I just updated the introduction and etymology sections so that they are based on references. Here's hoping that other editors will continue that approach. 67.100.126.235 (talk) 09:52, 5 August 2009 (UTC).

Hoboken NJ Rail Yards

Back during the 1930's, there was a large switching railyard in Hoboken which sent trains in many directions. The name Hobo might be a derivative of this. 216.153.214.89 (talk) 15:05, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

Graphics for Hobo Codes

I think it would be more easy to understand if someone made graphics for each Hobo Code since writen description can be interpretated diferently from reader to reader. Do graphics just like in the warchalk article.

thank you Minako-Chan* 21:05, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Yeah i agree, i might take some time out this summer to read up on them and make some graphics. I'll post here if i start. If anyone else wants to make the graphics go ahead.Larryisgood (talk) 12:00, 14 May 2010 (UTC)

Semi-protection

There's a lot of IP vandalism, I put in a request for indefinite semi-protection. Larryisgood (talk) 14:06, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

And they did, any support for making this permanent? Larryisgood (talk) 16:40, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Hobos

Notable Hobos

• Irving "Fishbones" Stevens b. June 21, 1910 d. May 1999, crowned King of the Hobos in 1988, author of two other books and creator of 'Irving's Flydope'- a mixture of pine tar and secret ingredients that kept black flies away, sold through out New England.

--http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E2DE143FF933A25756C0A96F958260-- --http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5037/is_199905/ai_n18280872-- DarkestRose (talk) 07:26, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

The Last Great American Hobo. Montana Blackie.

someone must surely add Louis Hardin AKA Moondog. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.2.150.233 (talk) 23:06, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

Added reference to U Dhammaloka (new WP entry) under "People who have hoboed" - still learning the ropes and forgot to add in summary of changes. Apologies.-Laurence Cox-Laurence Cox (talk) 07:55, 27 January 2011 (UTC)

on the hobo (ethical) code

where is "jungle" defined as a verb? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.58.29.215 (talk) 00:49, 2 March 2011 (UTC)

Edit request from 98.94.146.127, 23 May 2011

Hello, I have used Wikipedia but have never suggested any changes until now. I looked up "hobo" and thought I would send this thought along, not seeing it in the body of the article. Hobo's were typically transitory migrant workers during the depression. The[y] found work by working in fields as day labor. To enhance their chances of securing work they would often travel with a "hoe". These men were often referred to as "hoe boys' or "hobos' ----

98.94.146.127 (talk) 16:48, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

You'll need a reliable source in order to add that to the etymology section. OhNoitsJamie ^Talk 16:53, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

I've marked this as answered; 98..., if you have a reliable source, please post it here and change the "yes" in the template above to "no". Qwyrxian (talk) 02:23, 24 May 2011 (UTC)

Etymology

Online Etym Dict says: "1889, Western Amer.Eng., of unknown origin. Barnhart compares early 19c. English dialectal hawbuck "lout, clumsy fellow, country bumpkin." Or possibly from ho, boy, a workers' call on late 19c. western U.S. railroads. " Any reason we shouldn't include hawbuck? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ethan Mitchell (talk • contribs) 20:51, 14 August 2011 (UTC)

American point of view?

I get the impression from reading this article that the whole concept of a "hobo" is specific to the USA. Is this true? Are there equivalents, or similar terms, in other countries? Is it a phenomenon which only happens in America? I hope someone can add something to the page about this. Pippin (talk) 23:28, 3 January 2012 (UTC)

Sociology of the Hobo

The following books are from a Hobo bibliograpy I've created over the past 20 years.

• Adman Waters, Hobo King, 2004-05
• Allsop, Kenneth. 1967. Hard Travellin': The Hobo and His History, New York: New American Library, 448 pages. Includes eight leaves of plates, illustrations, portraits, bibliography.
• Anderson, Nels. 1975. The American Hobo, Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill.- 1923. The Hobo: The Sociology of the Homeless Man, reprinted 1967, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 296 pages. Includes illustrations and bibliography.
• Barth, Charles P. 1969. Hobo Trail to Nowhere, Philadelphia: Whitmore Publishing Co., 150 pages.
• Benson, Benjamin. 1942. Hoboes of America: Sensational Life Story and Epic of Life on the Road.- 1942. 500,000 Miles Without a Dollar, New York. A version of this appeared as "How To Go To California Without a Dollar" in the February 1937 issue of Hobo News [see Hobo News].
• Brooks, Oscar Dexter Legs, An authentic Story of Life on the Road
• Bruns, Roger. 1987. The Damndest Radical : The Life and World of Ben Reitman, Chicago's Celebrated Social Reformer, Hobo King, and Whorehouse Physician, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 332 pages. Includes 18 pages of plates, illustrations, index, and bibliography.- 1980. Knights of the Road: A Hobo History, New York: Methuen, 214 pages. Includes illustrations, hobo dictionary and selected bibliography.
• Chaplin, Ralph. 1948. Wobbly: The Rough-and-Tumble Story of an American Radical, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 435 pages with portraits. An autobiography.
• Conover, Ted. 1984. Rolling Nowhere: A Young Man's Adventures Riding the Rails with America's Hoboes, New York, NY: Viking Press, 274 pages. Includes two pages of plates and a journey map.
• Davis, William Henry.-1897. The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp, London: McKenzie Flowers & Co. Reprinted 1917, New York, NY: A. A. Knopf, 345 pages; 1942, 1952,-London: Jonathan Cape, 318 pages, with preface by G. Bernard Shaw. 1926.-The Adventures of Johnny Walker, Tramp, London: J. Cape.1936, 256pp.- . The Collected Poems of...1928. Welshman Davies (1871-1940) was a professional tramp turned writer whose works, such as his Autobiography of a Super-Tramp (1907), were championed by the likes of Bernard Shaw.
• Dixon, Winifred Hawkridge 1923 Westward hoboes: ups and downs of frontier motoring. Photographs by Katherine Thaxter and Rollin Lester Dixon Charles Scribner's Sons New York, NY
• Douglass, William O. 1974. Go East, Young Man, New York: Dell Publishing Company.
• Duffy, Bruce. 1989. "Catching a Westbound Freight," Harper's Magazine, June, pp. 49-61.
• Edge, William. 1927. The Main Stem, New York: Vanguard Press.212p
• Etulain, Richard, editor. 1977. Jack London on the Road: The Tramp Diary and other Hobo Writings, Logan: Utah State University Press, 209 pages. Includes two leaves of plates, illustrations, and bibliographical references.
• F Hopkinson Smith 1896 A Gentleman Vagabond Houghton Mifflin
• Flynt, Josiah 1899 Tramping with Tramps - Studies and sketches of vagabond life published by The Century Co., N.Y.
• Foster, Harry L. 1922 The Adventures of a Tropical Tramp New York published by Dodd, Mead & Co. Illustrated by with photographs by author
• Fox, Elmer. 1989. Tales of an American Hobo, Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 226 pages. Preface by Albert A. Stone, introduction by Lynne M. Adrian [see Adrian]. Includes bibliographic references.
• Fried, Frederick. 1964. No Pie in the Sky; The Hobo as American Cultural Hero in the works of Jack London (1876-1916), John Dos Passos (1896-1970), and Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), New York: Citadel Press, 95 pages with a bibliography.
• Garahan, Melbourne. 1924. Stiffs, New York: T. Seltzer, 311 pages.
• Gordon, John 1927 Tramp Printer, The The Gordon Press, South Brewer, Maine, "Woodcut" illustration on cover. Illustrated with photo of author and caricatures. Stories, anecdotes, and verse about tramp printers.
• Graham Maury Steam Train and Robert J. Hemming. 1990. Tales of the Iron Rod: My Life as King of the Hobos, New York: Paragon House, 222 pages.- 1985. A History of Hoboes, Tramps, and other Vagabonds, Toledo, OH: Graham.
• Guthrie, Woody. 1943. Bound for Glory, New York, NY: E.P. Dutton. Reprinted 1983, New York: New American Library, 320 pages with illustrations.
• Harper, Douglas A. 1982. Good Company, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. sociologist's experiences traveling with tramps across the country.
• Hicks, John Edward 1950 Adventures of a tramp printer; 1880-1890. Midamericana Press Kansas City 285p., first edition, slightly chipped dj with tape repairs on verso. Hicks, a writer, editor, and one-time ITU field rep, takes a wild swing through the midwest of the gilded age---the Haymarket Affair, a lynching and riot in Cincinnati, the Anaconda strike, and more
• Hopkinson Smith, F. 1895 A Gentleman Vagabond and Some Others Cambridge: Riverside Press,
• Jackson, Jason. 1957. Overland Slim the Maverick; The Seven Ages of the Eventful Life of a Genuine American Hobo, New York: Greenwich Book Publishers, 99 pages.
• Kemp, Harry.-1922. Tramping on Life, New York: Boni and Liveright. Reprinted 1927, Garden City, NY: Garden City Publishing Co.- 1914. The Cry of Youth, New York: Mitchell, Kennerly
• Kerouac, Jack. 1960. Lonesome Traveler, New York: McGraw-Hill. Reprinted 1989, New Evergreen edition, New York: Grove Press, copyright 1988, 183 pages.- 1960. "The Vanishing American Hobo," Holiday, March, p.60.- 1955. On the Road, New York: The Viking Press.
• Kerr, James. 1930. Backdoor Guest, Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co. Reminiscenses of a hobo life in America in the 1920's. Jacket cover(in green, red, yellow and orange) depicts a long freight train with 2 hobos(one, a black man) riding atop a freight car. Fine copy in nearly fine dj. (abe description)
• Kromer, Tom. 1935. Waiting for Nothing, New York: Hill & Wang. Reprinted 1968, American Century Series AC89, 187 pages.
• Leeflang, Gerard. 1984. American Travels of a Dutch Hobo, 1923-1926, Ames: Iowa State University Press, 162 pages.
• Leen, Daniel. 1992. The Freight Hopper's Manual for North America: Hoboing In The 21st Century, Seattle: Ecodesigns Northwest Publishers, 112 pages. Contact: Daniel Leen, 1928 S. Graham St. Seattle, WA 981081.
• Littlejohn, Duffy. 1993. Hopping Freight Trains in America, Los Osos, CA: Sand River Press, 354 pages. Includes 70 photos, index, and bibliography.
• Livingston, Leon Ray (A#1). 1917. From Coast to Coast with Jack London, by A-no 1, The Famous Tramp, Written by Himself from Personal Experiences, fifth edition, Erie, PA: The A-no 1 Publishing Company, 136 pages. Includes facsimiles, and illustrations. Reprinted 1969, Grand Rapids, MI: Black Letter Press.-1921. Here and There with A-No. 1, Erie, PA: A-No. 1 Publishing Co.- 1919. How I Won My Wife, Erie, PA: A-No. 1 Publishing Co.- 1919. The Ways of the Hobo, Erie, PA: A-No. 1 Publishing Co.- 1919. The Curse of Tramp Life, Erie, PA: A-No. 1 Publishing Co.- 1916. The Snare of the Road, Erie, PA: A-No. 1 Publishing Co.- 1916. The Life and Adventures of A-No. 1, Erie, PA: A-No. 1 Publishing Co.- 1916. Hobo Camp Fire Tales, Erie, PA: A-No. 1 Publishing Co.- 1916. The Adventures of a Female Tramp, Erie, PA: A-No. 1 Publishing Co.- 1916. The Mother of the Hobos, Erie, PA: A-No. 1 Publishing Co.
• London, Jack. - 1907. The Road, New York: The MacMillan Company.- 1907. "Hoboes That Pass in the Nights," The Cosmopolitan, December, pp. 190-97.- 1905. War of the Classes, New York: Macmillan. Reprinted 1970, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Literature House, 278 pages.- 1979. Jack London on the Road: The Tramp Diary and Other Hobo Writings, edited by Richard W. Etulain, Utah State University Press.
• Lummis, Charles Fletcher. 1892. A Tramp Across the Continent, New York: C. Scribner. Reprinted 1906, C. Scribner's Sons, 270 pages.
• Maharidge, Dale. 1985. Journey to Nowhere: the Saga of the New Underclass, Garden City, N.Y.: Dial Press, 192 pages. Includes illustrations, and photographs by Michael Williamson.
• Mathers, Michael 1973 RIDING THE RAILS Boston Gambit.
• Michael Williamson 1993. The Last Great American Hobo, Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 278 pages. Includes illustrations, photographs and index. (abe description)
• McMurry, Donald. 1929. Coxey's Army, Seattle: University of Washington Press, reprinted in 1968.
• Meriwether, Lee. 1889. The Tramp at Home, New York: Harper & Brothers, 296 pages. Metzger, Wendell. 1994. Hobo Story, Manhattan Beach, CA: Softspin Press, 108 pages. Contact: Softspin Press, Box 277, Manhattan Beach, CA 90267-0277.
• Milburn, George.1930a. The Hobo's Hornbook: A Repertory for a Gutter Jongleur, New York: Ives Washburn.
• Minehan, Thomas.- 1941. Lonesome Road: The Way of Life of a Hobo, Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson & Co. - 1934. Boy and Girl Tramps of America, New York: Farrar and Rinehart.
• Monkkonen, Eric H. ed. 1984. Walking to Work: Tramps in America 1790-1935, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
• Mullin, Glen Hawthorne. 1925. Adventures of a Scholar-Tramp, New York and London: The Century Co.- 1923. "Adventures of a Scholar-Tramp," Century, February / March, pp. 507-15; 735-59.
• Payne, Roger 1939 Why work? Or the coming "age of leisure and plenty." Why work six days a week, when you can make your living by working one?. Meador Publishing Company Boston 404p., front., Self-styled hobo philosopher
• O'Connell, Pamela LiCalzi. 1998. A Different Breed of Freighthoppers, New York Times, Aug. 20
• O.,Jesse 1996 American Railroad Hobo:The Travels of Wade Hampton Fullbright-A Collection of Short Stories Ballington Books Anderson,N.C. 1st Edition Hardbound V-Fine Illus B&W Photos,Maps 8vo, 199,
• Patric, John 1945 YANKEE HOBO IN THE ORIENT.Florence OR Frying Pan Creek.
• Reitman, Ben L. (as told to). 1937. Sister of the Road: The Autobiography of Box-Car Bertha as Told to Dr. Ben L. Reitman, New York: Harper & Row Publishers.
• SANDBURG, CARL 1927 AMERICAN SONGBAG HARCOURT BRACE
• Schockman, Carl. 1937. We Turned Hobo, Columbus, OH: F.J. Heer Printing Co.
• STEAMTRAIN MAURY GRAHAM 1967 Tales Of The Irion Road My Life As King Of The Hobos PARAGON HOUSE
• Terkel, Studs. 1970. Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression, New York: Pantheon Books. Reprinted 1971, New York: Avon Books.
• Tully, Jim- 1924. Beggars of Life: A Hobo Autobiography, New York: Albert & Charles Boni, and Random House, 336 pages. Also published by Garden City Publishing Co., Garden City, NJ.
• Twain, Mark- 1907 A Tramp Abroad: Volume I New York, NY Harper & Brothers
• VAUGHN, (J.B.) 1975 THE WANDERING YEARS. (Saanichton, British Columbia): Hancock House,. First edition, hardcover issue. Black boards. (iii), 250, (3) pp. Text paper tanned, as usual, else fine in fine jacket. "An Odyssey of the 'Dirty Thirties' - the Hobo Jungles - the logging camps - and the trapper's wilderness." - jacket. BC author's memoirs of hard times and various means of getting by
• Welsh, Herbert 1921 The New Gentlemen of the Road Philadelphia William F. Fell
• Willard, Josiah Flynt. 1968. The Little Brother; A Story of Tramp Life, by Josiah Flynt, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Gregg Press 254 pages. [Originally published ?]- 1899. Tramping With Tramps: Studies and Sketches of Vagabond Life, New York: Century Company. Reprinted 1972, Montclair, NJ: Patterson Smith Publishing Corp.
• Williams, Cliff "Oats," editor. 1995. Around the Jungle Fire: A Collection of Original Hobo Poetry, Deerfield, IL: Hobo Press, 44 pages.
• Williamson, Michael & Maharidge, Dale ( "Montana Blackie" )1993 Last Great American Hobo, The Prima, CA o/s h/c w/ dj; 8-1/2 x 9-1/2"; 278 pp; profusely illus.w/full-pg.B&W glossy photos, & map on bank endpaper; Williamson photos, Maharidge text; gilt-lettered blk.qtr.cloth over beige boards; B&W photographic dj; As New, in protective clear mylar sleeve. .... In 1928 as a teenage lark, a boy hopped a freight train... then rode through the Great Depression, in search of work, earning the moniker "Montana Blackie".... In 1988, Blackie was still on the road, probably the last active Depression-era Hobo.... moving account of a way of life out of time and place, but more and more common now, as the homeless meet up with the hobos, and the old ways of the hobo's creed are forgotten
• Woirol, Gregory R. 1992. In the Floating Army, F.C. Mills on Itinerant Life in California, 1914, Univ. of Illinois Press.
• Worby, John. 1942. The Other Half: The Autobiography of a Tramp, New York: Arden Book Company, 307 pages with illustrations.
• Wormser, Richard. 1994. Hoboes: Wandering in America 1870-1940, Walker Publishing Company. Includes hobo dictionary, index, and bibliography.
• Wren, Daniel A. 1987. White Collar Hobo: The Travels of Whiting Williams, Ames: Iowa State University Press, 165 pages. Includes portraits, index, and bibliography.
• Wyckoff, Walter Augustus. 1901. A Day with a Tramp and Other Days, New York: C. Scribner. Reprinted 1971, New York: B. Blom, 191 pages.

You might want to add this classical sociological enquiry into the Hobo's habits: "Niels Andersen, The Hobo: The Sociology of the Homeless Man (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1923)."

Thanks, very interesting. One addition is this article: In search of the Female Hobo by Heather Tapley http://dc.msvu.ca/journals/index.php/atlantis/article/view/219/209 --94.223.3.213 (talk) 03:48, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

"I believe" this is original research

"...has more self-respect, is usually young, and may, I believe, be called a tramp in the first stage..."

Not necessarily original research, but it sure sounds like personal opinion not fit for encyclopedia. It shouldn't be like this, right? I would fix it myself if I knew anything of the subject matter. --M.A. 10:20, 4 July 2007 (UTC)

I have been riding the high iron for the past 18 years and recently settled down for the birth of my son. I can speak to what I 'know', but I am not a professor and the term encyclopedia seems to imply the need for such. We have three (03) levels in our subculture. The hobo (and here most of the old timers I rode with told me it came from ho boy which dealt w/hoeing a row for pay) will work his way across the country via the rails. It is KEY to note that you won't be welcomed in ANY real hobo camp if you're a slacker! The tramp will occassionally use the rails to roam around for somewhere to run sign or panhandle and the homeguard (I believe this is what ya'll call the bum) simply stays put in one area burning it out for their booze and such. My group, International Brotherhood of Rail Riders states we're hobos right from jump. Suppose it's a pride thing. Not only did my father (who rode for almost a decade as did his father) pound this in my head, but so did the old timers who were decent enough to teach me the ropes. A final note here: I remember a term called 'stiff' which referred to a bindle stiff being used back in the late 80's by the old timers. It traced its roots back to before there really was mechanized harvesting going on and today we sometimes use it about folks who catch on the fly (a moving train) w/little gear---they tend to roll up what personal gear they have in a blanket/sleeping bag like a burrito, tie off each end and then fashion a sling and wear it much like a rifle is carried so as to free up both hands to grab the ladder and hoist themselves up from the stirrup. If this isn't written properly simply delete it as I'm not to[o] educated; I'm simply a hobo.--Ibrrorg (talk) 02:00, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

This is correct as I am a Transient as well, to get accurate information on Hobo's, research the book "The Last Great American Hobo." as I am not very good at this editing stuff as well but I will keep checking in to verify accuracy.(I will sign up as well to answer questions) Signed:Z — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.255.101.3 (talk) 21:53, 11 April 2012 (UTC)

A vulgar term?

The article states that 'hobo' is now a vulgar word. However I have heard some shows or films made in America, even children's ones, that use it. Is it really a rude term? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.166.150.53 (talk) 10:51, 9 October 2012 (UTC)

• "vulgar" - appears nowhere in the article.User talk:Unfriend12 13:06, 9 October 2012 (UTC)

• • • • I don't think it is a vulgar term, when used properly.****

People who have hoboed

I am going to make my way through, dropping anyone who does not have a source... if they are no longer living and their article says they hoboed.User talk:Unfriend12 14:46, 10 October 2012 (UTC)

European traditions

Signs and symbols were often used by Gypsies in Europe: See Romany Rye, for example. Numanonja```` — Preceding unsigned comment added by Numanonja (talk • contribs) 10:40, 14 January 2013 (UTC)

Why?

Why does every page on wikipedia have to either have something pro-gay or something against other sexual minorities? What is the sick agenda with all of this propaganda garbage?67.238.153.126 (talk) 21:48, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

Also, I seriously doubt this amazing ethical "code" of unstable criminals was written in 1889 due to anachronisms, and the citation link is dead.67.238.153.126 (talk) 16:09, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

hobo code (ethical) use of word "molest" in item 13

Does that mean don't molest children like the "don't molest the wildlife" signs in parks or don't molest them like Penn State? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.231.176.54 (talk) 04:07, 10 May 2013 (UTC)

Key to hobo signs (symbols)

I added the only picture I could find in Wikimedia Commons. A quick Google of "hobo symbols images" turns up plenty of diagrams and photos. Could somebody find or make a suitable rights-released chart with a few dozen of the most commonly-seen symbols? Reify-tech (talk) 22:32, 10 April 2014 (UTC)

New section "The Hobo Musical"

A new section has been added by a newbie (WP:AGF) editor, but in the wrong location. The material probably ought to be a separate WP:STUB article, but the new editor may not have the ability to create a new article as of yet. Also, the newly-added info is unreferenced, although the new editor may simply not have had time to do this yet. Suggestions? Reify-tech (talk) 20:53, 5 May 2014 (UTC)

I have temporary patched up the article, and flagged the material as unreferenced. I have also cautioned the new editor at User talk:Weinerdogdog that they must provide WP:RS for their new material, and will give them some time to respond. Reify-tech (talk) 21:09, 5 May 2014 (UTC)

I have removed the material as a probable hoax. Also, the new article Leah Hughes appears to be a hoax, and candidate for WP:SD. Reify-tech (talk) 22:30, 5 May 2014 (UTC)

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In mainstream culture

The In mainstream culture section is out of control. I would remove the whole section, thoughts ? - FlightTime (open channel) 00:49, 23 October 2017 (UTC)

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Notables who have hoboed - names without sources.

Only 5 of the 29 names at present have sources. I think any names included need to have sources, otherwise anybody could include any names.

The list includes some, such as Woody Guthrie, who are well known to have hoboed. Some others, such as Nels Anderson, Jack Kerouac, Carl Sandburg, are very likely candidates for the list and their WP articles might confirm it.

Some of the names are surprising, if not extremely dubious. One is Dr. Phil McGraw. I haven't found anywhere that confirms he has hoboed, and to be honest he seems the kind of person who absolutely would not hobo. I've taken his name off of the list.

Some might have done things that relate to the hobo lifestyle but, strictly speaking, have not actually hoboed. Mike Patton, for example, might have "used field recordings of hopping freight in musical composition", but that does not qualify him as having hoboed, so I took his name off the list.

Additionally, names who already listed under "Notable hobos" should not appear again under "Notables who have hoboed". I spotted Harry McLintock and Seasick Steve in both lists, so I've also removed their names from the second list. 2602:30A:2C4A:1CB0:B170:DDD8:D552:C628 (talk) 18:15, 12 December 2017 (UTC)

1872 Reference to "Hobo"

A Google Books Search turns up this criticism of hobos in the Iron Molders' Journal from 1872:

https://books.google.com/books?id=o5qfAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA519&dq=hobo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjijsTT9c3fAhWImOAKHZ_GAcM4ChDoAQgpMAA#v=onepage&q=hobo&f=false

--The actual article seems to be from 1896 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.57.205.168 (talk) 15:08, 7 July 2019 (UTC)

Hobo Convention and Ethical Code

These sections are entirely fictional and should be removed. There is no verifiable source and it is a prank. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:643:4301:37D4:2DFD:AE97:95A9:FF52 (talk) 15:52, 24 August 2019 (UTC)

Source for the ethical code?

Does anyone have a legitimate source for the ethical code. The provided link is dead and the parent website doesn't appear to host the ethical code anymore. I've found it re-printed on a lot of blogs and message boards, but nothing that would qualify as a reliable source. Natalie (talk) 17:19, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

I was wondering about that myself; the article says that it was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri.' but it also says that the National Hobo Convention began in 1900. Angelastic (talk) 15:47, 6 January 2012 (UTC)

There is no source for the ethical code because it is a fiction. I tried to delete it today but was unsuccessful.

Then provide a source to support your claim, or leave it alone. - FlightTime Phone (open channel) 23:52, 24 August 2019 (UTC)

I can't provide a source for the fact the ethical code is a fiction because there is no evidence that the ethical code is real in the first place. There is no source for the convention -- neither of them happened and there are enough questions here already -- nobody has provided a good source for their presence on Wikipedia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 73.202.105.71 (talk) 07:19, 25 August 2019 (UTC)

Hobos vs. Tramps vs. Bums

I know there are citations here -- I'm still not buying that the claimed differentiation between the three 'classes' is anything but a recent, ROMANTIC invention. (Also, the way I've heard it, which I prefer is: "A hobo is one who travels (ed: "is a transient"), and does honest labor when necessary; a tramp travels, but won't work (ed:"do honest labor"), and a 'bum' neither works nor travels." (I accept that these definitions may exist as a neologism these days -- and I don't have any doubt that in the world of the, well, poor, that there are always distinctions maintained between social classes. People are people.) -- and now I get my own SMACKDOWN: now that I finally get to the website of the cite given, I see it was Mencken who claimed its use during the Depression. This, boys and girls, is why you verify the cites FIRST. <bows, departs> —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.235.56.24 (talk) 05:25, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

In his memoir The Road, real life 1890s hobo and keen sociologist Jack London uses the terms tramp and hobo interchangebly. Count Robert of Paris (talk) 12:11, 2 December 2019 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion:

• Hobo punks riding an empty coal porter in Montana..jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 01:57, 9 January 2020 (UTC)

Hobo signs not real

I've been keeping an eye on this page and just noticed some reverted changes made by User:Thehistoricgraffitisociety. The thrust of what was added and then deleted is that "hobo signs" are an imagination story that has persisted for well over a hundred years now. This is an assertion I had read elsewhere as well, but only in passing; I had been hoping to find something to back it up, but so far I hadn't.

I agree that the changes made by Thehistoricgraffitisociety were not very encyclopedic or very well worked into the article. But User:Theroadislong's assertion in the changelog that the edits served solely to shill for the Historic Graffiti Society's website seems unjustified. The edits in question (1, 2) do mention that organization in the body of the text, which is certainly questionable. But that's one mention among quite a bit of apparently quite well-researched information, and I believe that the idea that hobo signs were never in widespread use should certainly be incorporated into the page, at least as one viewpoint, if not as the accepted fact. Every source besides the Historic Graffiti Society that I've read on hobo signs simply takes it as granted that they were a real phenomenon, but none of them provided an authentic photograph or firsthand account from a hobo who used them in real, day-to-day traveling—it's always some glossary of signs or a staged photograph. The Historic Graffiti Society's article is the first I've seen that looks even somewhat authoritative.

User Thehistoricgraffitisociety has now been banned, apparently for those edits. (I think that was extreme; I believe a warning should have sufficed. But this isn't the place to discuss that.) I plan to incorporate their viewpoint into the article soon, and wanted to take this space to assure everyone that I'm not in fact an alias for Thehistoricgraffitisociety. I don't even know them. But theirs is a legitimate viewpoint that I hope to spread. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nondirectional (talk • contribs) 05:52, 10 February 2020 (UTC)

Inconsistent terms and numbers

In the "Etymology" section, this statement appears: In 1906, Professor Layal Shafee, after an exhaustive study, put the number of tramps in the United States at about 500,000

Later in the same section, this statement appears: 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.

These statements are contradictory -- the lack of clear distinction between tramps and hobos may have led to the disparity in numbers. In any case, it is confusing. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2001:268:C185:3618:D11A:B2B4:C083:BF4 (talk) 11:14, 17 May 2020 (UTC)

Etymology

I see that someone has posted that the Cuban colloquial expression correr jobos might be a source for the American English term. There is no citation for this, and I would hope one would be forthcoming. But it is plausible, except that one wonders how a Cuban expression for truancy or vagrancy would come to the US in the 19th century. A good possibility, but beyond my resources for support at this time, is that the expression was shared across the Gulf region to the Gulf coast of Mexico (where the jobo tree also grows) and from there, along the rails north to the US. The time period is right. And Mexican trackworker (traquero) shantytowns---usually made from old boxcars---were widespread across the Southwest US for decades. It's too bad there are no easily accessible Mexican Spanish etymologies for colloquialisms...or are there? Tmangray (talk) 00:44, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

It is difficult to distinguish much of the Etymology section from “original research”. I strongly encourage the inclusion of a citation for each theory.—SlamDiego_←T 09:01, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

-

From the article...

Bill Bryson suggests in Made in America (1998) that it could either come from the railroad greeting, "Ho, beau!" or a syllabic abbreviation of "homeward bound".

From me...

It is, in fact, a syllabic abbreviation of "homeward bound". You see, hobos traveled around seeking work. They did this, not only to earn money to support themselves, but also to support their families who had remained back home (mailing money to them as they could). When hobos were asked where they were headed, being homesick they most frequently answered with things like, "homeward bound... one of these days", or, "I'm homeward bound. If the good Lord is willing", or, "homeward bound... in a round about way". So, they became known as the "homeward bounds", which soon became shortened to "hobos".

Thibeinn (talk) 04:56, 26 October 2020 (UTC)

Can we remove the section on the national hobo convention?

The section has no sources cited, is written as an argumentative essay, and is entirely redundant because the convention has its own page. WahooSS238 (talk) 17:14, 15 October 2021 (UTC)

How many people today go a-hoboing?

I would argue we need an estimate from a reliable source to make this article a bit better. Cynthia-Coriníon (talk) 03:23, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

Prominent hobo stove image?

Why is this so prominent in the article? 2001:420:C0C4:1005:0:0:0:20 (talk) 14:44, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

Hobo subculture nearly dead

There is a difference between "old school" hobos and "new school" ones. New ones usually use backpacks, often have mobile phones, and use sleeping bags a lot. Old school often used makeshift bags or bundles, apparently started with civil war soldiers. 188.210.27.247 (talk) 14:04, 15 May 2022 (UTC)

Photo caption includes: “c. 1880s - 1930s”

How is only possible to narrow this down to within half a century. Why would you use circa then a 50 year range. 62.194.63.113 (talk) 06:27, 17 July 2022 (UTC)

This is the sort of thing libraries and similar collectors do quite frequently. They have simply classified the pic as being part of a larger batch of photos that were taken over that period. And often they aren't 100% of the precise boundaries within which a photo fits. HiLo48 (talk) 06:43, 17 July 2022 (UTC)

Hoboes' reliance on railroads

I have altered the text’s mention in “History” of hoboes’ appearance “on the railroading scene,” for here it’s a non sequitur, the hobo being described above as merely migratory, not specifically a rail migrant. But this connection suggests that clandestine train travel deserves mention in the introductory summary. Note this article’s repeated mentions of hoboes riding the rails, including to hobo conventions.

In that connection, the "History" section's assertion that the "transition from steam to diesel locomotives [made] jumping freight trains more difficult" deserves explanation. The transition from ordinary boxcars to containerized ones for hauling freight would be a more obvious source of difficulty. Mucketymuck (talk) 06:45, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

Suggestion for expanding article

Hello, I was just checking out the main page, and noticed there is no "hobos now", or "hobos in North America today" section. Fact of the matter is, there is a huge explosion in tent cities and homeless in USA, and obviously the same dynamic as in the 1930s Great Depression, e.g. massive economic downturn, super hi layoffs equals more and more hobos and homeless. Man, San Francisco is full of homeless vagrants, as is Portland, Oregon. Fact of the matter is there is a HUGE homeless encampment by the PDX Portland Airport. There are loads of folks living out of their cars nowadays, or in friend's cars. The term hobo applies to these folks today facing such hard times, going city to city by train, hitchhike, etc. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.7.5.132 (talk) 01:36, 2 March 2010 (UTC) Suggestion inapplicable, as hobos are traveling for work, which does not describe the above description.

I agree with you, it is now nearly 2024, 14 years after your comment, and still no effort was made to expand the section to show statistics about hobos during modernity. They are all lobbed up together as "homeless", without differentiation about who is a willing traveler beset by wanderlust and who are legitimatly "out of luck" people who are trying to make ends meet and who would rather stay at a permanent residence than wander around the continent looking for work. 85.65.223.211 (talk) 01:39, 21 July 2023 (UTC)