My dad rode the rails for 4 years I was told. I'm not sure of the year, but he was born in 1911. I believe he left home somewhere around the age of 17 and rode the rails as I said for 4 years. He never talked to me about it. I was quite adventurous and I guess he was afraid I would do the same thing. He did tell me once that he used to use his belt to lash himself to the top of a rail car. Back in the day rail cars had a narrow walkway on top. That way he could sleep without the worry of falling off, which would have been fatal. He traveled to all 48 states by rail. He talked to other people about his adventures, but never me. My grandparent were uneducated LEGAL immigrants from Europe and were very poor. My grandpa worked in the shaft coal mines in our west central Illinois area. My grandpa once told me that my dad was born in a box car which was their home, and the kids would call him boxcar Johnny. Maybe that's where he got the notion to ride the rails. This is all true to best of my recollection.
As a retired hobo with 50 years of the rail. Again you are spot on. Here's some other tips for cold weather that were common in the 1930s. You often wore 2 full sets of clothes. This had a duel propose, warmth, and when you hopped off took the outer layer off. The inner layer was cleaner and made work hunting easier. Tossed newspaper were pure gold. You wrapped your feet with it, put socks over it, and then your shoes. As often your shoes were second hand and a size or so too big, and this would prevent frostbite. Tucking your pant legs in your socks and filling your pants with crumpled newspaper helped a whole bunch to stay warm. Many freight yards had a sand house. Steam engines would carry a small load of sand to drop on slick track in case the wheels started spinning for traction. The sand house was heated as cold sand would clump badly with a little moisture and cold weather. If you were quiet you could sleep overnight on that warm sand and dream of a topical beach.
@@chuckppyro3137it really does, i grew up poor and we would put a paper layer in our shoes if the shoes were not warm enough. I grew up in a country occupied by communist russia. In the winter it could get -20celsius. Paper really makes a difference
😢As a young boy, I was visiting my grandparents in upstate New York helping my grandmother outside. I looked up at one point and saw a man coming toward us. His clothing was worn, he was wearing suit jacket and slacks. "Oh look grandma, a bum" I said. Grandma looked at him, and popped me on the back. She said "Daniel! He's not a bum. He's hobo". She saw my confused look, and explained: "A bum wants something for nothing; a hobo offers to work for what he needs". And so I learned a lesson once upon a time in the early 1960's...
I'm 57 years old and about 10 years ago I found out my Grandfather on my Mothers side was a Hobo, he was an acoholic and would catch a train out of Guin Alabama and stay gone for months, come back with just enough money sometimes to pay the bills until the next trip. I also found out he was tramping down to Florida and working as a laborer for AT&T installing telephone lines to rural areas.
jerryberryhill3619 That was a great story. My Grampa on my Mom's side,was a farmer in Arkansaw, who supplemented his income running a still in one of the many hollers where his homestead was. When I was a young kid, Grampa said he was gonna show me how to build a still. 😀 Gramma put an end to that even before we got started. I was crushed! 😢
I remember my grandmother telling me that her mother would build a fire outside and have a big pot of hot water boiling. People would jump off the train and come up to their house to get hot water, broth or tea which ever she had. This was in Canada during the winter. She said other farmers would do the same and it was known with people frequenting the trains.
Yes that was common. My partners grandparents would always feed the hobos and let them sleep in the hay barn. They’d do some water moving or such in return. Over the depression these hobos became regulars and friends.
I have a briefcase just like that that I got at an auction for $5 its very nostalgic and in great condition. All leather. Definitely a great conversation piece. Love the garments and outfits true to period. The comments above re newspaper linings in shoes and pants is both sad and inspiring as to the level of poverty yet resourcefulness and satisfaction and gratitude for just finding a newspaper or pile of warm sand. Thank you for bringing history to life. You ought to teach in school history classes when you're not camping or teaching survival classes. Kids today dont know what our parents went through.
Six months on the Appalachian Trail taught me the importance of wool. Even when it's damp, it's still warm. Synthetics and down are great, but have their limitations. I enjoy your videos immensely. Thank you..
In the late 1970s I actually did the hobo scene on the west coast. Picking fruit while making my way to Washington state. Met a real life hobo named Jack Fry who showed me how to make hobo stew with only the finest remnants of food in opened cans. One thing I noticed was alcoholism was very prevalent in their lives. All the travelers I met seemed keen on it choosing wine over everything else, including food. Eventually I made it to Alaska working on a fishing boat. Things got lonely though. All in all it was a good experience.
Regarding drug dependence, feeling normal and having your drug of choice (Alcohol, opioids or other GABAergenic drugs.) is sadly more important than food. Alcohol has the benefit of being calories but like the majority of other major GABAergenic drugs (Benzodiazepines, Gabapentin and Pregabalin.) withdrawal can be fatal, so using and not going cold turkey is very important. The majority of opioid users don't die from withdrawal. Alcohol and opioids have the added benefit of opening the capillaries, so you feel warmer but you must if using in the winter layer up cause you actually lose body heat faster that way which can be deadly if out in the cold.
Yes, it seems that in later days many of the hobos turn to alcohol. However, while many of them might have been inclined to take a nip now and then they also understood the importance of not being a stupid drunk. For instance read the 1898 hobo code which states as much.
A little historical research revealed winos were more likely to survive the plague than non-alcoholics. As it is alcohol is a high level disinfectant. The only thing it can't kill are spores. I think there's truth to that- might even be proveable. @@GazB85
It's been decades and I remember the whole thing like it happened yesterday. He was good guy. Liked to talk. I met other "travelers" on the rails, especially the two hobos in New Mexico who found a boxcar, went to sleep thinking they were going somewhere, woke up and found all the train driver was doing was repositioning the car all night- because there was a railroad strike going on. They woke up hours later only to find they went nowhere. I guess you had to be there. But it was pretty funny.@@planetbarton
My grandpa and his brother had to hobo their way from Oklahoma to Grand Coulee in WA state for work on the Roosevelt project. Somewhere along the way they hopped on the wrong train and ended up in Montana. They nearly froze to death. But they eventually made it to Grand Coulee and found out they were no longer hiring so they became ranchers instead. Oddly, neither of them said anything about this until they were old. My mother (his daughter) thinks he was probably afraid his sons (who were a bit wild) would try to copy him and take off.
I would imagine the majority of people who hobo are doing this. Sort of thing just do exist. Like your grandfather whatever you said. I've been going to the comments and seeing this a lot. And I've met a couple of wild men in my day. And that seemed to be the case for them as well. Stopping wherever they had 24 working and moving along.
My Father and his two brothers were orphans ,they road the rails for about 4 hrs. during the depression, man the stories my Dad told me were really something. Life was not easy then.
Are u insane? Wool is all of these things EXCEPT fire resistant. There's a reason it's a crime to make a garment out of 100% wool; cause it'll go up like a torch. I had a friend when i was younger that was wearing a wool nightgown next to the stove when she was a little girl early in the morning. It actually burned a nipple off 1 side of her chest. Chilling memory
@@oliverklozhoffIm sorry your friend had to go through that and for the painful memories it might gave you,but wool-compared to modern synthetics- is absolutely way more fireproof.I had the bottom part of a fleece jacket's sleeve melt into my hand while attending my fire and it was like napalm. Synthetics melt,wool gets burned.
I used to live near Cynthiana, Ohio. At the end of our road was a very nice large red brick house[not a mansion]. The original owner built it in the 20s and had $3 million dollars in the bank and several thousand acres. One day in the 30s, after an argument with his family he disappeared. After seven years, he suddenly appeared in time to prevent his family from declaring him dead. He had been hoboing to see America.
@JackClayton123 The several thousand acres was worth maybe $50 to $100 an acre during the Depression, now at least a thousand an acre just for woodland, much more for pasture and cropland.
A few years back a German bushcraft channel (I think it was Waldhandwerk) did a thing where the guy wore a thirftstore wool overcoat wild camping. He said it was warm, well made, inexpensive, and environmentally conscious. That convinced me and I have been doing that ever since. With a wool blanket, you have an extra layer, and, if you're wearing your coat, your arms don't get as cold if they stick out the blanket. I really enjoy your hobo series!
👍 Waldhandwerk (Sepp) is a good channel to watch. Thirty-odd years ago, I bought, in South Africa, a 2nd hand Woollen Top Coat (New York Mafia Boss style 😏) at our local budget 'Pep Stores' Outlet. It cost then, the Dollar equivalent $7.00. That was when Importers could still bring in 'bales' of used clothing for sale locally. It was eventually stopped as apparently this pracfice was having a negative effect on the local / chinese import clothing industry 🤔. In a way, a pity, as one could get good quality albeit previously used clothing at more than reasonable prices. Living now in Switzerland, I still have that Top Coat. It now (during the chilly months) hangs at the front door .. ideal for donning in our current sub-zero temperatures, together with a woollen Tilley Winter Hat, prior to taking the Pooch out for her twice-daily walk 😊.
@@fjb4932 environmentally conscious because these are clothes that have already been made and are perfectly usable. I buy and wear mostly secondhand for that reason.
Here in Finland there wasn't a big hobo culture as such but there were plenty of outdoors workers and also some migrant workers, especially during depression. Lumberjacks, railroad builders, farmworkers, etc. And we do have quite a cold climate. One common affordable aid to stay warm was old newspapers. One could use them as an extra layer between one's clothing, or shred them and stuff them into boots, line hat with them etc. They were cheap and plentiful.
My grandfather was NOT a hobo (lol), but he was a farmer. He died fairly well off and still went to Goodwill to get his clothes....which is one of the reasons he was well off when he passed. He was frugal and did not like to waste money. The '30s were hard times for everyone. One of the things he told me about was that hobos would come by regularly during that time, usually asking for food. His mother was still alive at that time, and she always gave them something to eat. They were always grateful. My grandmother practiced this as well. There was a self-serving motivation behind this "generosity", in that you didn't want to take a chance making these guys mad; they might set fire to your barn if they felt terribly slighted or they were just mean or crazy. Two more things: as you said, hobos loved newspapers. It did a very good job of insulating, and he pointed out to me that bums would use newspaper as blankets on park benches when it got cold. I've even used it in the bottom of my boots with no complaints. There were times when my shoes or boots were too snug, and the toes would rip through the paper. Your feet were warm, but your toes were cooooooooold......lol Last thing: they loved straw for sleeping and staying warm. Grandpa would find these holes in the straw up in the haymow in the barn, and they'd be in areas that the straw was so tightly packed, he marveled at how they were able to make the holes to begin with. He said they knew it would be a good night's sleep if the could find a straw or hay pile to burrow in to. Thank you for this segment you're covering. It brings back some fond memories I have of my youth, and being around my grandparents. They were good, hardworking people that loved their family. One thing my grandfather enjoyed was playing horseshoes. He played with actual horseshoes back in the day. He was using Fred Allens by the time I was old enough to pitch them. The farm is now a hospital, and his house is gone. I drive by with a considerable amount of melancholy now. The memories, however, are good.
A bedroll is helpful on big sticks. Today, a hobo is hunted like a criminal. It doesn't anthing bad about him. It reflects on us, and how far we have fallen. I love the movie Young and Innocent.
@@WayPointSurvivalBack in the day was worse since today there’s cameras, dna, and such. They are lots of theories that many hobos died from serial killers. 400 years ago begging in Europe could get you killed in some areas
I hoboed in the early 70's when they were transitioning to all metal boxcars, but sometimes you could find an older and warmer wooden floored type boxcar during a cold day.
How did I find you? So glad you popped up with great videos. Living history. Thank you for doing this. American Hobo in Europe author, can you spell the name and where could I find that book ?
The wonderful thing available was the army wool coat or the sailors pea coat. They wore like iron and lasted for years. By the time of the Depresion there was surplus available. My dad had his to use from WW2 into the 1970s when he passed away. I don't know what happened to it afterwards. They had wool sweaters which were fairly common as was wool underwear. If you get a chance read Louis L'Amour's Education of a Wandering Man. Some of his other short stories are also about living lean so to speak espeacially waiting for a job on a ship.
I'm currently testing My lifestyle in central michigan it is −5° right now. I think we've got about 10 inches of snow I'm gonna do it all year. I started in July. Of course, it's in my yard. But I'm in a pop-up camper. So far, so good. Thanks for the tips.
@salauerman7082 most modern hobos carry smartphones with them. People will give them to you for free if they're a couple years out of date or have a cracked screen. Free Wi-Fi can be found many places including libraries and can be had for the price of a coffee at most McDonald's.
As a War of 1812 reenactor I’m amazed at how people of that era were able to survive sleeping on the ground in the winter (usually not by choice though). Usually their only shelter was a fire and a thin wool blanket. I’ve read one account where a gang of pig drivers woke up in mid winter to find their long hair frozen to the ground, and they had to chop themselves loose with their axes.
Wow, I had not heard that story but it's absolutely amazing as well as typical for people back in that era. They were able to endure almost unimaginable situations.
My grandpa worked on the railroad and he told me about a wealthy hobo who lived in a cave most of the time. He would come down once a month and make everyone in the train yard hobo stew. My grandpa said the hobo just liked living free.
After hitch-hiking from N.Y. City,to Los Angeles,Calif-I jumped my first freight train out of Phoenix Ariz.-Took me Northerly thru Flagstaff and into Colorado- Felt very safe(safer than hitch-hiking)-rode those "Nags" all thru Rockies,open doors at night,amazing views.Ended up at Mardi-Gras-1977- guess I rode for 3 months,All hobo's were perfect people,always willing to help me,when I needed it! An often ,overlooked,history of our country!
Hi James! When I was a little feller, I enjoyed coming up with my own homemade costumes to dress like people I admired from TV, movies, or real life. That was a lot of fun. Whenever I see one of these style videos, I detect the fun you are having and suspect some of that same spirit is in you. Blessings to you!
I fell in love with reenactment quite a few years ago. It's one of the ways that we can truly study history by trying to live a little bit of it and dressing and wearing and using the items that they did.
Hi James, just found your channel and love it. I am 79 years old. Grew up in Florida and as a child our neighborhood faced the trains. During the night their were many fires along the tracks as hobo’s kept warm while cooking coffee. I remember seeing them with heavy sticks to carry items over their shoulders some with a red scarf. My heart felt sad thinking how lonely they must be. For years I made my trick treat custom as a hobo, never to make fun of them, but honor their survival. Today a hobo would probably be treated unkind, harmed or arrested. Another way of life our country and men who tried through hard times to support themselves and families. Was their any female hobo’s?
They were called 'tramps' when they went out from home, and 'hobo's' when they were HOmeward BOund, hopefully with enough money or goods to keep the family afloat. The suitcase you show is what was called a 'cardboard case', a cheaper version of leather luggage, usually made of a kind of glazed paper over a very thin wood shell. Men's button-down shirts were often wool/linen combinations for winter, and long underwear, especially wool underwear lasted for a long time, keeping the outer clothes slightly cleaner. Two sets of underclothes (tops and bottoms) were often switched and washed, even seen hanging from someone's bindle or backpack to dry as they tramped along. Canes weren't just a walking aid but also offered some protection against dogs, etc., and aided tramps in reaching things (such as unlatching a freight car from the ground level).
More great info very interesting facts. Your energy and enthusiasm make your content so enjoyable to watch. Thanks for taking the time to share. All the best Pete
Never thought about it until now. My dad told me stories about my grandfather. He told me about how he rode the train to work and carried his lunch in a pale. It consisted of a large turnip with a bit of greens and maybe some salt pork, but always cornbread.
You bring more enthusiasm to your channel than a discovery channel hero does. (I like them, too, im learning a lot from all you folks in Ohio and wish everyone well) (pro tip ...you cant go wrong cheerimg on the Michigan Wolverines!)
Hoboing at least once builds character, it makes you feel more connected to the world around you. In my younger days I spent a few summers on the road.
One of my favorite movies with hoboes was the 1973 movie Emperor Of The North with Lee Marvin playing a hobo called A Number 1 trying to ride a train with Ernest Borgnine playing the role of a psychopathic conductor named Shack who hated hoboes.
@@WayPointSurvival It sure is! I downloaded it years ago and have watched it many times. It never gets old and has a lot of good parts. I won't give away anything but the ending of the movie with the fight scene is pretty amazing.
Be sure to read the books by the real-life A-No. 1 wikipedia DOT org/wiki/Leon_Ray_Livingston Incidentally, "Cigarette" in that story was modeled after a youthful Jack London.
My grandpa and his brother were hobos at ages 12 and 14, after the stepdad beat them with a singletree ( heavy wood and metal pole used to hitch horse to pull wagon). They had to hop a train and fought hard to keep from being thrown off by other hoboes. Rough life. Both made it to the next town and found work. Never went back home. Their Mom had died and stepdad was a mean SOB. Later grandpa let hoboes work on his farm, gramma fed them and they slept in the barn. Folks can be resilient!
3 of some of the finest men I've ever known all told me that one day I should ride the rails, one of them was a USMC drill srg. My father. I never have, but I think about the difference between hobos looking for work along the way and the homeless of today and realize how different they are.
We lived by the tracks when I was a small child in the 1960’s. Hobo’s occasionally came to our back door and asked my mama for food. She’d scramble eggs or re-warm leftovers and the men would sit on the ground and talk and eat. We kids thought they were interesting and riding on the train very exciting. We had no idea what their lives were like or what places they’d been. One day a man got out of a boxcar while the train was stopped to hook up carloads of pulpwood. He came to the door and, along with asking for something to eat he asked my mother if she would please read him a faded letter from his daughter that he had carried in his pocket for years. He told her that he couldn’t read, so if he met someone who was kind enough he’d ask them to read it to him. I couldn’t imagine not being able to read, or not seeing your family for years, and it made me sad. From then on I realized that the men who were hobo’s were not just having fun adventures on the trains that passed through our little town every day. I didn’t envy them anymore.
Thanks so much for watching! Please leave a comment and a section down below! Also, make sure and check out the website at www.waypointsurvival.com. See the various classes we teach, the class schedule, and the required gear list.
We used to have them in rural Scotland. They came by at certain times of the year when crops needyplanted or harvested, and they helped the farmers. We called them ' gone men' and they were different to the squads of Irish people who came over to fruit pick, etc.
The '30s era hobo life has always fascinated me. The freedom, the ingenuity, the sense of community. It's a far cry from what you see in cities of today with homelessness. Not traveling for work, but simply surviving wherever they can. Though even within that there are a lot of clever solutions people come up with. I'm sure a lot our image of hobo life is romanticized, but still, the independence was unparalleled.
Hi James! I had just watched a few of your previous hobo videos that I had watched before a few hours ago. I love your presentations, creativity combined with history and survival. Great job!
I really love your videos and this series is great! As someone who loves survivalism and prepping, which isn't a big thing here in the UK, I watch a lot of American channeks in TH-cam who do it. I must say unfortunately since 2016 a lot of those channels have been political and paranoid to the point of being unhinged and I am so thankful you have not taken that route! You also don't do stupid paranoid click bait thumbnails which I hate, which a certain Canadian does so he can sell stuff to the uninformed. Thank you for staying true to your original intent of the channel, I know channels evolve but you're going in a great direction and not grifting from viewers which I respect.
One thing about newspaper is that it absorbs moisture. This can be a bad thing, as when it gets soggy it will no longer insulate. But it can also work to your advantage. If you change the paper inside your boots, especially rubber boots that don’t breathe at all, you can keep your woollen socks dry troughout a whole day of walking when without the paper condensation could get your feet wet and frozen. I’ve used this trick sometimes when hiking in very wet snow wearing rubber boots.
As a youngster and many, many years after I'd dream about hopping trains and riding the rails around the country. Seeing the countryside, camping out here and there, working where I could and then moving on. Was a wonderful dream!!! Back when I was a child boxcars we're typically opened and unlocked and once in a while you'd see someone stowing away in one as the train passed by. Things are much different now but I've been blessed to live in the country alongside a rr track who's only train is an old steam engine that runs a short trip for tourists.
@@WayPointSurvival come to think of it, wasn't too long ago the train was loaded up with folks in mountain man garb and long rifles and for some reason, right by my place they stopped and most of the people jumped off the train hooting and hollering and were running around in the big neighboring field. Idk if they were filming or just reenacting for fun but it was pretty neat to see. The tracks run the border of my place so I always have a front row seat!!
There's a steam locomotive that runs from Neuvo Laredo to Mexico city, costs less than 50 for a private sleeper round trip. Runs through mountains and around volcanos. Nice adventures @@WayPointSurvival
Thank you for this video. Fascinating information. When I was a little boy ( I am soon 72.), hoboes would sometimes come through town seeking work. Often, a hobo would be given some pay in exchange for some chore. (There were many more rail lines in this area then than now, including some passenger lines. Hoboes nowadays are unknown in these parts. I have not seen one since my childhood.) He carried his belongings in a folded-up cloth made from what looked like a tan bedsheet. (I wonder now if it had perhaps been treated with linseed oil and/or beeswax, or if it was just patinaed by the grime of ten thousand miles.) This he tied to a frame made of sticks tied together with roots. I have often wondered what happened to him. He seemed like a nice fellow.
@@WayPointSurvival most likely. That hobo would not recognize today's backpack. I think a rucksack with shoulder straps, fastened to a wooden frame, might be what he was describing. Timeframe was likely early 1960's. There were still vagabonds who hopped the trains around my hometown until about 1970.
This is literally one of my favorite channels it makes me think about my grandfather who was an African American world war II combat veteran stationed in Italy.
Remember that many _homes_ were still heated with wood or coal stoves. Heck, even businesses had limited methods unless in a large industrial or commercial complex. Warm clothing was commonplace in the wintertime, even indoors.
My grand father rode the rails looking for work he only bought wool clothing and work boots he said a simple news paper was one of the best things . Cardboard, tarps and line
My grandfather was born in 1899 in Western NC. He used to run shine and got into a physical altercation with the sheriff and knocked him unconscious. My papaw thought he killed him and since they were by the rails, he jumped on a train and rode north to Detroit. He hooked around, reportedly, until he found some work in the Detroit area. A few years later, he got word that the sheriff was alive and well and he came home. He died in the 60s so I never got to know him but, Lordy, I wish I could've gotten to know him. He was a shine runner, lumber mill owner, ended a Civil War family feud, ginseng hunter, and good Ole mountain boy by all accounts. He lived through these times you bring to life.
The Dutch village where I am from, BRKLN, lived a wealthy man named Dudok de Wit. He traveled on foot from the Netherlands to the Dutch East Indies (Dutch colony). He also traveled on foot in your country.
Always a great video. You're spot on about wool. I tell my freezing friends about it, but most people are about style and trends. I'm about staying comfortably warm.
My grandfather on my fathers side road the rails and survived Montana, Minnesota and Wisconsin winters. My grandparents and great grandparents are from Finland, the land of Sisu. It is a natural born thinking for us to survive.
Great video James, I agree with the comment on how newspaper was used as a insulation, riding a motorcycle in the winter I had newspapers under my coat to keep my chest warm.
I live in San Antonio, TX, and I worked at a large hospital here. Every winter, some poor soul would be found "down" when the weather got cold. They usually died. Now, every winter I pray for the poor people living on the street. It still makes me sad knowing that people live, or die, alone and cold. God bless and help them.
First things first you cut a fine winter hobo style,I wear a bowler hat and have a long black coat ,so we would look very cool together, also on being made homeless in two weeks and the uk isn't very warm this time of year, your teachings will bode me well, bless you James bender
Layers of soft foam sheeting that come with electronics to protect them from impact work real well for insulation in clothing and bedding (sleeping bags)
Good one. Staying warm is about your mindset also. Experience is key. As a bird hunter, I can say I've developed a clothing pattern/regime that suits walking behind a bird dog for miles in the cold. Wear things you can remove on the go. I've made countless wrist/arm gaiters from old sock, cut at the ankle. Worn in the early park of our walk, taken off as I become hot(yes you do, following a dog, its constant.) I also wear a neckerchief that can be removed. Walking, NO long underwear. Too hot and perspiration inducing. Wool socks are also paramount, as they remain warm when boots are soaked. My bird vest is several sizes larger than normal to accommodate clothing underneath. The game bag is a ready storage area for food and a thermos, if we drift far from the truck, which is always. Hope's this diatribe helps someone out there. Waypoint is an excellent channel. Thank you for your content.
My great uncle was a hobo for 2 decades 20's and 30's he spent his winters with two widow ladies in Iowa. He said it was very warm. Well at least according to him.😊
Thanks so much for referencing the book you sourced it from. I'm really hooked on your hobo videos, and it really lit a fire under me to read more into it. It gives me something to chew on between your videos, and it adds so much validity and substance to your content. An American Hobo in Europe is now in my shopping cart.
My uncle was a Hippie during the sixties. He would hitchhike and hop trains across the United States. He got caught in a snowstorm while hoppping a train. They almost froze to death he said. They lived, but quit hopping trains in bad weather.
My military wool scarf is an important part of my gear. In central FL and my scarf keeps me warm enough so I don’t need a jacket most winter evenings 🎉
I really enjoy your entire Hobo series, a lot of history and a lot of practical and useful travel and survival information and tips that anybody could use. Thanks for your great videos !
The defined heel on the boots are important then, as now, when mounting a stirrup on a moving freight car. It keeps the possibly slick boot sole from sliding through the stirrup.
James you are looking rather dapper in this one!!! Thank you for all the hard work you put in to educate and to entertain us!! As always...take care...Robin
Timely video with the current weather conditions. This is my 3rd winter living in a wall tent in the North Idaho panhandle, and I can tell you, minus 20f , even with a wood stove ain't no joke. Good thing I have plenty of wool.
Dangit, this going to hurt. My grandad, Henry Clay McGuire, a little Irishman born in Missouri a carpenter by trade but also a farmer, just like everyone was. He was red headed and he had eyes so blue and clear they looked like chips of ice, even when he was 90. He was a deep thinker, even if he didn't understand the modern world around him. He said the first time he drove a car he was hauling but down main street pulling on that steering wheel screaming "WHOA thar! WHOA!" and he kept pulling and kept a whoain' all the way into the side of the bank building at the end of the street. Well, in his words he 'hoboed out to California from Oklahoma during the depression' but Okies also had the added incentive of the Dust Bowl. Henry Clay had 11 brothers, his mother and father, his wife and he had 4 new babies of his own to provide for. So he was off to California on his own to work the timber patch and the saw mills. In Oklahoma The Dust Bowl destroyed farm land, jobs, and lives. He rode the train as much as possible. He said he'd get atop a particular type of train car that had two rails running down the middle of the roof like a sidewalk what stood up on perches a few inches above the roof. He'd get that car because he could lay down, undo his pants belt and string it through the roof rails and in that way he'd be tied to the train and wouldn't get flung off if he fell asleep. He'd hop off and most towns were usually put off the tracks by about a mile or so. Something I didn't know was a thing considering today they seem to get train tracks tangled up in stoplights, power lines, and highways right in the middle of town. He'd walk to the town and buy a whole loaf of bread and however many eggs he had pockets for. Most stops he'd just buy raw eggs and eat them that way with a few pieces of bread. I doubt it was sliced. He'd wrap the bread in a gunnysack and wrap that around his belt and minding his eggs he'd lace his belt to the train for the next leg of his trek. He went to out to Northern California where he became a skilled lumberjack. He sent money home to Oklahoma and many years later he returned to Oklahoma to continue having a family, farming larger and larger parcels, and building most of the houses in Crescent Oklahoma...and most are still there. He also had a moonshine still in the side of a cliff down by the Cimarron River. Also one of his 11 brothers robbed a bank, Guthrie I think, and was shot down by a drunken posse. Henry's son followed in his footsteps farming except he had a more curious nature. He built his own glider back in the 50s or 60s, long before the had gliders for regular folks. The newspaper even came out for his test flight... and THAT is why there is an odd B&W photo of my uncle seemingly falling out of a clear blue sky, for no good reason. No glider to be seen or barn to jump off of, just him falling out the sky into a field of wheat. He had 'got skeered when it actually worked' and he jumped out. Broke a leg but back to farmin'. That's the McGuires of Logan County, Oklahoma (my mothers side). Now the story of the Chickasaw, McClure family of Logan County (My fathers side) is a lot less wholesome and much more rough and tumble. Some of their story was supposed to be in that book "Killers of the Flower Moon ' but I'm not sure what part exactly. California or BUST!
James, this is my favourite channel recently! The content itself is great, but what really makes it for me is your attitude. Your excitement for the subject matter and positive demeanour leaves me with a smile every time I watch a video. Thanks for all you do - and hello from Canada!
Somehow you keep coming up with aspects of American life that most people would never know about if you weren't doing this......i personally I'm great full
I've recently become homeless but still have a months work left. Illinois is getting cold and you reminded me to look into woll cloths. I haven't thought of a vest though so I appreciate the pro tips.
Yes, so much has changed and most of those who are called hobos today are actually mostly Tramps and bumps. There are only a few that are still holding on to the old ways. Thanks for watching!
Good stuff! For younger folks, the 1907 excerpt used the term "make our toilet", referring to personal hygiene needs not specifically including bodily waste elimination -- as proximity to a water source is definitely not suggested for those needs!
I keep telling everyone to get a trenchcoat/overcoat from a military surplus store. I've been wearing them since the 90s, my family jokes and say I look like a school shooter but I constantly get compliments on the street about them. They're really warm and keep you dry and double as a blanket at night. Thanks for the video
I love your videos. I dream of being a hobo for a few months. I am retired now and am looking for adventure. You inspire me. I loved your pioneer series! Keep up the good work!
As a kid, my friend’s mother used to tell tales of living in a tiny town where the train would stop daily. Often there would be a hobo or two jump off the train. They often would knock on doors, seeking small jobs, or handy man tasks exchange for food, clothing, or money. This was normal and even welcome as husbands were mostly farmers already busy out in their fields and not available to assist their family during the day. Her mom enjoyed, defeating them a hot meal for their work.
Hi, Thankyou for uploading this episode, I have been on the road on&off for a long time now, that overcoat looks like it will take a lot of grief from the weather, extremely useful as secondary sleeping system, peace love and respect, J X
![Cook Like a Hobo! [ 1930s Mulligan Stew Recipe! ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mf9MdM4zZOQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![Cook Like a Hobo! [ 1930s Mulligan Stew Recipe! ]](/img/tr.png)
![Hobo Pocket Contents! [ 1930s Classic Hobo ]](/img/n.gif)
Good job buddy
Thanks so very much! I really do appreciate it.
The eloquence, verbosity, and laconic nature of this compliment cannot be overstated. Bravo, sir. Bravo.
Kinda bothered you didn’t talk about the Hobo-Pocket 😕
My dad rode the rails for 4 years I was told. I'm not sure of the year, but he was born in 1911. I believe he left home somewhere around the age of 17 and rode the rails as I said for 4 years. He never talked to me about it. I was quite adventurous and I guess he was afraid I would do the same thing. He did tell me once that he used to use his belt to lash himself to the top of a rail car. Back in the day rail cars had a narrow walkway on top. That way he could sleep without the worry of falling off, which would have been fatal. He traveled to all 48 states by rail. He talked to other people about his adventures, but never me. My grandparent were uneducated LEGAL immigrants from Europe and were very poor. My grandpa worked in the shaft coal mines in our west central Illinois area. My grandpa once told me that my dad was born in a box car which was their home, and the kids would call him boxcar Johnny. Maybe that's where he got the notion to ride the rails. This is all true to best of my recollection.
Could you please do an episode on how in the Hobo in the example 1930’s with insects, I would really appreciate it. Thanks
As a retired hobo with 50 years of the rail. Again you are spot on. Here's some other tips for cold weather that were common in the 1930s. You often wore 2 full sets of clothes. This had a duel propose, warmth, and when you hopped off took the outer layer off. The inner layer was cleaner and made work hunting easier. Tossed newspaper were pure gold. You wrapped your feet with it, put socks over it, and then your shoes. As often your shoes were second hand and a size or so too big, and this would prevent frostbite. Tucking your pant legs in your socks and filling your pants with crumpled newspaper helped a whole bunch to stay warm. Many freight yards had a sand house. Steam engines would carry a small load of sand to drop on slick track in case the wheels started spinning for traction. The sand house was heated as cold sand would clump badly with a little moisture and cold weather. If you were quiet you could sleep overnight on that warm sand and dream of a topical beach.
Very interesting - thank you very much for the information.
Wow, thank you for sharing your wisdom.
I have heard that newspaper works ,
Does it really make a big difference?
@@chuckppyro3137it really does, i grew up poor and we would put a paper layer in our shoes if the shoes were not warm enough. I grew up in a country occupied by communist russia. In the winter it could get -20celsius. Paper really makes a difference
Yes. The difference between frostbite and staying at least half assed comfortable.
Retired hobo 😂
😢As a young boy, I was visiting my grandparents in upstate New York helping my grandmother outside. I looked up at one point and saw a man coming toward us. His clothing was worn, he was wearing suit jacket and slacks. "Oh look grandma, a bum" I said. Grandma looked at him, and popped me on the back. She said "Daniel! He's not a bum. He's hobo". She saw my confused look, and explained: "A bum wants something for nothing; a hobo offers to work for what he needs". And so I learned a lesson once upon a time in the early 1960's...
Indeed, there is a difference!
@@WayPointSurvival
There are several books written by hobos…they also have a museum as well.
I'm 57 years old and about 10 years ago I found out my Grandfather on my Mothers side was a Hobo, he was an acoholic and would catch a train out of Guin Alabama and stay gone for months, come back with just enough money sometimes to pay the bills until the next trip. I also found out he was tramping down to Florida and working as a laborer for AT&T installing telephone lines to rural areas.
Many of them worked hard.
Thanks for sharing the family history and for watching the video!
Must have been tough young people in this country now will never understand
jerryberryhill3619
That was a great story.
My Grampa on my Mom's side,was a farmer in Arkansaw, who supplemented his income running a still in one of the many hollers where his homestead was.
When I was a young kid, Grampa
said he was gonna show me how to build a still. 😀
Gramma put an end to that even before we got started.
I was crushed! 😢
@@KevinWilliams-c2p🙄 they were no more tough than people who survive nowadays....
I remember my grandmother telling me that her mother would build a fire outside and have a big pot of hot water boiling. People would jump off the train and come up to their house to get hot water, broth or tea which ever she had. This was in Canada during the winter. She said other farmers would do the same and it was known with people frequenting the trains.
How very kind! I'm sure those folks truly appreciated it.
what part of Canada ?
GOD BLESS YOUR GRANDMOTHER AND ALL WHO DID THAT 👍❤🙏
Yes that was common. My partners grandparents would always feed the hobos and let them sleep in the hay barn. They’d do some water moving or such in return. Over the depression these hobos became regulars and friends.
I have a briefcase just like that that I got at an auction for $5 its very nostalgic and in great condition. All leather. Definitely a great conversation piece. Love the garments and outfits true to period. The comments above re newspaper linings in shoes and pants is both sad and inspiring as to the level of poverty yet resourcefulness and satisfaction and gratitude for just finding a newspaper or pile of warm sand.
Thank you for bringing history to life. You ought to teach in school history classes when you're not camping or teaching survival classes. Kids today dont know what our parents went through.
Six months on the Appalachian Trail taught me the importance of wool. Even when it's damp, it's still warm. Synthetics and down are great, but have their limitations.
I enjoy your videos immensely. Thank you..
Thank you so very much!
In the late 1970s I actually did the hobo scene on the west coast. Picking fruit while making my way to Washington state. Met a real life hobo named Jack Fry who showed me how to make hobo stew with only the finest remnants of food in opened cans. One thing I noticed was alcoholism was very prevalent in their lives. All the travelers I met seemed keen on it choosing wine over everything else, including food. Eventually I made it to Alaska working on a fishing boat. Things got lonely though. All in all it was a good experience.
Regarding drug dependence, feeling normal and having your drug of choice (Alcohol, opioids or other GABAergenic drugs.) is sadly more important than food.
Alcohol has the benefit of being calories but like the majority of other major GABAergenic drugs (Benzodiazepines, Gabapentin and Pregabalin.) withdrawal can be fatal, so using and not going cold turkey is very important.
The majority of opioid users don't die from withdrawal.
Alcohol and opioids have the added benefit of opening the capillaries, so you feel warmer but you must if using in the winter layer up cause you actually lose body heat faster that way which can be deadly if out in the cold.
Yes, it seems that in later days many of the hobos turn to alcohol. However, while many of them might have been inclined to take a nip now and then they also understood the importance of not being a stupid drunk. For instance read the 1898 hobo code which states as much.
Jack Fry, what a name.
A little historical research revealed winos were more likely to survive the plague than non-alcoholics. As it is alcohol is a high level disinfectant. The only thing it can't kill are spores. I think there's truth to that- might even be proveable. @@GazB85
It's been decades and I remember the whole thing like it happened yesterday. He was good guy. Liked to talk. I met other "travelers" on the rails, especially the two hobos in New Mexico who found a boxcar, went to sleep thinking they were going somewhere, woke up and found all the train driver was doing was repositioning the car all night- because there was a railroad strike going on. They woke up hours later only to find they went nowhere. I guess you had to be there. But it was pretty funny.@@planetbarton
My grandpa and his brother had to hobo their way from Oklahoma to Grand Coulee in WA state for work on the Roosevelt project. Somewhere along the way they hopped on the wrong train and ended up in Montana. They nearly froze to death. But they eventually made it to Grand Coulee and found out they were no longer hiring so they became ranchers instead. Oddly, neither of them said anything about this until they were old. My mother (his daughter) thinks he was probably afraid his sons (who were a bit wild) would try to copy him and take off.
Lived near Lake Roosevelt growing up beautiful area NE Washington
Yes, a lot of people didn't speak about their experiences. I believe part of it was because being a hobo was really looked down on during that day.
Very interesting! Thanks so much for watching the video and for sharing some of your family history!
I would imagine the majority of people who hobo are doing this. Sort of thing just do exist. Like your grandfather whatever you said. I've been going to the comments and seeing this a lot. And I've met a couple of wild men in my day. And that seemed to be the case for them as well. Stopping wherever they had 24 working and moving along.
My Father and his two brothers were orphans ,they road the rails for about 4 hrs. during the depression, man the stories my Dad told me were really something. Life was not easy then.
4 years.correction.
Absolutely. People had it really hard, for sure. Thanks for watching!
Wool is a wonderful material
Provides warmth even when wet, fast drying, abrasion and fire resistant
Indeed.
Are u insane? Wool is all of these things EXCEPT fire resistant. There's a reason it's a crime to make a garment out of 100% wool; cause it'll go up like a torch. I had a friend when i was younger that was wearing a wool nightgown next to the stove when she was a little girl early in the morning. It actually burned a nipple off 1 side of her chest. Chilling memory
@@oliverklozhoffIm sorry your friend had to go through that and for the painful memories it might gave you,but wool-compared to modern synthetics- is absolutely way more fireproof.I had the bottom part of a fleece jacket's sleeve melt into my hand while attending my fire and it was like napalm.
Synthetics melt,wool gets burned.
I used to live near Cynthiana, Ohio. At the end of our road was a very nice large red brick house[not a mansion]. The original owner built it in the 20s and had $3 million dollars in the bank and several thousand acres. One day in the 30s, after an argument with his family he disappeared. After seven years, he suddenly appeared in time to prevent his family from declaring him dead. He had been hoboing to see America.
How very interesting!
$3M in the 20’s was quite a fortune. Over $100M in today’s dollars.
@JackClayton123 The several thousand acres was worth maybe $50 to $100 an acre during the Depression, now at least a thousand an acre just for woodland, much more for pasture and cropland.
A few years back a German bushcraft channel (I think it was Waldhandwerk) did a thing where the guy wore a thirftstore wool overcoat wild camping. He said it was warm, well made, inexpensive, and environmentally conscious. That convinced me and I have been doing that ever since. With a wool blanket, you have an extra layer, and, if you're wearing your coat, your arms don't get as cold if they stick out the blanket.
I really enjoy your hobo series!
Yes, those old timers really knew what they were doing with their wool. Thanks so much for watching and for the encouraging comment!
👍 Waldhandwerk (Sepp) is a good channel to watch.
Thirty-odd years ago, I bought, in South Africa, a 2nd hand Woollen Top Coat (New York Mafia Boss style 😏) at our local budget 'Pep Stores' Outlet. It cost then, the Dollar equivalent $7.00. That was when Importers could still bring in 'bales' of used clothing for sale locally. It was eventually stopped as apparently this pracfice was having a negative effect on the local / chinese import clothing industry 🤔. In a way, a pity, as one could get good quality albeit previously used clothing at more than reasonable prices.
Living now in Switzerland, I still have that Top Coat. It now (during the chilly months) hangs at the front door .. ideal for donning in our current sub-zero temperatures, together with a woollen Tilley Winter Hat, prior to taking the Pooch out for her twice-daily walk 😊.
THIS VIDEO HAS GOT ME LOOKING FOR A WW2 ARMY OVER COAT 👍❤🙏
daveburklund,
"...environmentally conscious..."
Poor, cold, sheep . . .
☆
@@fjb4932 environmentally conscious because these are clothes that have already been made and are perfectly usable. I buy and wear mostly secondhand for that reason.
Here in Finland there wasn't a big hobo culture as such but there were plenty of outdoors workers and also some migrant workers, especially during depression. Lumberjacks, railroad builders, farmworkers, etc. And we do have quite a cold climate. One common affordable aid to stay warm was old newspapers. One could use them as an extra layer between one's clothing, or shred them and stuff them into boots, line hat with them etc. They were cheap and plentiful.
Absolutely! Newspaper is a wonderful insulator.
Cardboard also
My grandfather was NOT a hobo (lol), but he was a farmer. He died fairly well off and still went to Goodwill to get his clothes....which is one of the reasons he was well off when he passed. He was frugal and did not like to waste money. The '30s were hard times for everyone. One of the things he told me about was that hobos would come by regularly during that time, usually asking for food. His mother was still alive at that time, and she always gave them something to eat. They were always grateful. My grandmother practiced this as well. There was a self-serving motivation behind this "generosity", in that you didn't want to take a chance making these guys mad; they might set fire to your barn if they felt terribly slighted or they were just mean or crazy.
Two more things: as you said, hobos loved newspapers. It did a very good job of insulating, and he pointed out to me that bums would use newspaper as blankets on park benches when it got cold. I've even used it in the bottom of my boots with no complaints. There were times when my shoes or boots were too snug, and the toes would rip through the paper. Your feet were warm, but your toes were cooooooooold......lol
Last thing: they loved straw for sleeping and staying warm. Grandpa would find these holes in the straw up in the haymow in the barn, and they'd be in areas that the straw was so tightly packed, he marveled at how they were able to make the holes to begin with. He said they knew it would be a good night's sleep if the could find a straw or hay pile to burrow in to.
Thank you for this segment you're covering. It brings back some fond memories I have of my youth, and being around my grandparents. They were good, hardworking people that loved their family. One thing my grandfather enjoyed was playing horseshoes. He played with actual horseshoes back in the day. He was using Fred Allens by the time I was old enough to pitch them. The farm is now a hospital, and his house is gone. I drive by with a considerable amount of melancholy now. The memories, however, are good.
Thanks so much for watching and for sharing those wonderful memories!
I love this hobo series. I would love to see a video on what a hobo resupply looks like once he gets to a town and can shop for goods.
That would definitely be an interesting video! Thanks for watching.
A bedroll is helpful on big sticks. Today, a hobo is hunted like a criminal. It doesn't anthing bad about him. It reflects on us, and how far we have fallen. I love the movie Young and Innocent.
They were actually quite despised back in the day as well.
@@WayPointSurvivalBack in the day was worse since today there’s cameras, dna, and such. They are lots of theories that many hobos died from serial killers. 400 years ago begging in Europe could get you killed in some areas
I hoboed in the early 70's when they were transitioning to all metal boxcars, but sometimes you could find an older and warmer wooden floored type boxcar during a cold day.
Very interesting! I'm sure that they were a real blessing on those cold nights!
How did I find you? So glad you popped up with great videos. Living history. Thank you for doing this. American Hobo in Europe author, can you spell the name and where could I find that book ?
I believe if you Google it you can find the book for free on the Gutenberg project website.
The wonderful thing available was the army wool coat or the sailors pea coat. They wore like iron and lasted for years. By the time of the Depresion there was surplus available. My dad had his to use from WW2 into the 1970s when he passed away. I don't know what happened to it afterwards. They had wool sweaters which were fairly common as was wool underwear. If you get a chance read Louis L'Amour's Education of a Wandering Man. Some of his other short stories are also about living lean so to speak espeacially waiting for a job on a ship.
Yes, I really do like that book and I read it probably 30 years ago.
Yeah back then things were made to last not like these days.
I'm currently testing My lifestyle in central michigan it is −5° right now. I think we've got about 10 inches of snow I'm gonna do it all year. I started in July.
Of course, it's in my yard. But I'm in a pop-up camper.
So far, so good. Thanks for the tips.
Sounds great and you're welcome!
You make me grin - trying a hobo style life, with the internet handy?! 😁
@salauerman7082 most modern hobos carry smartphones with them. People will give them to you for free if they're a couple years out of date or have a cracked screen. Free Wi-Fi can be found many places including libraries and can be had for the price of a coffee at most McDonald's.
As a War of 1812 reenactor I’m amazed at how people of that era were able to survive sleeping on the ground in the winter (usually not by choice though). Usually their only shelter was a fire and a thin wool blanket. I’ve read one account where a gang of pig drivers woke up in mid winter to find their long hair frozen to the ground, and they had to chop themselves loose with their axes.
Wow, I had not heard that story but it's absolutely amazing as well as typical for people back in that era. They were able to endure almost unimaginable situations.
My grandpa worked on the railroad and he told me about a wealthy hobo who lived in a cave most of the time. He would come down once a month and make everyone in the train yard hobo stew. My grandpa said the hobo just liked living free.
Indeed!
Wool sure was an important material.
Absolutely!
Still is!
You always put so much thought, effort and energy into your videos they are all a pleasure to watch.
Real historian. One of the few TH-camrs whose videos I can watch from start to finish and ALL of them.
Much appreciated!
After hitch-hiking from N.Y. City,to Los Angeles,Calif-I jumped my first freight train out of Phoenix Ariz.-Took me Northerly thru Flagstaff and into Colorado- Felt very safe(safer than hitch-hiking)-rode those "Nags" all thru Rockies,open doors at night,amazing views.Ended up at Mardi-Gras-1977- guess I rode for 3 months,All hobo's were perfect people,always willing to help me,when I needed it! An often ,overlooked,history of our country!
Yes, the hobo community was and is still a marvelous thing, for those who still hold to the old ways.
Hi James! When I was a little feller, I enjoyed coming up with my own homemade costumes to dress like people I admired from TV, movies, or real life. That was a lot of fun. Whenever I see one of these style videos, I detect the fun you are having and suspect some of that same spirit is in you. Blessings to you!
I fell in love with reenactment quite a few years ago. It's one of the ways that we can truly study history by trying to live a little bit of it and dressing and wearing and using the items that they did.
Hi James, just found your channel and love it. I am 79 years old. Grew up in Florida and as a child our neighborhood faced the trains. During the night their were many fires along the tracks as hobo’s kept warm while cooking coffee. I remember seeing them with heavy sticks to carry items over their shoulders some with a red scarf. My heart felt sad thinking how lonely they must be. For years I made my trick treat custom as a hobo, never to make fun of them, but honor their survival. Today a hobo would probably be treated unkind, harmed or arrested. Another way of life our country and men who tried through hard times to support themselves and families. Was their any female hobo’s?
Yes, there were some female hoboes.
They were called 'tramps' when they went out from home, and 'hobo's' when they were HOmeward BOund, hopefully with enough money or goods to keep the family afloat. The suitcase you show is what was called a 'cardboard case', a cheaper version of leather luggage, usually made of a kind of glazed paper over a very thin wood shell. Men's button-down shirts were often wool/linen combinations for winter, and long underwear, especially wool underwear lasted for a long time, keeping the outer clothes slightly cleaner. Two sets of underclothes (tops and bottoms) were often switched and washed, even seen hanging from someone's bindle or backpack to dry as they tramped along. Canes weren't just a walking aid but also offered some protection against dogs, etc., and aided tramps in reaching things (such as unlatching a freight car from the ground level).
Indeed!
I learned to love wool when I was a young soldier in the Army. It is a superior fabric for winter.
Absolutely!
More great info very interesting facts. Your energy and enthusiasm make your content so enjoyable to watch. Thanks for taking the time to share. All the best Pete
Glad you enjoyed it!
This guy is a gentleman and a scholar.
Thanks so much!
Never thought about it until now. My dad told me stories about my grandfather. He told me about how he rode the train to work and carried his lunch in a pale. It consisted of a large turnip with a bit of greens and maybe some salt pork, but always cornbread.
That’s quite a lunch!
You bring more enthusiasm to your channel than a discovery channel hero does. (I like them, too, im learning a lot from all you folks in Ohio and wish everyone well) (pro tip ...you cant go wrong cheerimg on the Michigan Wolverines!)
Thanks so much for watching and the boots I'm wearing are made by Wolverine, does that count?
Hoboing at least once builds character, it makes you feel more connected to the world around you. In my younger days I spent a few summers on the road.
Being out on the road is definitely an education!
One of my favorite movies with hoboes was the 1973 movie Emperor Of The North with Lee Marvin playing a hobo called A Number 1 trying to ride a train with Ernest Borgnine playing the role of a psychopathic conductor named Shack who hated hoboes.
It's a classic!
That sounds like a good movie. I don't know how Ernie was ever in McHale's Navy....
@@WayPointSurvival It sure is! I downloaded it years ago and have watched it many times. It never gets old and has a lot of good parts. I won't give away anything but the ending of the movie with the fight scene is pretty amazing.
🐕💚🍕 dogs like pizza 🤠 I'm a meat eater 🐻 trumpy bear and kellyanne in 2024👺 rats like cheese 🐀💚🧀
Be sure to read the books by the real-life A-No. 1
wikipedia DOT org/wiki/Leon_Ray_Livingston
Incidentally, "Cigarette" in that story was modeled after a youthful Jack London.
My grandpa and his brother were hobos at ages 12 and 14, after the stepdad beat them with a singletree ( heavy wood and metal pole used to hitch horse to pull wagon). They had to hop a train and fought hard to keep from being thrown off by other hoboes. Rough life. Both made it to the next town and found work. Never went back home. Their Mom had died and stepdad was a mean SOB. Later grandpa let hoboes work on his farm, gramma fed them and they slept in the barn. Folks can be resilient!
Amazing story, thanks for sharing it with us all!
3 of some of the finest men I've ever known all told me that one day I should ride the rails, one of them was a USMC drill srg. My father. I never have, but I think about the difference between hobos looking for work along the way and the homeless of today and realize how different they are.
True.
We lived by the tracks when I was a small child in the 1960’s. Hobo’s occasionally came to our back door and asked my mama for food. She’d scramble eggs or re-warm leftovers and the men would sit on the ground and talk and eat. We kids thought they were interesting and riding on the train very exciting. We had no idea what their lives were like or what places they’d been. One day a man got out of a boxcar while the train was stopped to hook up carloads of pulpwood. He came to the door and, along with asking for something to eat he asked my mother if she would please read him a faded letter from his daughter that he had carried in his pocket for years. He told her that he couldn’t read, so if he met someone who was kind enough he’d ask them to read it to him. I couldn’t imagine not being able to read, or not seeing your family for years, and it made me sad. From then on I realized that the men who were hobo’s were not just having fun adventures on the trains that passed through our little town every day. I didn’t envy them anymore.
Yes, for many of them, they had a difficult life. However, there were those who truly enjoyed the experience.
Thanks so much for watching! Please leave a comment and a section down below! Also, make sure and check out the website at www.waypointsurvival.com. See the various classes we teach, the class schedule, and the required gear list.
Thanks my man keep going!!!!
Привет .А что носили в чемодане? Где ночевали бродяги зимой ?
Any thoughts on a video about the CCC and WPA?
😊😊😊
We used to have them in rural Scotland. They came by at certain times of the year when crops needyplanted or harvested, and they helped the farmers. We called them ' gone men' and they were different to the squads of Irish people who came over to fruit pick, etc.
Very interesting!
Longjohns made of cotton or wool (with the drop seats and saggy ways) were also available as a heat-holding underlayer.
True.
The '30s era hobo life has always fascinated me. The freedom, the ingenuity, the sense of community. It's a far cry from what you see in cities of today with homelessness. Not traveling for work, but simply surviving wherever they can. Though even within that there are a lot of clever solutions people come up with. I'm sure a lot our image of hobo life is romanticized, but still, the independence was unparalleled.
Indeed.
Hi James! I had just watched a few of your previous hobo videos that I had watched before a few hours ago. I love your presentations, creativity combined with history and survival. Great job!
Thanks so very much!
Keep these coming. I love the mix of survival, bush craft, and history. Love the style too.
Thanks so much!
I really love your videos and this series is great!
As someone who loves survivalism and prepping, which isn't a big thing here in the UK, I watch a lot of American channeks in TH-cam who do it.
I must say unfortunately since 2016 a lot of those channels have been political and paranoid to the point of being unhinged and I am so thankful you have not taken that route!
You also don't do stupid paranoid click bait thumbnails which I hate, which a certain Canadian does so he can sell stuff to the uninformed.
Thank you for staying true to your original intent of the channel, I know channels evolve but you're going in a great direction and not grifting from viewers which I respect.
Thanks so much!
One thing about newspaper is that it absorbs moisture. This can be a bad thing, as when it gets soggy it will no longer insulate. But it can also work to your advantage.
If you change the paper inside your boots, especially rubber boots that don’t breathe at all, you can keep your woollen socks dry troughout a whole day of walking when without the paper condensation could get your feet wet and frozen.
I’ve used this trick sometimes when hiking in very wet snow wearing rubber boots.
Great tip!
As a youngster and many, many years after I'd dream about hopping trains and riding the rails around the country. Seeing the countryside, camping out here and there, working where I could and then moving on. Was a wonderful dream!!! Back when I was a child boxcars we're typically opened and unlocked and once in a while you'd see someone stowing away in one as the train passed by. Things are much different now but I've been blessed to live in the country alongside a rr track who's only train is an old steam engine that runs a short trip for tourists.
Do you suppose anyone on that train line would be willing to let me film with the steam engine?
@@WayPointSurvival come to think of it, wasn't too long ago the train was loaded up with folks in mountain man garb and long rifles and for some reason, right by my place they stopped and most of the people jumped off the train hooting and hollering and were running around in the big neighboring field. Idk if they were filming or just reenacting for fun but it was pretty neat to see. The tracks run the border of my place so I always have a front row seat!!
There's a steam locomotive that runs from Neuvo Laredo to Mexico city, costs less than 50 for a private sleeper round trip. Runs through mountains and around volcanos. Nice adventures @@WayPointSurvival
That made me think of the books "The Boxcar Children"...and now I have to find some of them. Thanks!
Thank you for this video. Fascinating information.
When I was a little boy ( I am soon 72.), hoboes would sometimes come through town seeking work. Often, a hobo would be given some pay in exchange for some chore. (There were many more rail lines in this area then than now, including some passenger lines. Hoboes nowadays are unknown in these parts. I have not seen one since my childhood.)
He carried his belongings in a folded-up cloth made from what looked like a tan bedsheet. (I wonder now if it had perhaps been treated with linseed oil and/or beeswax, or if it was just patinaed by the grime of ten thousand miles.) This he tied to a frame made of sticks tied together with roots.
I have often wondered what happened to him. He seemed like a nice fellow.
That's very cool! It would have been neat to hear his story! Was the frame a type of backpack?
@@WayPointSurvival most likely.
That hobo would not recognize
today's backpack.
I think a rucksack with shoulder straps, fastened to a wooden frame,
might be what he was describing.
Timeframe was likely early 1960's.
There were still vagabonds who
hopped the trains around
my hometown until about 1970.
That was really interesting! Thanks for keeping this history alive.
You're welcome!
This is literally one of my favorite channels it makes me think about my grandfather who was an African American world war II combat veteran stationed in Italy.
Awesome! Great family history!
Remember that many _homes_ were still heated with wood or coal stoves. Heck, even businesses had limited methods unless in a large industrial or commercial complex. Warm clothing was commonplace in the wintertime, even indoors.
Absolutely true!
My grand father rode the rails looking for work he only bought wool clothing and work boots he said a simple news paper was one of the best things . Cardboard, tarps and line
Indeed!
Your hobo series never disappoints
Thanks!
I worked at a shipyard and ice rink most of my life, semi retired now. Many of these ideas to stay warm I used often, good stuff
Thanks!
My grandfather was born in 1899 in Western NC. He used to run shine and got into a physical altercation with the sheriff and knocked him unconscious. My papaw thought he killed him and since they were by the rails, he jumped on a train and rode north to Detroit. He hooked around, reportedly, until he found some work in the Detroit area. A few years later, he got word that the sheriff was alive and well and he came home. He died in the 60s so I never got to know him but, Lordy, I wish I could've gotten to know him. He was a shine runner, lumber mill owner, ended a Civil War family feud, ginseng hunter, and good Ole mountain boy by all accounts. He lived through these times you bring to life.
That's absolutely fascinating! I would love to sit down by a fire and chat with him.
4:26 Wool overcoats, absolutely. It cannot be overstated how much that will do to keep you warm.
A well made video, sir 🍷
Thank you very much!
The Dutch village where I am from, BRKLN, lived a wealthy man named Dudok de Wit. He traveled on foot from the Netherlands to the Dutch East Indies (Dutch colony). He also traveled on foot in your country.
Very interesting!
Always a great video. You're spot on about wool. I tell my freezing friends about it, but most people are about style and trends. I'm about staying comfortably warm.
Indeed. Wool is an awesome product for the outdoors!
Thanks so much for sharing your videos with us! You shed so much light on a lot of history that has been lost, and it’s a great service you are doing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I truly enjoy your hobo series James!! Thank you for sharing more amazing content with us my friend, and God bless!!
Thank you so very much and may God bless you as well, my friend!
My grandfather on my fathers side road the rails and survived Montana, Minnesota and Wisconsin winters. My grandparents and great grandparents are from Finland, the land of Sisu. It is a natural born thinking for us to survive.
Yes, those folks knew a thing or two about how to make it through cold weather events!
Keep the series going. Information like this will likely be useful to a lot of people in the near future….
Thanks, will do!
Great video James, I agree with the comment on how newspaper was used as a insulation, riding a motorcycle in the winter I had newspapers under my coat to keep my chest warm.
Absolutely!
I live in San Antonio, TX, and I worked at a large hospital here. Every winter, some poor soul would be found "down" when the weather got cold. They usually died.
Now, every winter I pray for the poor people living on the street. It still makes me sad knowing that people live, or die, alone and cold. God bless and help them.
Indeed.
Looks like God would help them out?
First things first you cut a fine winter hobo style,I wear a bowler hat and have a long black coat ,so we would look very cool together, also on being made homeless in two weeks and the uk isn't very warm this time of year, your teachings will bode me well, bless you James bender
Thanks so much and stay safe out there!
I need all the tips I can get. I gotta go work out in the cold this week😂
@InhumanCondition-gh2qj thanks
Understood! The newspaper tip is valid and valuable to know!
Layers of soft foam sheeting that come with electronics to protect them from impact work real well for insulation in clothing and bedding (sleeping bags)
Hot water bottle tucked in bed with you works good in the winter time also
Good one. Staying warm is about your mindset also. Experience is key. As a bird hunter, I can say I've developed a clothing pattern/regime that suits walking behind a bird dog for miles in the cold. Wear things you can remove on the go. I've made countless wrist/arm gaiters from old sock, cut at the ankle. Worn in the early park of our walk, taken off as I become hot(yes you do, following a dog, its constant.) I also wear a neckerchief that can be removed. Walking, NO long underwear. Too hot and perspiration inducing. Wool socks are also paramount, as they remain warm when boots are soaked. My bird vest is several sizes larger than normal to accommodate clothing underneath. The game bag is a ready storage area for food and a thermos, if we drift far from the truck, which is always. Hope's this diatribe helps someone out there. Waypoint is an excellent channel. Thank you for your content.
Thanks so much for watching and for the kind words!
My great uncle was a hobo for 2 decades 20's and 30's he spent his winters with two widow ladies in Iowa. He said it was very warm. Well at least according to him.😊
Thanks for watching.
It's 12 degrees & 8 in. of snow ln Nashville Tn.
Awesome! I feel like I need to move South to get more snow!
Thanks so much for referencing the book you sourced it from. I'm really hooked on your hobo videos, and it really lit a fire under me to read more into it. It gives me something to chew on between your videos, and it adds so much validity and substance to your content. An American Hobo in Europe is now in my shopping cart.
Awesome! Thank you!
My uncle was a Hippie during the sixties. He would hitchhike and hop trains across the United States. He got caught in a snowstorm while hoppping a train. They almost froze to death he said. They lived, but quit hopping trains in bad weather.
Yes, there are many stories of folks weather in bad weather and making up their mind to never do that again!
My military wool scarf is an important part of my gear. In central FL and my scarf keeps me warm enough so I don’t need a jacket most winter evenings 🎉
They are indeed useful!
I really enjoy your entire Hobo series, a lot of history and a lot of practical and useful travel and survival information and tips that anybody could use.
Thanks for your great videos !
Awesome, thank you!
I have a wool field blanket that has been washed and treated. It's survived all these years. Keeps you warm and toasty!
Excellent!
Hope everyone is having a great year!
Indeed!
Having a great year on a hobo show lol
Love the Hobo stuff. Practical ways that could come in handy.
Indeed!
I've been waiting on this one for a while now
Thanks so much and I'm glad that you liked the video!
I really really enjoy this old hobo content. Ive learned so much from your videos. Thanks so much
You're very welcome!
I was thinking of changing my look. I think you made up my mind 😁
Go for it!
The defined heel on the boots are important then, as now, when mounting a stirrup on a moving freight car. It keeps the possibly slick boot sole from sliding through the stirrup.
True!
Very interesting history & survival information as always! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks James, you're looking sharp. It's obvious that you're enjoying making this series as much as we are watching it.
Indeed!
Really enjoying learning about the hobos. Keep them coming!
Thanks, will do!
James you are looking rather dapper in this one!!! Thank you for all the hard work you put in to educate and to entertain us!! As always...take care...Robin
Thank you so much, my friend!
Nice history lesson. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed it!
Timely video with the current weather conditions. This is my 3rd winter living in a wall tent in the North Idaho panhandle, and I can tell you, minus 20f , even with a wood stove ain't no joke. Good thing I have plenty of wool.
Indeed. Stay warm!
I'm not a hobo, but I am a huge fan of suspenders. Once I discovered how comfortable and functional they are, I never wore a belt again.
They are very helpful!
Looking rather dapper my friend! Love the history of it all. Thanks James...but stay warm out there! Take care...Robin
Thanks, you too!
Dangit, this going to hurt.
My grandad, Henry Clay McGuire, a little Irishman born in Missouri a carpenter by trade but also a farmer, just like everyone was. He was red headed and he had eyes so blue and clear they looked like chips of ice, even when he was 90. He was a deep thinker, even if he didn't understand the modern world around him. He said the first time he drove a car he was hauling but down main street pulling on that steering wheel screaming "WHOA thar! WHOA!" and he kept pulling and kept a whoain' all the way into the side of the bank building at the end of the street. Well, in his words he 'hoboed out to California from Oklahoma during the depression' but Okies also had the added incentive of the Dust Bowl. Henry Clay had 11 brothers, his mother and father, his wife and he had 4 new babies of his own to provide for. So he was off to California on his own to work the timber patch and the saw mills. In Oklahoma The Dust Bowl destroyed farm land, jobs, and lives. He rode the train as much as possible. He said he'd get atop a particular type of train car that had two rails running down the middle of the roof like a sidewalk what stood up on perches a few inches above the roof. He'd get that car because he could lay down, undo his pants belt and string it through the roof rails and in that way he'd be tied to the train and wouldn't get flung off if he fell asleep. He'd hop off and most towns were usually put off the tracks by about a mile or so. Something I didn't know was a thing considering today they seem to get train tracks tangled up in stoplights, power lines, and highways right in the middle of town. He'd walk to the town and buy a whole loaf of bread and however many eggs he had pockets for. Most stops he'd just buy raw eggs and eat them that way with a few pieces of bread. I doubt it was sliced. He'd wrap the bread in a gunnysack and wrap that around his belt and minding his eggs he'd lace his belt to the train for the next leg of his trek. He went to out to Northern California where he became a skilled lumberjack. He sent money home to Oklahoma and many years later he returned to Oklahoma to continue having a family, farming larger and larger parcels, and building most of the houses in Crescent Oklahoma...and most are still there. He also had a moonshine still in the side of a cliff down by the Cimarron River. Also one of his 11 brothers robbed a bank, Guthrie I think, and was shot down by a drunken posse. Henry's son followed in his footsteps farming except he had a more curious nature. He built his own glider back in the 50s or 60s, long before the had gliders for regular folks. The newspaper even came out for his test flight... and THAT is why there is an odd B&W photo of my uncle seemingly falling out of a clear blue sky, for no good reason. No glider to be seen or barn to jump off of, just him falling out the sky into a field of wheat. He had 'got skeered when it actually worked' and he jumped out. Broke a leg but back to farmin'. That's the McGuires of Logan County, Oklahoma (my mothers side). Now the story of the Chickasaw, McClure family of Logan County (My fathers side) is a lot less wholesome and much more rough and tumble. Some of their story was supposed to be in that book "Killers of the Flower Moon ' but I'm not sure what part exactly. California or BUST!
Wow, that's very interesting! Thanks so much for sharing the history!
James, this is my favourite channel recently! The content itself is great, but what really makes it for me is your attitude. Your excitement for the subject matter and positive demeanour leaves me with a smile every time I watch a video. Thanks for all you do - and hello from Canada!
Thanks so very much and stay warm up there!
Somehow you keep coming up with aspects of American life that most people would never know about if you weren't doing this......i personally I'm great full
You're welcome!
I've recently become homeless but still have a months work left. Illinois is getting cold and you reminded me to look into woll cloths. I haven't thought of a vest though so I appreciate the pro tips.
You're very welcome and be safe out there!
I'm becoming fond of your channel! It helps put things in perspective when I feel life is rough. Subscribed!
Thanks so much for the kind words and welcome aboard!
Great video as always. Perfect timing on this one, hobo Shoestring has been making a new video.
Stopped riding in 71 it’s not what it used to be.
Yes, so much has changed and most of those who are called hobos today are actually mostly Tramps and bumps. There are only a few that are still holding on to the old ways. Thanks for watching!
Good stuff! For younger folks, the 1907 excerpt used the term "make our toilet", referring to personal hygiene needs not specifically including bodily waste elimination -- as proximity to a water source is definitely not suggested for those needs!
Absolutely!
I keep telling everyone to get a trenchcoat/overcoat from a military surplus store. I've been wearing them since the 90s, my family jokes and say I look like a school shooter but I constantly get compliments on the street about them. They're really warm and keep you dry and double as a blanket at night. Thanks for the video
Thanks for watching!
I love your videos. I dream of being a hobo for a few months. I am retired now and am looking for adventure. You inspire me. I loved your pioneer series! Keep up the good work!
Thanks, will do!
❤ This hobo series is fascinating. Europe loves you x 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thanks so much!
As a kid, my friend’s mother used to tell tales of living in a tiny town where the train would stop daily. Often there would be a hobo or two jump off the train. They often would knock on doors, seeking small jobs, or handy man tasks exchange for food, clothing, or money. This was normal and even welcome as husbands were mostly farmers already busy out in their fields and not available to assist their family during the day. Her mom enjoyed, defeating them a hot meal for their work.
Yes, they were responsible for getting a lot of work done all across the country.
Just a random thought here James. I can remember my parents using an ex-army greatcoat as an emergency blanket well into the 1960s.
Very interesting! I can easily see why that would work well.
Hi, Thankyou for uploading this episode, I have been on the road on&off for a long time now, that overcoat looks like it will take a lot of grief from the weather, extremely useful as secondary sleeping system, peace love and respect, J X
Thanks so much for watching and please be safe out there!