BRITT, Iowa  8/14/2000 -- They tapped their walking sticks and brushed their fingertips along the tops the headstones that marked the simple graves of their brethren, men like Mountain Dew, Lord Open Road and Hobo Herb Schaber, a wire service reports. 

While a flutist played "The Wayfaring Stranger," the procession of 75 hobos and family members bowed their heads and walked silently in respect to a generation of migrant workers, men and women who shared a passion for freedom and the open railroad. 

"Part of your spirit, part of your love will go through the walking stick and into the people who are buried here," said Texas Madman, who led the graveside memorial service. 

About 150 people, many dressed in denim and burlap, gathered at the sun-splashed Evergreen Cemetery Friday, marking a somber moment during the 100th National Hobo Convention in this north-central Iowa town of 2,200. 

While many Americans associate hobos with the long-gone days of the Great Depression, hobos and townspeople alike are hoping to keep the history of the transient workers alive. 

About 20,000 tourists are expected to descend upon the town this weekend for carnival rides, tastes of Mulligan Stew and the coronation of this year's Hobo King and Queen. 

"This is such a timepiece of Americana," said Rick Palieri, a musician from Hinesburg, Vt. "This kind of thing is disappearing so quickly."

The festival came to this small town along U.S. Highway 18 in 1900 when three Chicago hobos sought a small town to hold the annual gathering of Tourist Union No. 63, better known as the Hobo Convention. 

While the town has provided a stronger police presence in recent years, community members said they have welcomed the hobos and tourists with open arms. 

Crimson banners depicting a friendly hobo carrying a bindle stick decorate Main Avenue while The Hobo Museum and Gift Shop features a collection of photographs and a replica of a "Hobo Jungle" shack. Many residents also work with the Hobo Memorial Foundation, a charitable group dedicated to preserving the history of the hobo. 

Today's generation of transients - many who take extended railroad trips during the summer months or mirror the lifestyle in vans or RVs - concede that a reduced dependency on manual labor and an increase in danger along the railways have made the lifestyle less appealing. 

In addition, with more than 95 percent of the nation fully employed, they say the wanderlust of the post-Depression era may be over. 

"We're a long way off from the cartoon tramp," said Captain Cloud, a Tennessee worker who carries on his shoulder a 3-year-old iguana named Mojo. "There's a lot of us out here that's trying to maintain a piece of America." 

Errol Lincoln Uys, author of "Riding the Rails," a collection of letters about teen-aged hobos during the Great Depression, said as many as 250,000 teen-agers and 4 million adults turned to a life of migrant labor along the railways between 1929 and the start of World War I. 

Uys said the current generation frequently mistakes hobos for homeless. Historians believe the term "hobo" came from "hoe boy," a term for a traveling laborer who would work in rural settings for weeks at a time before jumping a freight train for the next locale. 

"You have to ask yourself, in today's context, in the suburbs, how many people, if a hobo comes down the driveway and knocks on the door, would not reach for the telephone and not dial 911?" Uys said. 

But others insist the torch will be passed to a generation of thrill-seekers and freedom addicts who wish to make the road their home without the restrictions of a 9-to-5 job. 

"It's something that's going to endure and it's going to endure in another form," said Chris Smith, a University of Chicago graduate student researching migratory workers and the nation's tradition of hobos. 

Not all hobos are represented in Britt. Buzz Potter, president of the National Hobo Association, said many of his members decided not to attend the event because they resented the police presence and the tourist atmosphere. 

But many of the hobos in attendance said they planned to continue to visit Iowa each August for the convention - and eventually find their eternal reward. 

"I'm all set," said Red Bird, a Pennsburg, Pa., truck driver, pointing to the blank marble grave stone at the Evergreen Cemetery. "All I have to do is die now."

August 14, 2000 bentley@ble.org

-- Part of Americana? - the rail-riding hobos

Authorities watch those who portray themselves as part of Americana - the rail-riding hobos by Jason George from the Des Moines Register Britt, Ia. - Nomads from across the country began rolling into Britt on Friday for this weekend's 100th National Hobo Convention.

The annual event celebrates one town's fascination with the vagabonds who ride the nation's rails.

But a retired police officer 1,500 miles away is looking past the story-telling, carnival rides, mulligan stew, and the crowning of hobo royalty that will highlight the weekend.

Bob Grandinetti of Spokane, Wash., says some of Britt's weekend visitors might not be ideal guests.

The murder of a 12-year-old girl in Spokane more than a decade ago began Grandinetti's obsession with a somewhat mythical group called the Freight Train Riders Association.

Grandinetti was assigned to the murder case. He blamed the shadowy train-jumpers who crisscross the country, never staying long in one place.

After his retirement, the unsolved crime became Grandinetti's passion. He said informants with ties to the gang have helped him track members' whereabouts.

"I spent 15 to 20 years following these transients," he said. And he says he's tracked the Freight Train Riders Association to Britt for this year's convention.

"They come to Britt every year," Grandinetti said. "And they always run one of their people for king or queen."

Organizers expect 15,000 people in Britt by tonight. Many will have names such as Frisco Jack, Luther the Jet, Liberty Justice and Frog.

Most of the visitors are expected to arrive by conventional means, although a large group of transients will arrive in boxcars and camp in the Hobo Jungle, a two-block area of town set aside for conventioneers.

Although some people doubt the existence of an organized hobo fraternity, railroad and government officials say Grandinetti's information on hobo crime is accurate and reliable.

Britt Police Chief Blake Dietrich remembers being told to look for members of the group two or three years ago. None was spotted. This year, Dietrich and the two other Britt police officers will be getting a helping hand from Forest City police and the Hancock and Kossuth county sheriff's departments.

"Starting Monday, we've had the extra officers out," he said.

Festival organizers say they try to focus on the history of legendary hobos who rode the rails in the 1920s. They shy from advocating the lifestyle or endorsing the hobos' favored means of transportation.

About 80 registered rail-riders and an unknown number of unregistered riders will be in Britt, population 2,200, until Monday. They'll leave by the same method they arrived.

"We do not recommend (train-hopping) as a mode of transportation," said Lisa Christianson, executive director of the Britt Chamber of Commerce.

Tom White of the Association of American Railroads says Britt might be better off looking for an alternative to the popular convention, which has single-handedly put the Hancock County town on the map.

"It's the sort of thing that you don't want to encourage. By having an event like this it seems to be glamorizing something illegal," he said.

White, whose organization represents all the major freight companies and Amtrak, said he has heard of the Freight Train Riders Association and how "they've apparently been tied to some serious crimes," but he isn't sure if it exists.

Whether the gang is real or urban legend, there is no debate that crimes are committed by some who proclaim to be hobos, he said.

Train-hopping is against the law, said Warren Flatau, spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration. "And hobos are professional trespassers."

Flatau added that Iowa has strong laws against trespassing on railroad property, being the only state to enact legislation suggested by the federal government in 1997.

Union Pacific Railroad officials say tough laws in Iowa are good news. Spokesman Mark Davis said the company runs more than 70 trains on 1,700 miles of track in the state.

Union Pacific officials say they pulled almost 47,000 trespassers off trains last year. The result was delays and damaged equipment.

-- Riders of the Rails  by Holly Dohrn We have all been stopped at a railroad crossing watching a passing train. The hobo is a somewhat common sight riding along in an open boxcar. Have you ever stopped to wonder, where he is from, where he is going, and what made him choose this way of life? Well, there are many reasons why. Hobos have been around since the Civil War. Back then, they were called Hoe boys--men who carried a hoe or a shovel around from town to town in search of farm work. In the past the hobo population has been sort of an economic indicator. Their numbers would increase during a crisis. 

Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, was the start of the Great Depression. This brought on the Golden Age of the American hobo. During the Depression, many Americans headed westward if they had a car and a few dollars in their pockets. However, those who had nothing had only one choice--a free but illegal way to travel--freight hopping. Back then they were called gentlemen of the road. Many hobos showed signs of having once been white-collar workers. They wore jackets, vests and Florsheim shoes. During the Depression, it is believed that as many as one and a half million hobos were riding the rails. 

They had a culture all their own and a code of honor that had been handed down for generations. They werent bums; bums begged and hobos worked. In order to find work or a meal, they would look for distinctive signs left by other hobos. 

A hobo is a man who will work when he can get it, at a decent wage, but insists upon the right to beat his way from town to town to better his condition... men of char, not yeggs, crooks or bums.  Jeff Davis, King of the Hobos, 1913 

Of course, things change with time and there have been significant changes in the definition of a modern-day hobo. For starters, they are no longer called hobos. They refer to themselves as tramps. There are a few who still live like the old-time hobos, working when they get the chance, proud that they arent beggars. However, the majority of todays tramps dont even bother to look for work. They collect food stamps; some even collect them in more than one state with fake IDs. A tramp who doesnt drink can double his money by buying food stamps for fifty cents on the dollar from another tramp who would prefer to have cash to buy booze. They also manage to get a hot meal from missions (soup kitchens); however, a mission will only feed them for so long. After they have outstayed their welcome at a mission, they simply move on to the next one.

That is the life of hobos, freedom, freedom to do as they please. They neednt worry about things such as bills, permits and licenses. They do, however, need to look out for the bull, because they can be given a ticket. If they dont pay the fine, they can be thrown in jail for a few days. But hey, whats wrong with that? The tramp will be given hot meals and a warm place to sleep for a few days.

But not all hobos are like this, there are many different types of people who hop trains. Some are the poor, homeless, migrant workers or immigrants. They hop trains to get from one place to another because they have little or no money and its a free mode of transportation. The rest of the train hoppers, hobos, and tramps are the adventurers. They ride the rails just for the thrill of it, though Im sure there are many people who would call them crazy. My father happens to be one of these adventurers. 

It all started about two years ago. My father told us that he had always wanted to hop a train and that before he died he would. He couldnt find anyone his own age foolish enough to go with him so he decided to take my boyfriend. They rode from Dunsmuir to Klamath Falls. My mother, sister and I thought OK, now Dad has gone on his ride and thats the end of that. Boy, were we wrong, it was only the beginning. After that first ride, he was hooked. He said, Ive come to the conclusion that for me, freight hopping is more than a hobby, its a grand passion and a way of life I cant let go. My bag is always packed and when my bones tell me to go, I find myself waiting for a train. 

After that first ride, my father began riding almost every weekend. He even went and bought himself a scanner, which he tuned to the railroad frequencies. This allowed him to hear all communication between trains and the dispatchers. This way he would know if there was a train coming, where it was headed, and where it was stopping. All he had to hear was that a train was doing work at Black Butte and he would take off from the house. 

On his trips out to Black Butte he met and  talked with several tramps. Some of the tramp's he met were Canada, Modoc, Arkansas, Dallas, Carlos, Pothead, Ron, Jim, James, Bob and North Bank Fred. One of the things he found out about the tramps was the fact that they always share anything they have with another tramp in need. When he commented on this, a tramp told him If we dont look out for one another who will? On one of my fathers outings, a tramp named James came out of the brush and asked him if he had anything to eat. James said he was starving to death.

My dad had just finished eating his lunch and the only thing he had left was a granola bar. He gave it to James and apologized because he didnt have more to offer him. James replied That doesnt matter, you gave me all you had, thats what its all about. He watched as James walked back towards the train. There were two Mexicans sitting in the open boxcar that James was approaching. Before taking a bite, he extended the bar to his companions and not until after the two had both refused did he eat the granola bar. 

Another example of a tramps kindness was when my dad met a man named Jim. Jim asked my father if there was somewhere near where he could get some food. My dad peered into the boxcar they were standing next to, and saw four young Mexicans who were probably in their teens (tramps call them rainbow riders because they are runaways). Dad then turned to Jim and told him there was a Burger King about a mile down the road and that he would be glad to give him a ride. When they got to Burger King, Jim opened his wallet and a lone $10 bill was all that lay inside. He pulled it out and with a smile said, Get ten of the 99 cent burgers for my friends. My dad knew that Jim was headed for Klamath Falls and that he would now be broke when he got there so Dad pulled out a five and said he would split the cost. Jim replied You are a man with a big heart! 

Jim had only met the four runaways that morning, yet he was willing to spend the last of his money to buy them some food. Jim explained his actions by saying Well , the kids are hungry and like the baby birds, someone has to put something in their mouth. When they returned to the train, Jim motioned for my father to stop. He ran up to a boxcar and offered a hamburger to an older sick tramp who refused saying Give it to the kids back there, they are hungry. Jim then walked back to the runaways boxcar and quickly divided the burgers amongst his hungry friends. 

Although these hobos and tramps have been around nearly as long as the rails they ride, their numbers are decreasing. There are several factors that have led to this. Changes have been made in the food stamp program that only allows tramps to collect for a limited time. The railroad has become more determined to rid the rails of tramps due to liability cases where tramps have sued the railroad. Many of the newer cars being made dont have any place for a tramp to ride. Some rail yards have even installed infra-red sensors to detect a tramps body heat and all riders caught are cited for trespassing Though I'm sure the railroad just thinks of these tramps as a nuisance, they are part of our American history. I wouldn't want to spend my life on the rails, but I can understand why my dad enjoys it so much. I went on a short ride with him. It was only from Black Butte to Dunsmuir. However, it was long enough to get a taste of what it's like. I enjoyed it very much - the sights, the sounds and partly the thought that I was doing something that I wasn't supposed to be doing. I think that's one of the reasons my father likes it so much, that and the fact that you can see some of the most beautiful scenery in the world through the open doors of a box car.

Hobo Terminology Bindle stiff - a hobo who carries a bundle, usually containing shirts, socks, razor, etc.  Bull - railroad security person.  Catch out - to hop or jump on a freight train.  Crumbs - lice.  Hotshot - a train with high priority over other traffic.  Piggyback - a flat train car that holds trucks or containers.  Power - the engines powering the train.  Reefer - refrigerated box car.  Snake - railroad switchman.  Streamlined - traveling with little gear.  Work - when a train has to either pick up or set out cars on a siding, the train has work to do.  Yeggs - criminals, burglars.  This is a poem written by some unknown traveler; it was left written on the water tank at the Black Butte siding.

I'm sittin Drinkin Waitin  Thinkin  Hopin for a train It'd sure be great And not too late  If one came down the main