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Hobo Jungle Flyer
 

I shall foot it
Down the roadway in the dusk,
Where shapes of hunger wander
And the fugitives of pain go by.
I shall foot it
In the silence of the morning,
See the night slur into dawn,
Hear the slow great winds arise
Where tall trees flank the way
and shoulder toward the sky...

Carl Sandburg, Chicago Poems (1916)

 
 
Locomotive
 

Hobo's Lullaby

by Goebel Reeves

 

Go to sleep you weary hobo
Let the towns drift slowly by
Can't you hear the steel rail humming
That's a hobo's lullaby

Do not think about tomorrow
Let tomorrow come and go
Tonight you're in a nice warm boxcar
Safe from all the wind and snow

I know the police cause you trouble
They cause trouble everywhere
But when you die and go to heaven
You won't find no policemen there

I know your clothes are torn and ragged
And your hair is turning grey
Lift your head and smile at trouble
You'll find happiness some day

So go to sleep you weary hobo
Let the towns drift slowly by
Don't you feel the steel rail humming
That's a hobo's lullaby.

 

Hobo Jargon

benny - overcoat
bum - a vagrant drinker and conman
bumpers - narrow platforms between train cars
goat - a Catholic priest
hobo - those who rode the rails illegally and worked on farms or in the mines and cities.
hobo jungle - area near a railroad stop where hobos stay temporarily.
horstyle - hostile
jug - to arrest
knowledge box - school house
lump - a hand out of food
shack - railroad breakman
sit down - a meal where one is invited to sit down and eat.
scoff - to eat
tramp - a dreamer and wanderer
vag - vagrant, vagabond
-------------------------
source

 

Celebrate a slice of real Americana

Join the neighborhood of Pullman, a Chicago Historic District and national treasure, as we celebrate another true national treasure: the Hobo. Enjoy food, music, crafts, storytelling and more at this fun-filled event with something for the whole family! Click the video screen below for a preview (requires Adobe Shockwave)

ALSO: Please check out the Pullman Labor Day Celebration: http://laborday.pullmanevents.info

YouTube Video

SEPTEMBER 6-7, 2008

HISTORIC PULLMAN DISTRICT

CHICAGO - SOUTH SIDE


Mulligan Stew Flyer
The friendly Pullman community hosts a free welcoming dinner on Saturday evening prior to the Hobo Concert at historic Greenstone Church. Luther the Jet performs on the church's renowned Steere & Turner pipe organ. Hobo minstrels and Chicago talents share stories and song. Open camping available at our historic Hobo Jungle.

Throughout Saturday & Sunday, Hobo foklore is explored through exhibits, crafts, food, music and guided tours. On Sunday, a big barndance/squaredance is held and folk music, bluegrass, R & B, and country are mixed up in a funky mulligan stew(1). Take off your pack and kick up your heels or just kick back and relax for a musical extravaganza.

   
We'll be having a barndance at the old Pullman Stables with Acie & the Sunshine Band and callers Tiny and Irene. Click here to see a preview of the band.  
See the Attractions page for full schedule of events.  
For directions please click here.  
To brush up on some hobo history and enjoy some stories, music and video, see our Hobo History Page.  
To see some pictures of past Pullman Hobo Fests, please see: pics1 pics2  
To see the beautiful historic campsite for this year, see our Hobo Jungle.  
Information by phone: Tom at 773-370-3305 or Luther the Jet at 608-244-5493 or click here to contact us.  

Special thanks to Tony Dzik for photography.

 

 
Barndance Flyer
Greenstone Church, Pullman The Greenstone Church, historic site and venue for the Grand Hobo Concert.
Pullman Hobo Gathering, 2002 (photo courtesy of www.utahphillips.org) Hobo Concert 2001
 
  (1)mulligan stew: Said to have originated in hobo camps during the early 1900s, mulligan stew is a "community pot" prepared with any ingredients on hand (go back up here).  

More information on Pullman can be found by clicking on the banners below.

The Perfect Town - Pullman
Historic Pullman Foundation
City of Chicago
 

Pullman Car
   
     

Hobo Boxcar
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Design by Jacob Shepherd - Carbondale, IL -- 2008

Scrolling train gifs courtesy of David J. Cooley