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KaBar

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ahh, a soup kitchen kid...:rolleyes:

 

im more of a dumpster kinda dude. or i just rack some food. i dont like asking for help unless i HAVE to.

but

when youre hungry youre hungry. and food is food.

ive definitely been to a church or 2 and had some grub.

seattle was the best. under whatever bridge it was downtown. fuuuuck. enough food for like 4 people on 1 plate. foodduuude.

 

 

ps. FUCK that mission in el paso by the tracks. worst food ever. fucking disgusting. unless you like almost shitting your pants a couple hours later.

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In general, I do not frequent missions unless I am really hungry. I have gotten the shits a couple of times from mission chow halls. I only had lice twice in my life, once in the Marine Corps on board ship (some idiot brought them back from liberty, probably caught them from a hooker, then everybody in the troop space got them because we were living so close together) and once in a mission. After that unpleasant experience I said "No more missions for me."

 

However, Stretch and I ate at a soup kitchen in Mason City, Iowa a couple of times and the food was good. But as a general rule, "No thanks."

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I've stayed in a couple (read several) missions and never got anything so I guess I was just lucky. If I had early on, I am sure I would have said the same thing. But you were out there on a totally different level than I was. Independent, Military training, war vet, anarchist, etc.

 

Out there today, I might eat at a mission if I HAD to but would not even consider signing into one.

 

When I roll into a new town, keep in mind I've done more of my traveling by hitching than hopping, I find the soup kitchen, usually located not far from the downtown library until I get my bearings. It never hurts to know where to get a guaranteed meal.

 

Medford Gospel Mission, Medford Oregon hooked me up with steak and potatoes better than many diners I've been to. Peoria, IL you can get 4 good meals a day if you have no desire to break the bum circle. They serve a purpose and can be a life saver.

 

2 Days in any town I've never been in and if they were serving 50 dollar bills on every tray, I wouldn't know.

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been a while since i been on here. im in michigan now just got done with my 5 month east coast travels, headed outta here in a few and then making my way west before heading to alaska in september. just kinda running around the midwest until the flooding stops and the highline reopens. hopefully soon...

oops...

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i hear ya xen not going to sleep in a mission FUCK THAT but i'll eat that food.....so tired of dry ramon and oatmeal.bout to be home in a couple weeks to start school but i wouldn't trade any of the things i learn out here and thanks for all the help along the way IN ST.LOU headed bac to cincy now thank god for da pubic library's this is wat i want my taxes to go to when i start paying then

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A wrestler from the 90's?

 

I jumped off a train outside Chatanooga because it was heading into the TVA power plant. Hiking up the tracks, an engineer threw me and my buddy a bottle of water. I've probably had better water but I'll be damned if I can remember when. That was just this side of freezing and, well, god bless that crew for looking out. About 3 miles up the tracks, a train stopped for no damned reason that I can figure. I like to think they stopped so we could jump on. Probably had a legit reason but I choose to think different.

 

Otherwise, hot water has to do.

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I've had train crews help me out quite a few times, throw us blue plastic bottles of water, stuff like that. Once in Beaumont, TX a NS crew gave us a ride on a grainer up to where our train was waiting, up the tracks a ways. The train crew said "100 cars up." It was more like three-quarters of a mile. The ride up was maybe ten minutes or less, a taxi service practically. Graincar and I rode, but Stretch was feeling ornery and decided to walk it. Then George and I were like "Where the hell is he?" We were worried the train was going to pull and we'd have to get off if Stretch didn't show up in time. He finally arrived all out of breath, but we made the bell.

 

Another time, up in Mason City, Iowa, after a National Hobo Convention a UP pusher gave me his gloves. I was helping the crumb boss cook that year. I had loaned my gloves to a tramp who seemed to be around all the time, so he could handle hot pots in the field kitchen, and then the fucker disappeared with my gloves! I appreciated the UP hogger's gift, because I was heading back to Texas and I didn't want to do it without any gloves. Nice guy. They get them for free anyway. There's a free vending machine in the yard shack with stuff they might need--earplugs, safety goggles, batteries, etc.

 

That guy who kiped my gloves kept calling me "Bro." You guys know what "bro" stands for doncha? "Bend Right Over." That's the last time I loaned anybody any of my gear. No gloves? Tough shit. Better you than me.

 

 

As far as chow goes, get the biggest metal Thermos you can find. Put a cup or a cup-and-a-half of dried beans, like pintos or red beans or white Navy beans, in the Thermos and fill it about 4/5 full of boiling water. Add salt, maybe some Tabasco, then screw on the cap good and stash it in your pack. Eight hours later you got cooked beans in broth. Hot, too.

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I talked to Stretch yesterday. He was up at Mason City, Iowa waiting to hitch into Britt for the 2011 National Hobo Convention.

 

They have already had one death. A tramp named "Railroad Randy" was somehow killed while riding a bicycle. They didn't explain if it was a traffic accident or what.

 

It's HOT up there this year. Real hot.

 

There will be at least three burials this year: Road Hog U.S.A., Fry Pan Jack and Iowa Blackie. King Tuck is pouring concrete headstones.

 

I can't go--looking for work again, and I think I've got a good job on the line.

 

K-Bar, sweating in Houston

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National Hobo Convention

August 11-14, 2011

Britt, Iowa

Free camping, carnival, Frisco Circle field kitchen (the city no longer provides any monetary support) serves breakfast and supper, no drugs, no firearms or fireworks, no alcohol in the jungle, no dogs. Britt has several good bars where tramps are welcome (especially the Hob Nob on the main drag) and with the owner's permission you can drink on private property. Every year Britt gets about 25,000 visitors during Hobo Days. It is an important source of income for the town. Fights, drunken stupidity, graffitti in town, public urination, hassling tourists or drugs of any kind will land you straight in the jail at Mason City. Streaking the Boxcar is okay as long as you don't go dirt-dumb crazy. The town brings in law enforcement from all over creation, local county cops, city cops and tons of RR bulls (there will be 25,000 tourists in town, remember?). The cops leave us alone as long as nobody does anything stupid in front of a bunch of tourists and brings down the heat. The Police Chief is an okay guy. He doesn't want to have to arrest anybody, it spoils the party.

 

 

 

 

 

Historic Pullman Hobo Fest

11141 S. Forrestville Ave. (111th & Cottage Grove) - Chicago, Illinois

 

Sat./Sun. - August 27-28, 2011

2pm till dusk

 

Arrivals on Saturday

Block party- 113th & Champlain Ave.

Free, safe Overnight Camping available on Saturday night

Fire circle; music, storytelling - bring your tent, snacks & refreshments

 

Sunday Line-up:

Strolling folk minstrels, storytellers, hobo crafts, samples of Mulligan stew, neighborhood tours

Hobo College recreated from 2-4pm at Hotel Florence - Interesting, lively, educational topics

Hobo & folk concert 3pm - ? (Bring a lawn chair or blanket)

Food available

 

Hosted in Co-Operation with the Pullman State Historic Site ( Ill. Historic Preservation Agency)

 

see web sites:

http://pullmanevent s.info/hobofest. html

 

http://www.pullman- museum.org

 

Tom Shepherd

773-370-3305

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whats up guys

 

just rode the rails toronto to kamaloops (in vancouver now) took 3 days i was with my buddy and he had a scanner he told me they were hella expensive (he paid $200) for his) its rare that i have money and im curious if theres a cheaper alternative or something else that i can use to pick up their frequencies

 

fuck i had a BUNCH of questions to ask you guys then as soon as i sit down at the library i get writers block

 

THANKS IN ADVANCE

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Email from Connecticut Shorty from the library in Britt, Monday, 8 AUG 2011:

 

All is going well in Britt. About 20 or so are in so far including Redbird, C'Mon Pat, Slim Tim, Harpin' Don and Diane Grubb, Hawk, Lady Hawk, Hobo Spike, Grandpa and M.A.D. Mary, Stretch, Oops, Medicine Man, Daisy Sue, Fast Freddy, Texas Hobo Mike (new this year), Wing Nut plus others.

 

Looks like good weather for the week, warm days and cool nights.

 

Good luck!

 

Shorty

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Michael Grant--

 

You don't want to buy a scanner that has less than 100 channels. I have one with 20 channels, but the problem is that there are 97 open-access railroad channels plus a bunch that are scrambled that we can't listen to easily.

 

Most bigger scanners (more frequencies, not physical size) start at 200 channels and have an automatic roaming feature. This is what you want. Program all 97 freaks into the scanner and set it on "auto scan." This way, anytime anybody within range keys up on any of the 97 channels you'll hear it. You don't need to know what freq the local dispatcher, yard goat, bull shack, etc. use. If they use any of the 97 easy-access channels, you'll know it because you'll hear their transmissions.

 

So if you roll into a yard and you want to know what's going on, just turn on your scanner and put the earpiece in your ear. It's not a good idea to listen to the scanner with it's external speaker on, because you can hear radio squawk and chatter a long way away. Spend the money for a headset or an earbud.

 

I carried my scanner in the front bib pocket of my dashboards when I was using a scanner a lot. I don't use one as much now as I used to.

 

Don't forget extra batteries, and DO NOT EVER LOAN A SCANNER TO ANYBODY ELSE.

 

A scanner is an expensive piece of gear. It is sad but true that some people riding the rails will act friendly, ask you for a loan or some help, but then rip you off. Listening to a scanner with strangers (unless you are one big tough guy) is tantamount to flashing $200 cash around like an idiot.

 

Him: "Hey, nice scanner. Can I see it for a minute?"

 

You, later: "Can I get my scanner back?"

 

Him: "What scanner? You mean my scanner?"

 

 

He's counting on you thinking that a $200 scanner is not worth fighting over. And in my case, he'd be right. A $200 scanner is not worth fighting about. However, not letting some arrogant motherfucker try to hog me is worth killing his ass.

 

Keep your money in your shoes, and your knife in your pocket.

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Re: More on Railroad Randy

 

Message from Annette Nelson of The FOCUS group in Minneapolis, about Railroad Randy.

 

I'm not sure who is running this years Hobo Convention, but I am hoping that this information can get to the right people.

 

It would be great if this story was in some way shared at the convention. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to let this story be heard.

 

 

 

Dear Friends and Supporters,

 

Yesterday I learned the very sad news that one of our regular guests at the Sunday FOCUS meals, known to us as Railroad Randy, was killed by a car while riding his bike. Randy was on his way from the Twin Cities, by bicycle, to attend the Hobo Convention in Britt Iowa (http://www.brittiow a.com/hobo/ events.htm). Randy lived the life of a bona fide hobo for many years and for months shared with us his plans to go to the upcoming event and run for Hobo King. On July 24th, his last dinner with us, we talked and he told me he was leaving that Tuesday morning to allow him enough time to get to Iowa, set up camp and begin campaigning before the convention commenced on August 12th. He was very excited that the time was finally here to make the trip and he had a fierce desire to be elected Hobo King, a title he would hold for the coming year.

 

This past winter Randy was especially proud of a photo display he was invited to mount at the Walker Public Library on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis, chronicling a brief history, really Randy's history, of life as a hobo for the past 30 years. I asked him if he would bring the display to the center for all to see and he agreed, though he was very protective of it and had to pick a good clear day as he rode over to the center with the display strapped to his bike. He was quite the character, with his long white beard and taste for bad jokes and silly puns. He rarely missed a Sunday with us because I think he was drawn to the fellowship and the connection he felt to our little village on Lake Street. I asked if I could take his picture the last time I saw him and he was happy to oblige.

 

The following link is to the news item in the St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper (http://www.twinciti es.com/ci_ 18594973? IADID=Search- www.twincities. com-www.twinciti es.com). A later news item reports he was hit by a drunk driver which is especially sad and ironic - Randy was an alcoholic for 30 years but was clean and sober now for another 15+. The newspaper lists his age as 60 though he told me he was 67. It doesn't matter. He was killed just north of Britt Iowa - he almost made it.

 

May his memory be eternal.

 

Thanks for listening to the story, in the event that it has not already gotten to you.

 

Annette Nelson

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