Hobo Lore and Poetry

Books Published by The Hobo Press

Around the Jungle Fire I
Edited by Oats

Published in 1994 (44 pages), this collection of original hobo poetry captures the thrills and the heartaches of being a hobo. The hoboes themselves, and several of their friends, speak authentically and vividly through one of their favorite media--poetry. Here you will find unforgetable pictures of hobo life, moving expressions of the wanderlust in the hobo's heart, and musings on death. The selections include:

"One More Train to Ride" by Hobo Liberty Justice
"Catchin' Out for Freedom" by Guitar Whitey
"Forever Gone" by Harmonica Mike
"Hobo Jungle Blues" by Rambling Rudy
"The Silent Fog" by Semaphore Sal
"Rumbling Boxcar" by Iowa Blackie
"Sitting Around Our Little Fires" by Oklahoma Slim
"Fry Pan Jack On Catching the Westbound" by Gypsy Moon
"The Last Hobo" by Reefer Charlie

Also included is the drawing that a railroad yard worker who called himself Herby put on more than 70,000 boxcars over the course of 25 years, drawn by Herby for this book.

The cover drawing is by a former hobo, Dummond Mansfield.

"I am proud of these poems Oats has gathered together! People are rather dubious about hoboes writing poems. But hoboes lived close to nature, the river, and 'outback' places. They had time to contemplate, dream, and watch the sky at night. Consequently, many received the 'gift' of writing poetry." --Steamtrain Maury Graham, author of Tales of the Iron Road: My Life as King of the Hobos

Around the Jungle Fire II  -  SOLD OUT!
Edited by Oats

Published in 1997 (44 pages), this second collection of hobo poetry includes the following selections:

"Chillybone Express" by Captain Dingo
"A Woman On the Go" by Cinderbox Cindy
"A Hobo's Remembrance" by Luther the Jet
"Ain't No Bums" by Virgil
"Softly By Tracks" by Buzz Potter
"The Last Westbound" by The Texas Madman
"Early Morning Train" by Guitar Whitey
"Hobo's Lament" by Virginia Slim

"This remarkable collection of hobo poetry exemplifies the free-spirited independence shared by all hoboes. The fabulous imagery conceived by these creative train barnacles is testament to the hardships and delights of riding the rails. Each poem vividly recounts a unique facet of hobo life and ignites the urge to travel. The next best thing to holding down an empty is holding up a copy of Around the Jungle Fire II. It'll take you to the heart of hobo life faster than any hotshot freight!!" --Santa Fe Bo, Founder and Director of the National Hobo Association, Director of Compass In the Blood

Around the Jungle Fire III  -  SOLD OUT!
Edited by Oats

Published in 2000 (49 pages), this third book contains life stories of six current full-time American hoboes, told in their own words.

Frog: "I got itchy feet. What keeps me going is the wanderlust."
The Texas Madman: "I can't stand monotony. I have to have adventure."
New York Slim: "I found the only place that I ever fit is out here."
Brian: "Freight train hopping for me is about finding the last place to be free."
Dante Fuchwa: "There's nothing that I want to do more than riding."
New York Grizzly: "I have to keep moving."

"In this small, riveting book, six living American hoboes share their remarkable stories in interviews with Cliff Williams -- "Oats" to his hobo friends. With the full confidence of his subjects and a rare compassion for these free spirits, Williams lets "Frog," "The Texas Madman," and their compatriots speak in their own words, telling how they started riding freight trains, what keeps them on the road, and how they survive a life that can be brutal and demanding. These stories of struggle, pride, and honor cut through the myths and sensationalism surrounding the small band of genuine hoboes who still wander our land. Around the Jungle Fire III is a gem that will appeal to anyone who has ever looked at the horizon and wondered what lies beyond." - Errol Lincoln Uys, author of Riding the Rails: Teenagers on the Move During the Great Depression; Brazil.

CLOSEOUT SALE:   $1.00 each for Around the Jungle Fire I plus $1.00 postage.  Send $2.00 cash or $2.00 check.

Originally $3.50 each.

Write to: The Hobo Press, 1044 Linden Avenue, Deerfield, IL 60015
Make checks payable to Cliff Williams

One More Train to Ride: The Underground World of Modern American Hoboes

Oats,   aka Cliff Williams,   has been attending the National Hobo Convention in Britt,   Iowa,   since 1990.   He teaches at a college in northern Illinois.

E-Mail Oats at:

Links to other Hobo sites:

The Hobo Minstrel

This page was put together for Cliff Williams,   a.k.a. Oats,   on 9-2-97