Assignment Iowa Classics; 303; The Britt Hobo Festival

BBN person. Has sung. With Mary Jane. Tonight from. The national convention. Here is Mary Jane. Pennsylvania kid slowmotion sorority Mountain Dew steam train Morey. They sound like they should own CB radios or perhaps the running of the third race attacks are they actually they're an endangered species the hobo and they show up every August here in Britain for the National hobo convention. Now admittedly Iowa is not a hot spot in the country for a national con plays but in this case the conventioneers do not require elaborate facilities. Apparently the twenty five hundred people and Brits love it. They have hosted the party since nineteen hundred and though their guests are hobos they are their hobos. If a town like Brit is going to successfully attract hobos it's almost got to import

them. A genuine hobo tends to get a little edgy around this much. It's a stable clean and very homogenous town. The last major in migration occurred around the turn of the century when Czechoslovakia and carpenters came to town and built many of these beautiful homes. It is 22 miles west of fairly on Highway 8. And is in one of the most prolific growing areas of the state. It also offers the prescribed items of small town life such as plenty of churches. A restaurant which also serves as the site for. A Golf and Country Club. Or grain elevator. A barber shop. As opposed to a Hair Styling Salon. A root beer stand. And a day set aside for town merchants to sell selected goods at bargain prices. It's called ridiculous date. But if you really want to know what.

The corner near the train depot. Buy. Come right. Back. Right. On my. Back. Right.

You know. My. Program. Dirty ragged going west. I. Think. There was this trainer commercial. OK. They come to an engine stop. Trying. To make sure.

You're OK. Get a look at what is my story before you go. We drink a. Lot of. A break was going by. I said Pardon me. May I ask your question. What's the problem. With you. And usually standing injury rates of any kind I said No I don't enjoy myself. Well you know I felt myself I said no I feel OK. I don't have no infractions or what you call a break your lacerations of the epidermis. I mean no one really knows the origin of the word Kobo. It appeared in print before 900 and some say it is a contraction for. Oh boy. Perhaps he used to call migratory workers to the job.

Others say it was derived from the Japanese word the plural of which has no meaning. All sides or everywhere. In any event it didn't take long for Hobo to become a verb which is the endeavor that most of these gentlemen have pursued at one time or another in their lives. Why are some adjustment like learning a new language. For example is a bindle blanket and a suitcase is a turkey. They are at present living in a jungle and are preparing for their drinking either coffee or embalming fluid wine are our eggs our headlight and butter is. The grease. The heyday of Hellboy. Probably during the Depression and most of the travel was by train therefore much of the hobo jargon was picked up from railroad workers was a

turbulent time and some personalities. Meanwhile the people of great except the hobos as they are which is just as well since attempt at reform is a slightly below average again. The truth is the hobos have become a celebrities in town. For instance Listen Dr Ian doubles as the official hobo art and photo gallery. Meet steam train Marie Graham the 976 king of the hobos. Well I was a man to ride freight trains. That's his mode of transportation and he lives in the woods. Lives outdoors travels the country sleeps alone Rivers enjoys travelling and it works so your work is not a bum. What's the difference. Years without a travelling man is a good fellow around town at work. How many real hobos disposer are left in the country. Guy I think less than 50. And the. Ones I do know

are dying off you know like Hardrock. Crossed over Jordan you know left. There's other ones dying all the time I went to a funeral a fellow 74 years old back in Ohio went to sleep in the back and then they said back to Ohio. You obviously will hate to see the era of the hobo and I want to hear why. It's a part of Americana. You know there's always been a certain amount of man I want to roam. Robert you personify the nation I have a lot of rum around a lot of traveling. Fortunately most of the people want to have read some stay there a lot of people never get out of their own neighborhood. I'm a hobo in spirit. Yeah. We think about I think a lot of people are hopeless for me several hundred people tell me what I wished I could go with you. Just to go with what he's saying as well. Drop it all and. Come along. It.

Was. Doing. Just that. By. The book. I know. I can do nicely. With. A. Dream. They were very. Sad. I mean.

They would look at you with. The. Crutches. We were discussing a certain. Whip and. Then. There was great dealing. Behavior toward people as opposed to. Writing. For a trainee 30 days in jail then has it changed for the worse. They're much better. At. Giving the red carpet treatment. Break when they're winning and I point out the train. Load. Train cars here you can catch this train you're going to board that train. Were. Valid.

You're right off. The Bridge. Now. Venture. Ran for King a few times. And finally wound up with the title of crown prince of the home. Well. One time. There was a guy called. You know when they. Fired that. Train. There. Was fire. I walked up to. The crowd. And I had not heard. The. Crowd. For. This crowd. As a.

Thing. Like an alcoholic. Drink. Oh. That's a mental disorder. That. Becomes affordable. Right. When did you first hit the road. 27 20. Hours were you. Thinking since. You've been a hobo much in your life. Only. One for me. But you know. What if I thought of it I would need to send. What did you mean Mike. I don't have you know I wouldn't take a man out of whatever I don't know in a human way. There in a flash. Oh no I get along when. You're 28. Yes. Most of your contemporaries are in school or have homes and wives and kids what's wrong with that. Well I don't mind. Education is fine and. You know

schools are right and a good job is all right if it's something you enjoy doing. But I've seen so many of my friends so many people who are absolutely miserable married and a lot of them who I meet on the road a lot of people my age they say it was like to take you home but the wife might object. Well now what kind of cooperation is that you know I think if I ever had had a wife and she objected to be taken some guy off the road on a stormy night I think I prize her out what human are bad you know why don't you have a little store. No no no no. No no none of that none of that. Right now I keep moving my bill right in there. Right there. That's my thing. Never hide that shit right there. I don't want all these people tell me what to do and oh I don't want it on clothes and all that other stuff I don't want to. Help you with my stuff then want to look a little WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'M Jordi your name is slow motion shorting it seems like it can't be a hobo without two names like that why is that where they can be that can be on.

I never could hear and do good. You don't get around much now that he's. I carry it around like I'm in the hospital right now why come to bed while I rode the bus. Where dad we were in bad shape I'm taken by your meds. And doctor warned me not to drink you know what nature will bring. You are going to come or not here are fairies in 1933 dirty for a tired own argument going are the birth of the first Brit hobo fest in 1900 was almost the last. The agenda including the hobo foot race a barbecued ox and the election of a president and vice president Admiral Juhi and Philippine Red respectively but the townspeople were apparently uncomfortable with the association because they didn't have another convention for 33 years when the word finally came

out. The Bindlestiff packed their turkeys dodged the Bulls and Brachis and jumped a rattler reefer. That means that in one thousand thirty three The hobos came back to Britt. Today there is a parade free mulligan stew a carnival and some benevolent despotism. They now elect a king and a queen instead of a president and vice president. Ray Kelly helped organize the first Hubble band in 1933 and is proud to point out that it was the only three man band in the world with a drum major. How often did the whole band meet to practice. We don't do that. Garcelle a professional musician. You play special music for the market. Was there anyone in particular that you

played every star out for. Just because it was a girl. Oh yes if it.

Good good job. Yeah like I love vegetables cut up that stuff. Do you know the drill rig. On these damaged people are lined up waiting for the famous bridge.

Mulligan stew and of course you can see the hobo convention unless you have had some stare we're not going to talk to Ed here who's been you've been doing this for three years make history right. OK the Commercial Club jibes with what happened then the girls called her a barrel of vegetable the rest of the stuff he brought down to committee takes care of here starting about four o'clock in the morning. All right now there's a lot of stuff in there I've already had a little taste you want to tell us about the dramas that you're cooking it in and how much MUCH potatoes carrots and so forth. The drums. There are 55 barrel steel capacity and they split them and do. And each barrels about 28 gallons and we have about eight hundred fifty pounds of vegetables. Breaking it down I'm not sure but mostly carrots and potatoes and cabbage. Now you're about to or you've got also ground beef in there but you know at the last minute so to speak about a half an hour before it's done then you put in what Rice and barley and the rise

in Bahrain it tends to pick in the stew and give it extra flavor. You want to go ahead and put the barley and you've got to buy it about ready there right now. Naturally if you're not into cooking 450 gallons of mulligan stew at a time you'll be interested in an alternate recipe which also happens to be the real article. Are not on here. Whatever you got there you are all right. You corned beef. There is here I think there's your little pork your piece of that pork or what kind of seasonings you use. Well we have pepper. There was barely Doris pepper sometime I throw guard against and everything the beaver is hard to find a little piece just because your new pieces. Are always out there are quite neat pieces. Wow that chicken is cooked off in the bones. Now it's near all gone. Oh no I said it. Oh on the phone.

Oh. So everything you might put in a corner in here you get the flavor. Of the meat. You don't have to use butter on your corn. Yes cabbage carrots. Their score should near. You back here. Is there anything you wouldn't put in there. Not a vision eatable on. The city of bread why we want to welcome that convention. Were probably known as the capital of the world. They all fit you. But your are very very good. All right your friends there. Oh look back here. Thank you.

Go after the United States. Oh right you stand there and listen to the bunch of America not now. Hard worker. Too much trouble. Deranged sick. I try to tell us. What. They're going to be here oh how I write the way that you put her down. Saturday August 6. And as you can see it got a little bit windy outside. The idea is for each contestant to deliver a short address on the subject of their choice. The crowd then picks the winners. The criteria are a little hazy

but the payoff is the applause. The group was not out there at least not to be a clapped out but you're off to get back in there was. Thank. You. You. Know. What. Yeah. On what.

The. We are. With. Us. With. Many kings have sat down upon the ground and one that was never thought of as war on the ground. Hail King Sparky. He was a sleeper but even his fellow hobos agreed it was a good choice. They all left town on Sunday presumably by 9 a.m. That is all but one. He was known as the hard rock kid. His real name was John Newsline and he died in his sleep in the Ogden Iowa City Park on the way to the 1977 convention. The older hobo was allowed that it was in their own best way to go city here.

Acted quickly and verified that he would be laid to rest up here and so we brought it up here last week and we had a ceremony for him out here cemetery. He went in the beautiful manner and we were all proud to be there with him. The Lamb rest so we can say that he didn't have any game folks he had hundreds hundreds of throughout this day and they are appropriately articulate. And as much as he was a chosen King many times here. I think it's only appropriate. That we hear just about 10 seconds of silence. You're all about your second great memory. I married goodnight. You've.

Got. To. Go.