Good Company: A Tramp Life

by Douglas Harper

Good Company: A Tramp Life, is a vivid portrait of a lifestyle long part of America's history, yet rapidly disappearing. The author traveled extensively by freight train to gain rich insights into the elusive world of the tramp. Richly illustrated with 85 photographs by the author, the book presents the homeless man as an individual who "drank, migrated, and worked at day labor" rather than the stereotype of a victim of alcoholism. The tramps with whom Harper shared boxcars and hobo jungles were the labor force that harvested the crops in most of the apple orchards in the Pacific Northwest. They were drawn to the harvest from across the United States and migrated primarily on freight trains, as had hobos in the 1930s. Although not without its problems, the tramp way of life is a fierce and independent culture that has been an integral part of our American identity and an important part of our agricultural economy. Since the first edition of this classic book was published by the University of Chicago Press, the tramp has virtually disappeared from the American social landscape. The agricultural labor force is now made up of Hispanic migrants. This significantly revised and updated edition contrasts this disappearing lifestyle with the homelessness of the modern era, which has been produced by different economic and sociological forces, all of which have worked against the continuation of the tramp as a social species. The new edition richly documents the transition in our society from "tramps" to urban homelessness and the many social, political, and policy changes attendant to this transformation. It also includes an additional thirty-five previously unpublished photographs from the original research.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1982

Reviews

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Company: A Tramp Life by Douglas Harper (Routledge 2016) (305.569) (3662).

This book arose from the author’s graduate studies and is in essence an anthropological survey of a hidden subculture. It is a down-and-dirty in-the-trenches investigation and report on the lifestyle of the now-all-but-extinct society of hobos and tramps who once used America’s freight system as a free ticket to travel anywhere in the continental US.

The heyday of the hobo ran from the 1930’s Great Depression era and reached its zenith when America’s WWII veterans returned to the US from overseas. From the 1930’s through the 1960’s, “hobos” were once a respected, highly mobile, and often surprisingly skilled workforce that migrated to seasonally-available temporary jobs in even the most remote parts of the country.

Every party involved got something they needed from the arrangement. The workers (tramps/hobos) benefited from the rail freight system, for it provided cheap and reliable transportation that met the job seekers’ minimum travel requirements. Employers, often landowning farmers or fruit growers, were supplied with the seasonal and short-term labor force critical to the timely completion of agricultural jobs (e.g., fruit harvests) when the pickers rolled in on the freights. And just as importantly, at the conclusion of the harvest, the hobos were then strongly encouraged (read “forced by local law enforcement”) to catch the next train out of town to move on to the next job, thus ensuring that no “out-of-town riff-raff or bums” stayed in town any longer than necessary.

Agricultural produce-picking, timber cutting, and sheepherding are three of the principal types of seasonal employment which the author cites as being commonly available for migratory workers in the heyday of the hobo.

Author Douglas Harper researched this book by climbing on trains, riding the rails, and observing and reporting upon the hobo lifestyle and culture he encountered. His reporting is invaluable, for this way of life is almost completely dead. The freight-hopping hobo fruit pickers have been replaced by twenty-first century agricultural innovation and technological improvements as well as by a ready and willing Central and South American migratory labor force.

When combined with improvements in train design and the end of tolerance of the hobo system by the railroad owner-operators, today’s hobo culture has apparently morphed into a world where violent criminal and racist hobo gangs are in control. To preclude the transport of terrorists or drugs, train yard operators have essentially adopted a “zero tolerance” policy toward tramps and hoboing.

Harper makes clear that people still hop trains. A notable group that still rides the freights are thrill-seeking “yuppie train riders.” The author takes pains to point out that inexperienced or naïve freight-hoppers can quickly find themselves in a world of pain, particularly if the rider is Black or Latino.

Good Company: A Tramp Life is filled with amazing black-and-white photographs of trains, hobos, and tramp culture by author Douglas Harper. Many if not most of these appear to have been shot in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, as evidenced by the vintage automobiles in the photos.

The author eventually concludes that when the old hobos left the trains behind, in days of yore they would have become “skid row” denizens who relied on SRO flop-house housing. But Reagan-era economic policies which encouraged the gentrification of inner-city slums caused those hotels to disappear. This forced the former tramps to become just another small segment of America’s exploding homeless population which has to rely on charitable rescue missions or sidewalks to meet their housing needs.

What a fascinating book!

My rating: 7.5/10, finished 7/19/22 (3662).

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

compelling account of the adventures of a young man seeking freedom during the tail end of the era of the great american hobo.

[Chad]

This book is really good so far. Doug Harper is a professor at Duquesne University. I currently have him for Global Sociology which is a highly informative class on essential aspects of different cultures around the world. We just read about Japan and I learned tons about the culture- Very intimidating as it is a highly group oriented society, where I believe I'd be considered an outsider. Also, I am reading Good Company for a sociology class, Person & Society, which thus far is pretty interesting. The book consists of a journalistic account of Harper's experiences hopping freight trains with hobos in the 1970s. Really well written with astute observations of the hobo culture. Incredible photography. Harper is coming to our class to talk about his book soon. I can't wait.