“One famous hobo in history was US Supreme Court Justice William O Douglas, who travelled while seeking work as a youth. He would go on to become the longest serving member of the Supreme Court ever and a steadfast champion for individual rights against the power of the state (perhaps influenced by the rugged individualism and anti-governmentalism of his hobo years). Another famous hobo was author Jack London, who wrote a book about his itinerant days called The Road. He generously dubbed hobos ‘knights of the road’ - a term which is used by many hobos today. No less an American than Mark Twain also spent a portion of his youth hoboing through the American West before he became a journalist and writer.” http://thehobotimes.com/hobo%20history.html
In the recent movie “Wild” with Reece Witherspoon, this publication has a scene. She is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and is resting along the side of the road. Guy pulls up in his car and stops. Identifies as a writer for the hobo times and gets her picture. She keeps telling him she’s not a hobo but keeps calling her one. Gives her a hobo care package a drives away.
Jack London was also a lefty Socialist.