king of the hobos dead

"He left a note on the kitchen table one day - 'See ya' - and he was gone," his daughter, Alice Spangler, said.

Steamtrain Maury Graham dead at 89. He was voted King of the Hobos 5 times at the Hobo Convention in Britt Iowa. He is known for his 1990 book, Tales of the Iron Road. My Life as King of the Hoboes. Another obit can be found in the New York Times. Mr. Graham was a multi-talented fellow. During winters, when riding the rods was pretty chilly, he worked as a Santa Claus for thirty-odd years. In 1981, he returned home to his wife, who remarkably took him back. Also check out The Hobo News which will tell you everything you know and more.

So why the fuss? John Steinbeck called hoboes the last free men. It's a tough job living free.

thank you East Texas Red