HASH ON LIFE
Cincinnati, Ohio: Jeff Davis, 1944. Second Edition. Wraps. Signed by Jeff Davis on the title page.
“Jefferson ‘Jeff’ Davis, a vaudeville performer and advocate for homeless workers, established another union in Cincinnati in 1908, called the International Itinerant Migratory Workers Union: Hoboes of America, which hosted its own annual conventions. He also came up with the idea of a self-sufficient boarding house run by hoboes, called ‘Hotel de Gink’ – ‘gink’ being another term for hoboes. His first boarding house, where hoboes would work for a few days to pay for their week’s room and board, opened in Seattle in 1913. Resident hoboes would provide each other services such as tailoring, barbering, and cooking. The idea spread across the country, and Davis opened several more himself, in Tacoma, Portland, and New York City. At the 1935 convention in Pittsburgh, Davis was elected King of the Hoboes for life” (Lisa Hix, “Don’t Call Them Bums: The Unsung History of America’s Hard-Working Hoboes”).
This little chapbook pairs a selection of Davis’ hobo poetry and his short essay “How Word Hobo Originated” with correspondence from William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Lowell Thomas, Floyd Gibbons, and other noted individuals and excerpts from various newspapers.
Octavo: 40 p. Original printed green paper wrappers, bound with two staples. A period ink stamp to p.29 reads, “DON’T QUIT BOOSTING, TOWNSEND PLAN, 450 E. OHIO ST, CHICAGO, ILL.” Near fine. Scarce, OCLC locates only one holding, at the University of Virginia. Near fine. Item #74476
Price: $250.00