Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, July 1921 · page 41 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #22 — page 41: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is a humorous poem celebrating a hobo gathering in Portland, Oregon. It's not political satire but rather a comedic tribute to transient workers and vagrants—a significant American subculture during the era of freight-train travel. The poem catalogues colorful hobo nicknames (drawn from geographic origins like "Texas Slim," "Boston Red," "Frisco Fred") that reflect the speaker's admiration for hoboes' mobility and independence. Terms like riding "tops" and "blind" (atop and between freight cars) establish authentic hobo vernacular. The humor derives from the contrast between these rough wanderers' dignity ("Old New York Bill, dressed like a duke") and their humble circumstances (sharing jungle stew cooked over a campfire). The poem celebrates camaraderie among society's outcasts rather than mocking them—reflecting Progressive-era sympathy for working-class transience during economically unstable times. This appears to be lighter entertainment content rather than political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang 39 But get this straight, there's none so great As when the hoboes met. To Portland, Oregon, last year They came from near and far; On "tops" and "blind" where cinders whined, They rode on every car. Three hundred came from New York state, Some came from Eagle Pass; That afternoon, the third of June, They gathered there en masse. From Lone Star state came "Texas Slim" And "Jack the Katydid"; With "Lonesome Lou" from Kal'mazoo Came "San Diego Kid." And "Denver Dan" and "Boston Red" Blew in with "Hell-fire Jack," "Andy Lang" from lakeshore gang, "Big Mac" from Mackinack. I saw some boys I'd never met; A bo called "New York Spike," "Con, the Sneak," from Battle Creek, And "Mississippi Ike." Old "New York Bill," dressed like a duke, Shook hands with "Frisco Fred"; And "Half-breed Joe" from Mexico Shot craps with "Eastport Ed." "St. Louis Jim" and "Pittsburg Paul" Fixed up a jungle stew, While "Slipp'ry Slim" and "Bashful Tim" Croaked gumps for our menu. The "Jockey Kid" spilled out a song Along with "Desp'rate Sam"; And "Paul the Shark" from Terrors' Park Clog-danced with "Alabam." We gathered 'round the jungle fire, The night was passing fast;