Hobos Part One

The Associated Press
Published November 21, 2006, 12:12 PM CST

NAPOLEON, Ohio -- Maurice Graham, who began riding the rails at age 14 in 1931 and was known as the ``King of the Hobos,'' has died. He was 89.

Graham recently suffered a stroke and died Saturday at a rehabilitation center in Napoleon.

Nicknamed ``Steam Train Maury,'' he was a founding member of the Hobo Foundation and helped establish the Hobo Museum in Britt, Iowa.

National Hobo Foundation President Linda Hughes said Graham was ``a true hobo hero.''

``He was a classy and respected man,'' she said. ``No one can live up to Steam Train. He's irreplaceable.''

King of the Hobos, RIP

Hobo FAQ

Interview with Soup Bone Balmet, Emperor of the Hobos

700 Hobo Names, read by the author (mp3)

700 Hobo Illustrations

Original Hobo Nickel Society