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Illegally hopping a ride on a private freight car began with the invention of the train. In the United States, freighthopping became a common means of transportation following the American Civil War as the railroads began pushing westward, especially among migrant workers who became known as "hobos".
It is London's account of his experiences as a hobo in the 1890s, during the worst economic depression the United States had experienced up to that time. [1] He describes his experiences hopping freight trains , "holding down" a train when the crew is trying to throw him off, begging for food and money, and making up extraordinary stories to ...
Train surfing (also known as train hopping or train hitching) is typically a fun, exciting, and illegal act of riding on the outside of a moving train, tram, or other forms of rail transport. In a number of countries, the term 'train hopping' is used synonymously with freight hopping , which means riding on the outside of a freight train ...
Railroad mileage peaked at this time. Railroads were affected deeply by the Great Depression in the United States, and some lines were abandoned. A great increase in traffic during World War II brought a reprieve, but after the war railroads faced intense competition from automobiles and aircraft and began a long decline.
Columnist Richard Hakes hits the highlights in his latest column detailing the 150-year history of Mercy Hospital.
Many small railroads failed during the Great Depression. Of those lines that survived, the stronger ones were not interested in supporting the weaker ones. [80] In 1940 Congress formally abandoned the Ripley Plan. [81]
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After graduation, Whitman struck out on what he called his "hobo adventures", train-hopping, hitchhiking, and walking on foot through the U.S., Mexico, and Central America. It was the middle of the Great Depression, but he said wherever he went, he was met with kindness and generosity. This experience would form the founding ethos of his ...