On the Tramp follows a young Ronald Ries Bothwell for ten years (1924-1933) as he lives the life of a hobo, trying to make his way in the world and living on the fringes of society from day to day. Ronald carried a small notebook with him at all times and kept a detailed history of his thoughts and his experiences of life on the road in the American West. At eighteen Ronald made the conscious decision to follow the railroad to wherever it went. Most people believe the 1920s were a time of plenty, but Ronald's journals make it abundantly clear that in the era of the flapper, it was just as tough for the poor and unemployed as in The Great Depression. This book is a recreation of those tough times and follows Ronald from Iowa to Utah, to California, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and back again. The author, Ronald's son, has enhanced the narrative with dialogue, heightening scenes to detail the story without detracting from the truth. The narrative, much of it Ronald's actual words, shows how hard life can be on the road, how difficult it is to get a meal, how miserable it is to ride an open freight car in the cold night, how cruel and kind people were to hobos, and how beautiful raw America was at that time. Anyone who wants new insights into life in Western America from 1924 to 1933 should read On the Tramp.
About the Author: Bruce Bothwell is a prolific author who has been entranced with writing since he won a short story contest as a sophomore in high school. His first book-length writing was a series of novellas: Simple Simon, Thanksgiving, and 1,000 Words Are Worth a Picture. Bothwell also loves poetry and has written some 20,000+ poems. He has published several novels: Private Lives, Toynbee & Son, Labeled, Apache Alternative, Life After Death, and I Will Teach No More Forever and one biography: A Man of Worth. He is currently working on a seven-volume series of epistolary novels, Brothers for Life, that follow two brothers from the 1960s through this century. His work runs the gamut from the difficulties of relationships to how crucial education is to the invasion of privacy. Bruce Bothwell worked as a high school English teacher for 35 years. He has fathered six children, and tries to keep up with his 15 grandchildren. He and his wife live the challenging life of retirees in Dubuque, Iowa.