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First Night in a Hobo Jungle
Levy County Cabin
Walking in the Woods
Camping in The Woods of Chiefland, Florida

First Night in a Hobo Jungle

This tale was related to me by a kind gentlemen. He had escaped from an orphanage in Texas during the depression, and was headed west to California.

In order to get to California, I did the only thing I knew that would get me there, hitch a ride on any train heading west. In preparation for my trip, I had packed several sandwiches. However, after 3 days the sandwiches were gone, and I was very hungry.

Up to this time, I had avoided going into Hobo camps. Because I had heard how tough those ‘bos could be, and I didn’t want any trouble. But with the aroma of something cooking in a nearby camp, and the pangs of hunger from my stomach, I finally ventured to go in.

Cautiously, I walked into the camp. Politely nodding to those that made eye contact, but mostly trying to act as if I had done this all my life. I found a place to sit away from most of the others. One of the Hobos called out to me, “Been out long kid?” “Yes”, I answered, “three days.” This brought a roar of laughter from the hobos around the campfire. Only then did I realize that these folks have been “out” for a long, long time.

“Are you hungry?”, asked the first Hobo. “Yes.”. “Well then, get ‘ya a piece of chicken.” I had noticed that something was cooking (how could I not?). Over the fire, hung a large metal bucket. The bucket had originally held wheel bearing grease for the railroad, and with a little clean up, but not too much clean up, now held a boiling liquid. It sure smelled good. Hanging on the bucket was a piece of stout wire, with a hook fashioned at the end. I used to wire to dip into the boiling liquid, and pulled out the a chicken leg. Not a drumstick, but the whole leg, thigh and all.

That chicken leg was the best chicken I had ever eaten before, or since. And I didn’t waste a bit. As I was gnawing at the bone to get the last piece of meat, the Hobo called out again, “Are ‘ya still hungry?” “Yes.” “Well then, get yourself another piece!” I didn’t have to be told twice. I stood up and again grabbed the wire with the hook, and started dipping into the boiling liquid. My first dip into the bucket brought up another chicken leg. I let it drop back in. I was looking for a larger piece, a chicken breast would be the best. Again I dipped, and again another chicken leg, and another leg.

“What’s the matter son?” called out the Hobo. “Well”, I answered, “Ain’t this chicken got nothing but legs?” The laughter, hooting and hollering from the entire camp was almost deafening. “No son, them chickens ain’t got no legs at all. Now least ways.”

What I came to learn in my subsequent travels on the rails, was how that chicken dinner came to be. At that time, chickens were transported in crates in open air cars. The quickest way to a chicken meal was to reach through the slats of the crates, grab legs, and pull.

Author ask to kept anomomious, Maryland

Levy County Cabin:

In Levy county I own a hunting cabin were me and my family frequently go. We went there for a weekend trip, as we have hundreds of other times. Even though strange things had happened there before, Sept. 1999 was the worst night I've ever had.

We showed up at about noon that day and opened everything up. I noticed the electric wouldn't come on at first, it only came on after about 10 minutes by itself. I assumed the breaker was bad so I didn't give it much thought. For some reasons that weekend the neighbors seem to be gone. My son came in the cabin after about 45 minutes of playing and said a strange man went into the bathroom. (The toilets is in a separate building about 30 feet from the cabin) I then walked right out, the door had always been open. I proceeded over to the bathroom and knocked on the door, but nobody answered. I opened the door and nobody was in side. I looked around the building and off into the woods and heard or saw nothing. I asked my son(5 years old) was he sure that he saw anything. He said a older man wearing old cloths and no shoes and a big hat went into the bathroom. - No explanation. I thought it was something that he was thinking about and went on with cleaning up.

I needed to cut the grass because it might be a few weeks before we would be able to get back up there. After about 30 minutes of cutting grass I was up by the road at the far end of the property and looked up and I then thought I saw someone go into the bathroom. Looking past the bathroom I saw my wife and son at the cabin. I shut the lawnmower off and went to the bathroom again, and again nobody was there. Now I'm getting a little spooked because I knew what I had saw.

After a long day of working we went up a got some Church's chicken, watched a movie(Star Trek) and went to bed. My wife woke us up hollering that someone was in the cabin with us. The cabin only has two rooms, so it was pretty easy to search. She said there was a person or something standing at the end of the bed looking at us.

After Talking to the neighbors the next day they all said that they'd seen an old man over by the cabin that would walk behind a tree or something a disappear.

We have not been back since... I plan a trip with a couple of friends with all of our cameras.

Richard Curtsinger, New Port Richey, Florida

Walking in the Woods

One day i was walking in the woods with my friends and this strange looking man asked me for directions told him how to get on the main road and the whole time my friends were looking at me and when I stopped talking they asked me what I was doing and I said "are yall blind?"and they said no who were you talking to? And I asked them if they saw the man and they said no.Later I saw him again and asked them if they saw him and they said no so I took a picture and had them developed and he wasn't in it. I haven't been in those woods since

Suzie-Q, Graceville, Florida
Story Submitted Aug. 5, 2000

Camping in the Woods of Chiefland, Florida

Many a year ago when I was in my youth I had a scary encountered. It all happened on one humid summer night right here in Chiefland.One weekend a couple of my friends and myself decided to camp out in the woods near my house.We were all lying in our tent drifting off to sleep when someone whispered in my ear "goodnight sweetheart".Thinking it was one of my friends I laughed it off and said "very funny guys! nice try but you didn't scare me!".My friends asked what in the world I was talking about and claimed they didn't do anything.This really freaked me out but I brushed it off and tried to get some sleep.Then before my very eyes the door to our tent opened and closed just as if someone had gone out but no one was there.As we all know teenage girls in the woods alone usually get a fright but this was no fright this was REAL!It stills haunts me today!

BOO!, Chiefland, Florida
Story submitted May 6, 2001