beggars of life

Jim Tully (1886-1947) was an author and journalist known for his tough, realistic yet occasionally poetic style, perhaps best exemplified in his 1924 "hobo autobiography" titled Beggars of Life.  Tully ran away from an orphanage when he was fourteen to ride the rails, work odd jobs, and pursue his dream of becoming a writer by hanging out in libraries and reading everything he could.  He eventually found his way to publication, often recounting tales of his vagabond days.

Beggars of Life was made into a movie starring Wallace Beery and Louise Brooks, though parts of the book were toned down to fit Hollywood standards of the day. The book itself is an interesting historical read (though not at all politically correct) and a quirky odyssey of life on the road, while the 1928 film version of Beggars of Life was an early talkie and noted as being a great Louise Brooks' performance.  The particular printing of Beggars of Life that I have was published in 1928 by Grosset & Dunlap and has stills from the movie included; the original was published by Albert and Charles Boni, who took a chance on so many groundbreaking writers of the day.

A famous writer of tramp life said that the poor always give to the poor.  Writers should not make definite rules about humanity.  They are always wrong.

From Beggars of Life by Jim Tully