May 2025
Channel Update & the Hobo King
Hello Tastorians!
Well, I did it. I finally have a way to watch Tasting History without the interruption of ads. Starting today, ad-free versions of new videos will be available to all Patreon members as well as members on YouTube.
I also wanted to share an interesting bit of history that I came across in my research for the video on Mulligan Stew. In the video I discuss the surprisingly organized hobo culture of the late 19th and early 20th century. This group of migrant workers held conventions, formed unions, published newspapers, and ran hobo colleges. What I didn't mention in the video was that they also had a chain of hotels called the Hotel de Gink.
In 1913, a man named Jeff Davis, better known as "The King of the Hobos", saw a growing need for temporary housing for members of his community and so that same year, he opened the first Hotel de Gink in Seattle, Washington. While Davis managed the hotel, it was entirely run by its residents. In exchange for a room at the hotel, one had to work at least two days a week. This allowed for guests to receive not only a bed, but also gave them access to barbering, tailoring, basic medical care and, of course, hot meals; Mulligan Stew being a speciality of the Hotel de Gink.
The Seattle hotel became so successful that more began to open around the country. The New York Times announced the opening of the New York City location in January 1915 with the headline.
"HOTEL DE GINK OPENS IN A BLAZE OF GLORY | City Officials and Others, in Evening Dress, See 'King Jeff' Davis Ascend His Throne. | GALA NIGHT FOR HOBOES"
By the early 1920s, most of the Hotel de Ginks around the country had closed but they laid the groundwork for what would become the modern homeless shelter. And even after the hotels closed, Jeff Davis continued his crusade to uplift his community, holding fundraisers throughout the Great Depression where he made none other than Mulligan Stew.
His stew became so famous that, in 1938, Paramount Pictures hired him to make the dish for the film "Arkansas Traveler". They put him up in the Plaza Hotel which he hated as he complained the beds were too soft and instead slept on the floor. In addition, Davis had assumed he would have a substantial role in the film but after learning that he would only be seen making Mulligan Stew, he quit and sued Paramount for $50,000. I was unable to learn the outcome of the lawsuit, but I can take a guess. I doubt Davis ever saw a dime.
Now, here are a few things that I think you'll enjoy.
Brahms: Schicksalslied, Op. 54 - I've been listening to this, Schicksalslied, Op. 54 by Johannes Brahms, as I'll be singing it as part of a choir at Carnegie Hall on May 24th.
How to Become Pope - Here's a quick explanation of how the Pope is chosen. An excellent companion to this week's video on Feeding the Papal Conclave.
