New Masses

Dick refers to New Masses, an American Marxist magazine published from 1926-1948.

Jungle

“Jungle” is a term used to refer to the place where hobos camp. These camps lack any permanent residences or sanitary facilities. The pickers’ camp by the Torgas River is such a jungle.

Top-faller

The member of a logging crew who climbs to the top of the tree and cuts it off is called the top-faller. This was considered the most prestigious job on the crew. Old Dan had been a top-faller before he got too old to do the work.

Wobblies

Wobblies was a nickname for the Industrial Workers of the World, a labor organization especially active in the early 1900s. They had been agitating for workers’ rights when Dan was a top-faller.

Bloody Thursday

Sam had participated in Bloody Thursday, a day of rioting on July 5, 1934, during a dockworkers' strike in...