THE LIFE OF A HOBO
Penny For Your Thoughts By: Nancy Whitaker
Do you remember back when there were hobos going around our towns? I remember some here in this area in the late 40s early 50s.
Exactly, what was a hobo? I recall the ones I encountered wore baggy pants, dirty shirts and maybe an old pair of tennis shoes. They had a long stick with a rolled up package which was supposedly their necessary things.
Hobos were basically like a homeless person, but they would offer to work for a meal. I have heard for the most part hobos were kind and thankful for a bit of food on their plate.
Yes my grandma Anderson was one that endlessly fed the hobos. She would tie a white handkerchief from a tree branch and all the hobos knew they could get fed there.
One such guy was one we will call Barney. Grandma would bring Barney in and she would start cooking. She gave him a good lunch of chicken, mashed potatoes corn topping it off with some of her sugar cookies.
Grandma not only fed them, she made them take a bath and she cut their hair, but she wasn’t done yet.
She made them go to church and everyone would say, “This must be a hobo cause he has one of Dora’s haircuts.”
Most scholars have defined hobos as English-speaking migratory workers from the 1870s to 1940s that rode trains in search of a job.
While this captures a general shape of this unique group of people it leaves out any hobos after World War II and their history.
Hobo signs, including the symbolic act of tying a bandana or handkerchief in a tree, were a form of non-verbal communication used by hobos, particularly during the Great Depression, to convey messages to fellow travelers.
While some scholars argue that e widespread use of such symbols is more folklore than factual, others acknowledge that some signs were likely utilized, though possibly to a limited extent.
The act of tying a handkerchief or bandana in a tree could indeed be interpreted as a sign of welcome, indicating a safe place to, eat, or find help like a meal, bath or jug of water.
However, interpreting specific hobo signs can be tricky, as historical records and popular depictions of hobo code sometimes conflict.
It’s also important to remember that such signs would likely be temporary, drawn with chalk or charcoal, and would eventually fade.
Regardless of the extent of their use, hobo symbols represent a unique and fascinating aspect of a subculture that developed a way to communicate and navigate a challenging life on the road.
A video is shared on the web telling the story of a man who was a hobo for 50 years.
He said that he always had a can of beans with him, a tarp and a spoon. He began hoboing at age 15 and would walk about 10 miles each day. He jumped on trains, stayed in hobo camps and while some people were good to him others were rude. This hobo got to see all of the US, slept in rain and cold and never thought of doing anything else. However, today there are homeless shelters, food pantries and I have not seen a hobo since I was about 10 years old.
Do you remember any hobos? Did you feed them? Have you ever seen a white hanky tied around a tree? Let me know and I will give you a Penny For Your Thoughts.
AN OLD HOBO … Back in the late 30s and into the 40s…
Hobos have a history dating back to the explosion of the railroad after the Civil War. Over this time, many have debated what defines a hobo. While there is still much disagreement over definition, there are a few consistencies. Most scholars have defined them as English-speaking migratory workers from the 1870s to 1940s that road trains in search of temporary jobs (Fox 1989; Raulerson 2011).While this definition captures a general shape of this subculture, it leaves out any hobos after World War II and doe
