on the road
© 2010
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Hobos leave clues for their successors, often with chalk on posts, or discreetly near a door, or the side of a shed or barn.

Does a bad man live there? A "kind-hearted woman?" Is the dog mean? Will they trade work for food? Ensuing hobos want to know, and their precedents help them out.

I scouted around on the web and found these fine charts. As one source pointed out, they might be useful to know as we enter the Second Great Depression... (dated material: 17 january 2010).
Get your chalk and your bedroll, kids, and let's hit the road!


I found this one at The University of Leeds.

hoboA.gif; a chart of hobo signs

And this one came from Chris McLaren's blog.

hoboA.jpg; a chart of hobo signs

Found this one — where else? — at hobo.com.

hoboC.gif; a chart of hobo signs

This one came from the blog, not a potted plant.

hoboD.gif; a chart of hobo signs

And this one's from vaXzine's Flickr account.

hoboE.gif; a chart of hobo signs

And the rest came from the quirky, entertaining, and informative Fran's Hobo Page.

hoboG.gif; a chart of hobo signs

Again, more from Fran...

hoboH.gif; a chart of hobo signs

...and Fran again.

A key follows this one.
hoboF.gif; a chart of hobo signs
1. Main Street good for begging. 16. Cranky Woman or bad Dog. 
2. Rock Pile in connection with Jail. 17. People do not give. 
3. Saloons in Town. 18. Bad Man lives here. 
4. Prohibition Town. 19. Negro section good for Hoboes. 
5. Police are Hostile.  Look out. 20. Cooties in Jail. 
6. Police not Hostile to Tramps. 21. Good clean Jail. 
7. Police Hostile to Tramps. 22. Jail good but prisoners starve.
8. Leaving Railroad for Highway or 
   across country. 		23. Jail filthy. 
9. Railroad Police not Hostile.24. City Police are in Plain Clothes. 
10. Railroad Police Hostile.25. Workhouse in connection with Jail. 
11. Used in connection with any other 
  sign means next turn. 		26. Waiting in Town for Person Named, 
12. Church or Religious People. 27. Circle Town. 
13. Town is Hostile.  Get out Quick, 28. Jail good for night's Lodging, 
14. Main Street N. G. 29. Moniker (Name) and direction of travel.
15. Good People Live Here30. New York Maggie
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