Hobos have always fascinated me! As a child I volunteered as a crossing guard for our small Catholic School. Saint Margaret’s is located on 14th Avenue West in Seattle on the corner with West Dravus Street . Some of my fellow students lived across 15th Avenue on Magnolia Hill. As I stood on the corner waiting to stop traffic for the children to pass safely to school, I would study the men and women who encamped below the railroad overpass close by. These men moved slowly around their fires and I wondered at their life on the road as they hitched rides on the many trains passing by. I’ve learned that these hobos are not tramps or bums. Nor, were they anything like the homeless of today. Hobos work for their sustenance and to support their travels. Tramps travel but avoid work. Bums neither travel nor work. And of course we all are familiar with the current homeless. Hobos are itinerant workers who have chosen either consciously or by fate to live on the road. they relish their freedom. Some liken them to Gypsies, but that comparison is erroneous also as most hobos are loners who only congregate with others for convenience.

Hobos are thought to have originated following the Civil War. The men who fought in that epic conflict hitched rides on the railroads that opened the west. Some hobos were skilled while others provided the general labor that was needed to build the nation we know today. Since that time freight trains have been their primary mode of transportation. While they proliferated during the late 19th century and early 20th century, their numbers grew significantly during the Great Depression. this number decreased during the postwar prosperity but increased again following the Vietnam War with many veteran’s disillusionment with society.

A hobos life is fraught with danger. Beside being itinerant without a home or support they are harassed by train crews and violence by train police or bulls. And, of course riding on a freight train is inherently dangerous. Add in the elements including freezing or hot temperatures and a hobos life isn’t rosy.

Hobos developed their own colorful vernacular. For example, an ‘Angellina’ is a young inexperienced child and a ‘Banjo’ is a frying pan. ‘Bo is how one hobo referred to another. And a ‘Bone Polisher’ is a mean dog. Some of the unique hobo terms found their way into our language. For example ‘Cooties’ are lice and ‘Main Drag’ is the busiest road in town. And, even though we didn’t realize what we were looking at we’ve all seen cryptic “hobo signs”, which would be chalked in prominent or relevant places to clandestinely alert future hoboes about important local information. Some of these are described in my book ‘Mensch’.

Many celebrities followed the hobo life at one time or another. A short list incudes; Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, Folk singer Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Author James Michener and Comedian Red Skelton. Of course we are all familiar with Roger Miller’s hit song ‘King of the Road’ describing hobo life.

Hobos have their own ethical code that pretty much intersects with societies norms about respecting others and working for your keep. So the next time you see a hobo don’t look away, say hi ‘Bo.