Hobo Jungle

[Tramp]

*

[Jackie Blue]

Got everything I need (almost). Wait till you see the altar!

[San Diegan]

Most of the camp stands with mouths agape at Tramp's poem and Jackie's candor. Dufus pulls out a Fender Stratocaster, Jazzman amplifier, and VOX fuzztone wa-wa pedal. He mumbles "wrote this in that other camp" and belts out...

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER

THERE MUST BE SOME KIND OF WAY OUT OF HERE
SAID THE JOKER TO THE THIEF
THERE'S TOO MUCH CONFUSION
I CAN'T GET NO RELIEF
BUSINESSMAN THEY DRINK MY WINE
PLOW MEN DIG MY EARTH
NONE WILL LEVEL ON THE LINE
NOBODY OF IT IS WORTH
HEY HEY

NO REASON TO GET EXCITED
THE THIEF HE KINDLY SPOKE
THERE ARE MANY HERE AMONG US
WHO FEEL THAT LIFE IS BUT A JOKE BUT UH
BUT YOU AND I WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT
AND THIS IS NOT OUR FATE
SO LET US NOT TALK FALSELY NOW
THE HOUR'S GETTING LATE
HEY

HEY

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER
PRINCES KEPT THE VIEW
WHILE ALL THE WOMEN CAME AND WENT
BARE-FOOT SERVANTS TOO, BUT HUH
OUTSIDE IN THE COLD DISTANCE
A WILD CAT DID GROWL
TWO RIDERS WERE APPROACHIN'
AND THE WIND BEGAN TO HOWL
HEY
OH
ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER
HEAR YOU SING AROUND THE WATCH
GOTTA BEWARE GOTTA BEWARE I WILL
YEAH
OOH BABY
ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER

San

[JimTT]

Did you Boys get that whiskey yet? Ifin you did pass that bottle over here.

[The Rock]

Man is there heat at the old campsite. Some stray named Donaldson stumbled in for a spell all liquored up and all hell broke loose. Too hot for the ol Rock!

[JimTT]

Hobo signs and symlols and what they mean:
http://www.slackaction.com/signroll.htm#

[San Diegan]

JimTT,

Your site is one of the better ones for hobo symbols. Thank you.

My thought is that the symbols constitute a system of runes. In view of the re-introduction of poetry into the camp, I would like to share this word history from the American Heritage Dictionary:

Word History: Among early peoples writing was a serious thing, full of magical power. In its only reference to writing, the Iliad calls it “baneful signs.” The Germanic peoples used a runic alphabet as their form of writing, using it to identify combs or helmets, make calendars, encode secret messages, and mark funeral monuments. Runes were also employed in casting spells, as to gain a kiss from a sweetheart or to make an enemy's gut burst. In casting a spell the writing of the runes was accompanied by a mumbled or chanted prayer or curse, also called a rune, to make the magic work. These two meanings also appear in Old English rn, the ancestor of our word. The direct descendants of Old English rn are the archaic verb round, “whisper, talk in secret,” and the obsolete noun roun, “whispering, secret talk.” The use of the word to refer to inscribed runic characters apparently disappeared in the late 14th or early 15th century but was revived by Danish writers on Germanic antiquities, who adopted it from Old Norse toward the end of the 17th century. Appropriately enough, this sense of rune, which had faded away like a whisper, reappeared from the mists of the past.

It would seem to this student of vagrancy that the hobo symbols were quite pragmatic. I would love to see some real examples and mark some of my layout buildings, walls, and so on.

There is probably a Master's thesis in this for someone.

San

[jperrine6]

Has anyone ever listened to the a side of In-a-godda-da-vita?

Some don't even know there was an a side of the album. I was in Nam when it was popular and didn't get to hear the a side til I got home. I still listen to it once in a while.

Jim

[Tramp]

San, are you planning to make decal sheets or hand-write the hobo symbols?

[San Diegan]

Tramp,

From the site...

Usually, these signs would be written in chalk or coal on a trestle, fence, building or sidewalk, letting others know what they could expect in the area of the symbol.

I think I'll wing it and try drawing a few. I'll have to think about chalk. A fine tip black felt pen for coal on light surfaces.

Part of the fun will be choosing an appropo symbol for an area on the layout.

I have a seedy area with those downtowndeco buildings on the layout and that is where I would expect to find some vagabonds coming through from the tracks. Writing a few on the girders of trestles would be fun as well.

San

[Tramp]

When I rode there was a bunch of hobos that marked cars on the outside with chalk. One fellow drew a picture of a palm tree with a little guy sitting under it in a poncho. There were hundreds of these signatures. It amazed me that he drew so many.

[Forum Moderator]

Here's some old Barclay Hobos inside a Weaver SuperChief Box Car.
Bill

[Tramp]

Nice, Bill. I wonder what the green splotches on their coats are meant to represent? It's identical on all three.

[jperrine6]

Maybe its from the nuke plant here in Limerick Pa.

Jim

[Will]

Howdy 'bos.

I been right outside the camp for a week, heard every word, but they had me gagged tight. Finally a shy guy untied my gag an' here I is. Gimme a belt, Duf. Really happy your here.

Why is Petey wearin' that bag o'er his head?!

Man, Tramp, you're a fine poet. That was beautiful, I mean truly beautiful, reminds me of the mystical paintings done by a guy I used to know, name of Eric.
I'm savin' that one. I like the way it kind of meander. Don't overwork it now.

Stiff's here, Jackie, San, and a bunch a new ones. What a fine camp. I'm just purrin' with contentamint. Gota pretty long stogie butt I found, a drab a Irish Gold in this old Pennsy cup Petey gave me, magnificent poetry. What more could you ask for?

I ask you, what more could you ask for?