Hobo Code

During the Great Depression in America, thousands of homeless men wandered the country, sleeping where they could and begging food and work from those more fortunate. Although these men were not organized, they did find ways to communicate important information to each other. One of these ways was ‘hobo code.’

Hobo code was a series of symbols that hobos, or itinerant workers, used to alert fellow travelers to the conditions of a particular location. Hobos were distinct from bums – bums begged, hobos worked. Hobo code could be chalked or scratched on trees, fences, doors, or any available surface, these codes let others know where to find food, medical care, and fresh water. They also warned of dogs, police, and guns and served as an important system of communication and information-sharing within a decentralized community. An example of hobo codes is below. To lean more about the experience of traveling workers during the Great Depression, check out “Riding the Rails” on American Experience. 

Source. 

The song “Big Rock Candy Mountain” was first recorded in 1928 and describes a hobo’s vision of paradise. Listen to a recording of Harry McClintock’s original below.

One evening as the sun went down
And the jungle fires were burning,
Down the track came a hobo hiking,
And he said, “Boys, I’m not turning
I’m headed for a land that’s far away
Besides the crystal fountains
So come with me, we’ll go and see
The Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,
There’s a land that’s fair and bright,
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out every night.
Where the boxcars all are empty
And the sun shines every day
And the birds and the bees
And the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs
Where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.