I just did a blog entry on a dog, which I guess Zoey the Cool Cat saw, because now she's wanting me to do a blog entry on cats. Ah, well, what can I do?
Since I've worked at Borders Books and Music for over 30 years, I'm quite familiar with books, especially the classics and the great authors.
One of the books I'm reading right now is "Planet Cat: A Cat-alog," by Sandra Choron, Harry Choron, and Arden Moore. It's definitely a catalog, perhaps even being an encyclopedia of all things cat. One of the articles is about hoboes and cats.
No one knows for sure where the term "hobo" came from, but the theories I like best are these:
- an abbreviation of "homeward bound."
- an abbreviation of the Manhattan intersection of Houston and Bowery, where itinerant people used to congregate.
- a derivation of the city of Hoboken, New Jersey, which was a terminus for many railroads in the 19th century. Meaningful to me since my mom was born in Newark.
- a shortening of the phrase which best describes the early hobo's method of transportation, which was "hopping boxcars."
During the Great Depression, a hobo culture grew up along the railroad tracks where hoboes got on and off passing trains, a culture that came to life in many great books by great authors:
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The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair
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Lonesome Traveler, by Jack Kerouac
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Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
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On The Road, by Jack Kerouac
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The Road, by Jack London
Notable people who experienced the life of a hobo include:
- W. H. Davies
- Jack Dempsey
- Woodie Guthrie
- Burl Ives
- Jack Kerouac
- Jack London
- Louis L'amour
- Robert Mitchum
- Eugene O'Neill
- George Orwell
- John Steinbeck
Of course, who could possible forget Red Skelton's "Freddy the Freeloader" or Roger Miller's "King of the Road"?
Part of the hobo culture included drawing symbols on fence posts and large boulders to indicate to others the demeanor of the family that lived in the house. For example:
- The number 18 meant I 8, or "I ate."
- Five circles or two shovels meant that work was available.
- A cross signified "angel food," or leftover food served to hobos after a party.
- A square missing its top line meant that camping was safe.
- Sharp teeth meant a mean dog.
The most desirable symbol among hoboes, though, was that of a cat. It meant that a kind-hearted woman lived there and that a hobo could probably get a hot meal, a place to sleep, and a bath.
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*****
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Hi Jim: I agree - cat people are great - you can always count on them!
:)