15 Rules From the Hobo Ethical Code of 1889

Mental Floss ^ | 14SEP2015 | Staff Writer

[Smokin' Joe]

The funny thing is that large segments of America are just a couple of paychecks away from this. Many will chime in and allege in a crisis that they will just take what they need.

It is likely there will be yards or vacant lots full of folks who try that.

Having some manners will go a lot farther and get a lot fewer people killed. That will separate the good folks who are down on their luck from the ones who aren't so good, at least in the eyes of many.

[nopardons]

Jack London was also a lefty Socialist.

[Verginius Rufus]

My Dad heard that the symbol like a zero meant no handout here so he carved it on the fencepost in front of his parents' house.

Other than that, all I know about hobos I learned from Roger Miller's "Trailers for sale or rent..."

[boop]

"No, hobos work. Tramps and bums don’t. See above."

Hobos disliked tramps and bums and frowned up on them severely.

Probably because if some good-hearted citizen was taken advantage of by a tramp or bum, it would ruin it for future hobos who might pass through later.

[Daffynition]

Reminded me of the Cowboy Code:

1. Live each day with honesty and courage.

2. Take pride in your work. Always do your best.

3. Stay curious. Study hard and learn all you can.

4. Do what has to be done and finish what you start.

5. Be tough, but fair.

6. When you make a promise, keep it.

7. Be clean in thought, word, deed, and dress.

8. Practice tolerance and understanding of others.

9. Be willing to stand up for what’s right.

10. Be an excellent steward of the land and its animals.

[Daffynition]

We have a unique legend here in Connecticut:

The Leatherman: Connecticut's Wandering Hobo

Since 1862, many have heard the tale of a wandering vagrant who traveled in an endless 365-mile circle between the Connecticut and Hudson rivers. The strange man only spoke with grunts or gestures and dressed in crudely stitched leather from his hat to his shoes. The suit was made of heavy pieces of raw leather estimated to have weighed more than sixty pounds in total. It was a coat of armor the vagrant depended on to protect him from the sometimes harsh New England elements. "Leatherman," as he was dubbed by those who encountered him, would only sleep outside year-round -- and mostly in caves around Connecticut and New York.