Hobo?
Hobo is a wanderer, free traveler, adventurer, a tramp… roaming
around with leaving little or nothing behind, traveling with a hope
to find something new and better, not reflecting on the past… Hobos
stick together, understand each other's needs, help each other or
at least try not to stand in each other's way. They have their own
language, secret signs and script and a hobo code…two of the basic
rules to remember are:
"Decide your own life, don't let
another person run or rule you"
and
"Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need
their help someday"
History
Hobos were originally defined as a subculture of wandering
homeless people who appeared on the American railroading scene
after the Mexican Civil War in the mid 19th Century, when many
soldiers looking to return home took to hopping freight trains. A
the start of 20th c. there were 500 000 of them in the USA. The
population of hobos increased greatly during the Great Depression
era of the 1930s. With no work and no prospects at home, many
decided to travel for free via freight trains and try their luck
elsewhere.
Name
It is not known what the name Hobo stands for - some of the
supposed origins are "Ho, boy!", "homeward bound", the Manhattan
intersection of Houston and Bowery, the city of Hoboken which was a
terminus for many railroad lines in the 19th century or shortenings
of phrases such as "hopping boxcars", "homeless body" or "homeless
bohemian"…most of the hobos just called each other "Bo"…
Lingo
To pick up the hobo lingo, here are some basics…Hobo's mostly
slept under California Blankets (newspapers, intended to be used
for bedding), looked for Easy marks (a hobo sign or mark that
identifies a person or place where one can get food and a place to
stay overnight), avoided the Big House (Prison) or being C, H, and
D (Cold, Hungry, and Dry), and cured the H with a Mulligan (a type
of community stew, created by several hobos combining whatever food
they have or can collect)…
Famous Hobos
Among the famous people who experienced the hobo culture were
some famous names like Jack Black (writer), Robert Mitchum, Jack
Kerouac, Jack London…Hobos became even more famous through music …
Bob Dylan sings "I Am a Lonesome Hobo", "Only a Hobo", Tom Waits
honors them with "Cold Water" and Metallica turns hobos with
"Wherever I May Roam"…
The times of original hobos may be long gone but in every
traveler, being a backpacker, suitcase traveler or something else,
there is a bit of hobo spirit…
Bear?
Explaining the Bear part is easy. Bear is a symbol of
Zagreb. Bears were settled in the hills north of the city long
before it was even founded and given its name. The legend says the
prince Croat climbed over the hill from the north looking for a
place to settle with his people…at the place where bears were
looking for water, he told his soldier to "scratch!" ("Zagrebi")
the land with his sword, they found water and stayed…the settlement
was later given the name Zagreb, the hill was named Bear hill
(Medvednica). The hill spreads on the north edges of Zagreb, Bear
town is an old castle settled on Bear hill above Zagreb, Bear creek
used to divide and connect the two hills of Kaptol and Gradec in
the early history of Zagreb…
Today, the bears are no longer on the hill and one of them, Hobo
Bear, came from the Bear Hill to find his new pit in Lower town, to
have a secure place when he gets hungry and tired…and wants to hang
out with fellow hobos...
