about them. In the early hobos weren't at all like the hobos today. Mostly they were very hard working men riding the rails following the harvest of the crops across the country. Most could not afford to pay for room and board, so would carve a nickel and leave it for the person that would let them sleep in their barn, or whatever. Many houses were marked by hobos so that other hobos would know where they could stay, some of them marked to show that they could also get a hot meal there. I also have a list of all the marks they used for various things. Some of the nickels were carved in the likness of the host or of themselves. There were a few famous carvers, one of the was simply called "BO". He was involved in a train accident and lost the use of his right arm. Some of his pieces were carved with his left hand, but the ones before the accident are really superb. I have 2 of his.
Jodi