Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-10-01
SECRET SIGNS OF HOBOEs.

SECRET SIGNS OF HOBOEs.
The Origin and Meaning Of Some Of
the Most Common of Them.
Peter Sands, of Castle Valley, has
mysterious power over tramps. He
makes a mark upon wall-a circle,
a diamond, triangle-and every tramp
who happens along regards this mark
and does straightway what Mr.. Sands
requires Of him, taking to his heels in
terror, or advancing with manifesto
tions Of Joy.
Castle Valley is hamlet near Doy-
lestown, and Mr.. Sands is wealthy
widower. He has given part Of his
leisure during the last two years to a
study Of the tramp and he has found
that there really Is Gas had so often
been declared) tramp cipher. kind
Of hieroglyphic language, which these
wanderers write upon the walls Of
houses for the guidance Of those who
follow after them. Mr.. Sands has
learned this cipher.
A few Of its characteristic circle or
the square-would be useful to any
man. For he who would write in chalk
upon his wall either Of these two signs
would not be troubled by tramps so
long as they remained.
1.-THE tramp language, so far as
know It," Mr.. Sands said recently, "is
very simple thing, and very crude.
direct thing. 1t can express itself for
chilly upon material matters. It can
say: This Is fine,' or This is rotten
but it is quite unable to say subtle or
spiritual things like Sermons In
stones, or The sunsets luminous
peace 1t has no need, indeed, ever to
be spiritual Of subtle, for spiritual
or subtle tramp does not exist.
1.-The tramp is very much or an ami
NAL. His language deals only with ami
mal-material things. Men, wemen,
food, dogs, flight, money and drink are
the subjects that absorb his mind. And
in his own sign language, which is un-
ineligible to the outside world, he
treats Of these subjects. The things
he writes are criticisms-terse, strong
editorials, fiattering or unkind, which
he chalks upon the walls of the houses
he has visited. These editorials are
boon to the tramp who comes after,
for they tell him the houses to seek and
the houses to avoid.
1.-The diamond Is the sign of the
tramp's favor. The diamond, in tramp
language signifies abundance. It's ap-
pearance on a house wall means that
within there Is good cheer for the hobo.
1.-THE circle is the opposite Of the
diamond. 1t signifies zero, or nothing.
It means that the hungry tramp would
waste his time begging in the house 1t
Is affixed to. There Is circle on my
own resideace," Mr.. Sands said with
smile.
"a cross or x Is as unfavorable a
criticism as the circle. The cross
means They will put you to work, and
It's meaning originated out Of its like
ness to the saw horse. Saving wood is
about the only work that tramps may
be trusted to do and therefore a saw
horse, or x, makes for them a very
good symbol Of work in general. The
double cross means very hard work.
and this symbol has taken its place II
the slang Of the day. To give man
the double cross is to do the worst
thing possible to him-to set him to
work, according to the tramp's point
Of view.
"The sign for a man is an up and
down straight line. That for woman
is kind of crude hour glass. These
signs undoubtedly arose from the DIFF
ference in the male and female appear
ance. Man is more or less straight up
and down, and woman Is more or loss
pinched in at the waist like an hour
glass. A sign frequently to be seen on
houses hostile to tramps is huge fig
ure TO- the Il whereof means, man
here and the o. nothing to be had
THAT is an unlucky dwelling which
has upon it's wall an hour glass and a
diamond side by side. No house so
decorated is ever passed by tramp.
He goes in with an assured front ana
he gets without surprise, sumptuous
meal or a gift Of money. These things
are no more than he had expected, for
the sign upon the wall had told him
that a woman, not man, occupied the
house, and that this woman was both
rich and generous.
1T is important for tramp to know
whether or not there is dog about
the place that he proposes to Visit, ror
If he did not know this, he might,
through carelessness, be bitten. Hence
there is in his language a sign for
dog. It is a horizontal line, supported
at either end by two vertical lines. 1t
looks too layman like a crude drawing
of a bench, but to tramp 1t looks like
a dog. The horizontal line is the back
of that animal and the four vertical
ones are its four legs. A tramp In en-
tering the yard Of house marked with
the dog sign goes very cautiously. his
pockets filled with stones and club
in his hand.
There is a sign much rarer than
tramps would like to see, and rectan-
gle surmounted by semicircle makes
it. This sign means Booze here, and
when a tramp beholds it on house
wall he hastens forward light hearted
ly. It is a crude drawing of beer can,
or growler, the rectangle representing
the pail proper, and the. semicircle its
handle. Few houses are ever decora-
ted with this sign.
ION O stnna wall Or a gate on the