The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1921-03-22
KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD LEAVE
VARIOUS SIGNS BEHIND

AAo A<AhO SPShaCAl bSiiDCt
awaiting train at local depot yes
terday morning, utilized his time In
reading number of inscriptions ap-
pearing upon the walls of the build
ing. These writings were all in pen
Gil and designed in most cases to in
dictate to the friends of various
knights of the road who had SO.
journed In the building during cold
winter nights or had stood about
awaiting trains. as l was doing, just
when they had been in this locality
and which way the writer was headed.
A notation by girl of II years of age
appeared among a score or more of
scribblings by men.
The inscriptions appeared in this
fashion: At one point on the wall
THE Lone Star Kid" had left his
moniker Just beneath it appeared
the legend. kid Kalbel. the Jewish
Hobo. from Chicago. November 81,
1920, going east from California"
Then appeared kid Gregg. Utah.
and Mormon Kid, Joe Z. Salt Lake
City, 1-16-20, west bound" Following
that was the scribble, "Baert of the
Orient, west, Frisco bound" and be-
side 1t. kid Steurt. Frisco" An iron
ical and amusing contrast to all The
above. the following poem. carrying
its story no doubt, screamed out from
all the rest:
Il ponder these thoughts in my
silence.
II flowers will pine and decay,
Who wonders that fond hearts are
bleeding.
And drinking life's bitterest gall,
When they by their friends are dis
carded,
The keenest unkindness of ALL"
Perhaps this little legend in verse
betokening heartache for its writer
was scrawled by Miss Alta May
Thelma Kerns, age II, Harrison,
Michigan" whore name appeared
near by.
The ordinary Industrious layman
pays no attention to the hobo, or
knight of the road as he is romantic
lily dubbed, save on OCCASIONS when
something extraordinary attracts his
thoughts While following a life as
utterly useles as could possibly be
devised properly. the hobo and his
mates have devised a most intricate
system of REORGANIZATION which
like the secret signs of lodge or Or
der. are recognized by every member
of this great organization of travellers
wherever 1t is seen. No doubt the in
scriptions appearing on the wall of
the local depot have, or will have ere
this, conveyed to some friend of the
writer his exact whereabouts and
perhaps have been the means for
uniting friends or close pals. The
housewife often notices. after feeding
some begging hobo. a peculiar sign In
chalk on the fence near her premises,
or even upon the house itself, or bet
ter still the woodshed. These signs
are means employed by the knight Of
the road to advise his pal of the
treatment received at that particular
house. Sometimes they tell whether
food is easily secured or whether one
must work for 1t. Others tell that
the house is a dangerous one at
which to make application for food.
Hoboes whose propensities some
times turn to more serious crimes.
such as burglary. often indicate by a
sign placed on the premises that the
coop has been tapped" or that 1t
was attempted and the occupants are
too watchful for such an effort to be
successful. All through hobo life
there arises certain symbols and ex-
pressions, meaningless to the ardin-
airy citizen, but unerring in their
meaning to one of the clan.
Thus it may have been in the in
scriptions we read on the local depot
wall. Perhaps each line had its leg
end and each inscription may have
accomplished a definite purpose or
told a certain story. At any rate it
was interesting as a time passer
while awaiting a tardy train and it
helped to fill this much space on a
quiet news day.