This post documents my experience on May 25, 2013.
Although it may be easy to consider the “hobo” the same as a “tramp” or a “bum,” the hobo is quite different indeed.
As explained by this bench…
- A hobo travels (usually by train) to find work
- A tramp travels but won’t work
- A bum neither travels nor works.
In case you prefer some visual clarification…
…the above figure depicts a respectable hobo who travels in search of employment…
…whereas, by definition, the above child better fits one of the other terms.
This past Saturday, Julia and I took our little “bum”…
…to Bucyrus’s T & OC Station…
…for a festival that celebrated the former…
…and it was filled with vendors who sold canned goods…
…pottery (Crawford County Arts Council)…
…furniture, planters…
…and second-hand deals.
For hungry guests, there was a food court area in the back…
…with Bucyrus’s famous brats (via a donation)…
…homemade ice cream (Crawford Antique Farm Machinery Assoc.)…
…and even a Hobo sandwich, which consisted of fried bologna, onion, pickle and mayo.
Many people took their food to picnic tables and watched The Hobos perform…
…whereas we eventually made our way to the T & OC Station…
…to check out Hobo Day memorabilia…
…some cool fans (pun not intended)…
…and the progress of the station’s restoration work.
We also visited the Bucyrus Preservation Society building…
…where we found more hobo memorabilia and plenty of hobo gifts.
Max was itching to get a hobo whistle made out of railroad spikes…
…but we thought he was still a tad young.