RFP Staff
♦ Three would be local hobos allegedly attempted to join the “brotherhood of the open road” early Thursday evening only to be thwarted in their desire to flee Salisbury by boarding a Norfolk Southern freight train. Joshua Banks,23, Nicholas Brown,23, and Eric Magraner,28, all of Salisbury, had their outbound ride cut short by Rowan County Sheriff’s deputies who arrested the trio before they could clear the Bury.
Banks, Brown, and Magraner were each charged with impeding traffic, impeding rail road operations, trespass on railroad right of way, and ride on train prohibited. Each received a $5,000 bond and are in the Rowan County Detention Center.
At one time during the Great Depression Salisbury’s freight yards served as a major boarding point for hobos. Salisbury’s wooded areas were teaming with hobo jungles. In the early 30’s 5 hobos met their demise by having their skulls crushed standing up on boxcars passing under the recently constructed Shober Bridge. Today only “Tarp City” exists with a limited number of transients.
The Hobos’ Ethical Code
* The Hobo’s Ethical Code was created by “Tourist Union #63″ during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri. This code was voted upon as a concrete set of rules to govern the Nation-wide Hobo Body. The Code:
* Decide your own life, don’t let another person run or rule you.
* When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
* Don’t take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos.
* Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but ensure employment should you return to that town again.
* When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
* Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals’ treatment of other hobos.
* When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as badly, if not worse than you.
* Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
* If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
* Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.
* When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.
* Do not cause problems in a train yard, another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.
* Do not allow other hobos to molest children, expose all molesters to authorities, they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
* Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
* Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.
* If present at a hobo court and you have testimony, give it. Whether for or against the accused, your voice counts.
