1. Cats in this house
   A kindhearted lady lives here.
2. Warm bed here
   A small amount of food to be had here

The cat symbol means that a kind-hearted lady lives in the house, presumably because cat ladies have big hearts and are nice to animals? It's one of the more desirable symbols to run across if you're a hobo on the road.

1. Work is available here!
   Two days worth of work
2. Work for more than one person
   Work is very hard here.

A pair of shovels means that this is a good place to be because work is available. The nature of the work could vary, but whatever it is, it's probably worth looking into if your goal is to earn your keep for a while.

1. Bread
   Work in the mornings
2. Work for a bed here
   Inconsistent payment here

This symbol represents a loaf of bread, which you can probably get now that you know what it's supposed to be. It lets another hobo know that the menu in this particular location is going to be a little bit limited, but, as they say, beggars can't be choosers.

1. No train service here
   This is a good place to get a train.
2. Trains are dangerous here.
   Trains are monitored by cops here.

Hobos get around by riding the rails, so it's good to know where the trains are. The tiny train symbol lets you know there's a good place to catch a train nearby, ideally the sort of place where no one is monitoring who's jumping on and off.

1. Rich person here
   A couple lives here.
2. A baby is in this house, keep it down.
   This house is also a business.

Two diamonds side by side indicate that there is a baby in the home, and you should stay quiet. Hobos had to be very polite and accommodating if they expected to get any food or money, so this was important info.

1. Camping this way
   Food this way
2. Don't go this way.
   Trainyard this way

A circle with an arrow through it in which the center of the circle is left empty is a warning symbol. It's telling the hobo who reads it that they do not want to go that way. The danger is not specified, but it's enough to know something bad is that way.

1. Doctor here who doesn't charge
   Elderly couple here
2. Avoid this house at all costs.
   No work here

The plus sign is the medical cross, and when it's capped by that little circle, it indicates a kind doctor that is willing to help you out. Back in the day and up through the Depression, this would have been a literal lifesaver and much more common than anything today.

1. Doctor here but he charges
   Work for food here
2. You'll get cursed out here.
   Free bed here

Though it looks like stitches, this symbol is a little more confusing than anything to do with medicine. It means that the person who lives here will curse you out. All things being equal, you should probably avoid a symbol like that.

1. Dog in the yard here
   Electric fence here
2. Build a fence for money here.
   Housewife pays for chores with food here.

Those four lines indicate that the housewife in this home will give you some food in exchange for doing chores. You may not know this, but hobos actually created a union back in the day that had a code of ethics for them to follow.

1. Easy work here
   Hard work here
2. Good for two night's stay
   Tell a hard-luck story here.

Two spikes in the letter M formation means that if you want to get something out of this place, it's in your best interest to tell a hard-luck story. Whether that means exaggerating some details or outright lying is anyone's guess.

1. No work in bad weather
   You can sleep in the loft here.
2. Beware of the homeowner.
   Food but no lodging

This curious symbol indicates that there is a loft on the premises that you can sleep in. Why would so many people be open to helping hobos? Part of their ethical code back in the day was always to be courteous and respectful.

1. Talk religion to get food here.
   Go to the local church for a bed.
2. Avoid the church in this town.
   Leave town fast.

The symbol of a cross outside a building meant that your host was a religious sort, and if you could discuss religion with them, it could be worth a meal to you. Never hurts to be well versed in topics other people hold dear.

1. Thieves nearby
   No work here
2. Avoid at all costs.
   Good for a handout

Sometimes X marks the spot, and in this case, it marks the place where a hobo could go and get a handout. According to hobo ethics, that means you can't go here if this person seems like they're in a vulnerable position. You should always respect others.

1. You can stay here for a long time.
   Be ready to defend yourself.
2. Hard work for little pay
   You might get ripped off here.

An arrow is a symbol of war, so it makes sense that this particular hobo symbol indicates that you need to be ready to defend yourself. Likely that meant the people in this area were not hobo friendly, and moving on would be a good idea.

1. Sleep outside this house
   Sleep inside this house
2. Alcohol in this town
   No alcohol in his town

Remember, these symbols came from the Depression Era very often and the time of the prohibition, so this symbol, which means the town is dry and free of alcohol, was probably more common than you might have thought it would be.

1. Woman
   Rich folks
2. Grandmother
   No help here

This is essentially the stickman version of a lady in a dress, so it makes sense that it's the symbol for a woman. Now whether that means a housewife, a woman living alone, or something else altogether is not really clear.

1. Room at the church
   Food for work
2. Sleep in the barn
   Christian home

The symbol is perplexing, but what it means is that you can get food here if you're willing to work for it. Part of the hobo code was to always look for work, in particular the work no one else was willing to do.

1. Family of five
   Chance to make money here
2. Lots of work here
   The barn is good for sleeping here.

Those five rings are no rings at all but representative of coins. The symbol indicates there's a good chance you can make some money here. The hobo code stated you should never use that money to get stupid drunk. A little drunk, sure. But not stupid drunk.

1. Outdoor work here
   Indoor work here
2. Kind gentleman lives here.
   Police are on the lookout here.

Hobo symbols don't have to make a lot of sense, and this one fits the bill in that regard. The window with a triangle combination means that a kind gentleman lives here, and you may be able to get a hand from him.

1. Easy work here
   Lots of hobos in the area
2. Beware of dog
   Hold your tongue

That little leg trailing off to the side might just be your tongue, and this symbol means you ought to hold it. Basically, keep a low profile here, don't talk out of turn, and probably keep any cussing to yourself.

1. No food here
   House is heavily guarded.
2. You can't stay here.
   House is abandoned.

That little bar across the door on this symbol indicates that the house you're at is very well guarded. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but you probably don't want to try anything funny here, just to be on the safe side.

1. Friendly folks here
   Lots of food here
2. Sleep in the loft here
   You can sleep in the barn here.

That big smile means you can get a night's sleep in the barn at this location. There are actually a few symbols that share this meaning; another one looks like a pair of wavy lines on a stick over a circle.

1. You can get work for 2 to 10 days.
   Watch out for thieves.
2. Pay is very low here.
   Dangerous at night

For whatever reason, the 2/10 equation is a warning that you need to beware; there are thieves around. Hobos were an easy target for thieves since they had no place to stay, and they were already frowned on by most people, including law enforcement.

1. Keep away
   Good place to sleep
2. Sleep in the loft here
   Friendly family

This triangle with an antenna or possibly a teepee is a warning symbol. When you see it, it means that you'd best keep away. Either the people here are unfriendly, or there's some other kind of danger. Either way, there's no need to find out, just leave.

1. Soft bed here
   No money but food available
2. Poor family here
   Rich family here

This bumpy little line indicates that the family living here is poor. Based on the hobo code, you'd want to know not to bother these people, or if they are willing to help you out, don't take advantage of them since they're hard up themselves.

1. No work here
   Help if you're sick
2. Angry dog
   Lots of police

Maybe this R is meant to represent the staff that's sometimes used as a symbol for medicine, who knows? In any event, it means that you can go to this place for help if you're sick and need some medicine or other help of that nature.

1. Christians live here.
   No rooms for sleeping here
2. Man with a gun lives here.
   Thieves are around.

The triangle seems to put putting its hands up here, and maybe that's because it's telling you a guy with a gun lives in this house This is a warning symbol that you should definitely just keep moving if you want to stay safe.

1. Sisters live here.
   Mean dogs here
2. All talk no pay here
   Well paying home

Those crisscrossed Ws indicate that a mean dog lives in the house you're at, so you might want to back off. Hard to say why that symbol was used but all things being equal, it does kind of look like cartoon dog teeth.

1. Train close by
   Church with multiple beds
2. Police officer lives here.
   No work in winter

Four lines across a center line looking like a segment of a fence is an indication that the house you're at is occupied by a police officer. This is generally a bad thing as hobos, as illegal riders of rails, are viewed as criminals by most police.

1. A dishonest person lives here.
   Nothing to see here
2. Work in the fields here
   Good place to camp

This symbol looks like a gibberish scrawl more than anything else, but it carries a weighty meaning. The person at this location is dishonest, and you should keep your eyes open, this may end up bad for you.

1. This way to work
   I went that way.
2. Get out fast
   Better opportunities this way

A circle that points away with a pair of arrows is a serious warning. You need to get out fast. Whether the danger is thieves, police, a bad homeowner or something else, this is not a friendly place for a hobo, and you need to be on the move.

1. Houseboat
   Work in the water here
2. Sleep on the beach here
   Bad water

The little cartoon wave over some sort of cube is a warning sign. There may be water nearby, but it's not water you want to drink because there's something bad here. Usually, this would be found near an open source like a pond or a stream.

1. Good food here
   Bad food here
2. Courthouse or police station
   Farm work here

Why this particular symbol means a police station or courthouse is anyone's guess, but that's what it indicates. Hobos are historically not fond of law enforcement, so this is a casual warning to go somewhere else.

1. Lots of work here
   Hobos arrested on sight
2. No room to sleep
   Keep your eyes open for danger

Those two rings are symbolic of handcuffs because this symbol means hobos are arrested on sight. Even though some were just looking for work, other hobos were potentially dangerous or criminal, and some places chose to arrest all of them whenever they were found.

1. Decent food here
   Leave before dawn
2. Work before dawn here
   Good place to sleep

This semi-circle symbol is a simple and easy one that means this is a good place to sleep. This symbol is much more plain than many others, likely for ease of use. The easier a symbol is to draw and recognize, the more helpful it will be.

1. This person is weird.
   Telephone here
2. Farmwork here
   Sleep in the barn here

Is there a reason a bird is used as a symbol for a phone? Hard to say. Birds travel long distances, maybe that has something to do with it. This symbol likely hasn't been used in decades because why would anyone care about a phone anymore?

1. The owner has a bad temper.
   Hot food here
2. No food here
   Bad food here

The squiggle in the box is a sign that you're near an owner with a bad temper. It looks vaguely like a symbol used for ovens, so that may be where it came from — the owner is a bit of a hothead and should be avoided.

1. Avoid this place
   No food here
2. Vegetarian here
   Fake an illness here

The V symbol scrawled somewhere means it's time to get deceptive. If you fake an illness, you may get more help than if you just present yourself as a healthy person who's looking for work in this location.

1. Watch out for wild animals here.
   Hard work here
2. Lots of work here
   Jail

This symbol might be meant to reflect the look of bars in a jail cell, but whatever the case, it does symbolize jail. That means either the jail is nearby or you're heading there if you stick around too long.

1. Nothing here
   Leave while you can.
2. Work all year round here
   Dangerous homeowner

A simple circle lets hobos know that nothing is going on in the area, and they'd do well to keep moving. There's nothing good, nothing bad, just no work, and no reason to stick around unless you're just looking for a place to do nothing.