I never saw those "signs", but back in the days of the "hobo's", times were a LOT "different" than they are now.
Hobo's weren't "bums"... and almost all of 'em insisted on doing honest work for food and/or "comfort" (like sleeping all night in your barn). I guess you might say they were "street people with honor".
They were mostly honest men who were "down" on their luck... and most of 'em didn't commit any crimes although a few of 'em MIGHT steal a chicken occasionally for their "hobo stew" if they were starving.
The Great Depression produced a lot of "hobo's"... a good many people (mostly men since few women worked outside the home in those days or left their parent's home until they were married) couldn't find work and there wasn't any form of "welfare" back then... so they set out to find work or at least to find a place where they could eek out a living until something better came along.
They traveled mostly "free" in the various railroad's freight cars which caused them a lot of grief since the railroads' management didn't want 'em there... and often hired men to beat and club the hobo's senseless & throw them off of the moving train.
"Life" was "tough" back then... and there is no way to determine how many otherwise harmless "hobo's", some of them young, homeless teenaged boys, died after being clubbed and throw off moving freight trains by these railroad bullies.
Unlike today's "street bums", most hobo's had a sense of honor about them... and even shared their food with other hobo's, made "hobo stew" and sat around a comforting fire at night and told tales with other hobo's in what was called "Hobo Jungles"... a place in the woods or fields along side the RR tracks where hobo's congregated under or inside some sort of shelter... away from the cold or the rain... like in an old shed or a cave.
But "life" was very difficult back then when there was no form of public assistance... no homeless shelters, no food stamps, no welfare and no free public health-care. There was just the stark realities of life... and death from starvation or exposure.
It was when a "good job" paid $12 a week IF you could find a job... and the work-week was 50 or 60 hours long. But those were better wages and shorter hours than the cowboys of the late 1800's had... they worked long days, 6 or 7 days a week for a dollar a day or $30 a month plus room & board which was considered "very good pay" and normal working conditions.
Thank goodness there were kind-hearted people who shared their food like Powderman's Mom and William Layton's Grandma's did... and some kind folks even allowed "hobo's" to stay overnight in their barns as long as they didn't steal anything... and most of 'em didn't.
Still think those were the "GOOD" old days? I guess "good" is a relative term, eh? :-)
Strength & Honor...
Ron T.