Journal Two from Sam

Hello fellow 2367 students! My name is Sam Fox. My last name comes from Germany where it was originally spelled Fuchs. The story I heard is that my Great Great Grandfather changed it to Fox because he got tired of people pronouncing it wrong.

Steam Train Maury, was my favorite profile in the first assignment. The main theme that Steam Train expressed in his profile was that their was a right way and a wrong way to live your life as a drifter. He gave us many examples of the differences between the hoboes and bums. You could also tell in his story the pride he had in being a hobo and doing things the right way. I think this is important because no matter what you desire to be or do in life, a person with pride want to be good at it. My favorite line in this profile was, "You didn't have to trade work for money then. There wasn't any money. You'd rather get a meal for the work, or you'd rather get a pair of pants or an overcoat or a blanket" (Maury Graham pg. 20). This excerpt from the profile really describes the times and helps you understand the logic in the hoboes life.

Another reason I liked this profile was because it was extremely similar to a story I was told at the age of 15. I had been working on my neighbors farm through the summer and had the luxury of hearing many stories from John McNamee. John was in his eighties and often talked about his younger days when he first started the farm. He said it was tough times back then and no one had much. It wasn't uncommon for hoboes to stroll by in search for work, so he and his wife Martha would always keep a warm pot of beans on the stove. He remembered watching one hobo leaving the farm and seen him put a rock on top of the fence post. John said that was a sign that they were nice people and had a hot meal.

At the end of Steam Train story he says, he doesn't mind sitting at home in the easy chair. The only question I have would be, where is home for an old hobo?          

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