RIDINGTHERAILS

Teaching Pre K-8, Oct 1994 by Prindle, Joan

The New York State curriculum for fourth grade Social Studies contains a unit on local history. Part of the transportation unit is a study of the New York Ontario and Western Railroad (O&W), which went through my town, Hamilton, New York.

A few years ago, while studying this unit, one of the town residents, Mrs. Betty Paul, shared her fond memories of the O&W with me. One of her favorite remembrances was of the hobos that stopped at her house. Her mother gave them work and fed them. "We never met a hobo that we didn't like."

Realizing the importance of helping children understand some of what life was like during the Depression, I added another dimension to the O&W section. I wanted the students to learn about this strong generation that went through tough times.

Hard times. Our men had just returned from fighting World War I and things seemed to be going along well. Then the Depression hit. Soon, about 35 percent of American people were unemployed. Insurance companies failed and banks closed. Great droughts during 1934 and 1936 turned entire states into huge dust bowls.

After discussing the Depression, the class learned about the hobos that "rode the freights." By 1931, the nation's highways were filled with men trying to find jobs. They came from all walks of life and were of all ages. Many men went from place to place on the railroad boxcars hoping to earn a few pennies. Some rode because they liked the adventure and travel. If there weren't any boxcars, they rode on the top of the trains. The railway terminals had "Yard Bulls" on the lookout for the men. If they were caught, the men had to work for the railroad.

Sometimes hobos went to the back doors of homes asking for work and food. Many kind people offered them small jobs and food. Houses and locations were marked by special signs so that the next hobo passing through would know whether to stop.

All aboard. After this discussion, I asked the students to pack whatever they felt they needed for a "ride on the rails." On the designated day for "hopping the freights," the children, appropriately dressed for the time period, brought their packs to school.

We walked to Mrs. Paul's house, knocked on her back door, and asked for work. She needed some wood stacked, leaves raked and the sidewalk swept. After inspecting the jobs and declaring them well done, Mrs. Paul gave the "hobos" a long loaf of bread.

We took the bread to our jungle (a hobo camp) to share it and any other food we had. Back at school, we discussed the items the children included in their packs and why they thought each was necessary.

Following this experience, many of the students went home and interviewed their parents, grandparents and neighbors to record their memories of the railroad, hobos and the Great Depression. Empathy and a better understanding of the courage and strength of these hobos was what I wanted for my students.