he most prevalent character clown in the American circus is the hobo, tramp or bum clown. There are subtle differences in the American character clown types. The primary differences among these clown types is attitude. According to American circus expert Hovey Burgess, they are : The Hobo: Migratory and finds work where he travels. Down on his luck but maintains a positive attitude; The Tramp: Migratory and does not work where he travels. Down on his luck and depressed about his situation; The Bum: Non-migratory and non-working (Wikipedia).