The different comparison in this excerpt all show that Johnny Appleseed does not have much. Monks do not have wordly possessions and neither do Hindu sages. His hat is described as an old tin pan rather than something more glorious. This all shows that Appleseed has a humble station in life. Humble means to show that you feel you have low importance in life. The lack of wealth description shows this low standing.
If the radio broadcast was happening currently and was speaking about current events, the verbs would need to be in present tense since the actions would be taking place in the present.
