Show A n GYPSIES THEIR MANNERS CUSTOMS AND METHOD the general impression Ke gArding the alace Is wrong most of them are in in their own way they do not like civilization A reporter has had the novel plea sore of passing an evening with a family of full blooded gypsies at their home in this city to the average reader this statement will not appear particularly startling interesting nor for the average reader is probably not sufficiently conversant with gypsies and their ways to be interested in a family of them which jonm eyed across the water to make a new home in atie united states if is safe to say that the popular idea of gypsies is far from being correct all harp seen our wandering nomads travel ing along our highways or ih their filthy tents and still more filthy camps ask ten people what i gypsy is and six of them will substantially say people who travel about the country and exist by doing as little work as they can and by stealing all they can lay their hands upon this impression is all wrong and there are few very few genuine gypsies in this country gypsies are a distinct race and nation i aliby in themselves as distinct as the germans are from the chinese or the russians from the americans they ire suppose to come as their name indicates originally from egypt they have a language of their own the romance chick or gypsy tongue which ia still preserved and spoken almost as purely as etwas centuries ago it is made up odthe egyptian rouman ian and other languages gypsies are scattered over all europe and there are today over of them on that continent it is not knowin lieu first they left their native country ani began to make their appearance m eu rope they entered germany in 1122 and as earl as 1531 many of them were in scotland following the occupations of actors and dancers and tinkers they are known to this day in scotland as tin klers the better and more progressive gres sive class of gypsies seem to have adopted great britain as their home while the men ave as a role followed horse trading as a business and the women fortune telling and basket making they live inked their hands to nearly all trades and occupations POOK SOK LAZY gypsies have figured as engravers metal and iron workers actors artists irtis ts musicians clergymen evangelists carpenters physicians and so on working upon iron and metals appears to have been their forte however next to dealing in horses in 1726 they cast a i large bellat edgehill and at about the same period they practiced engraving on lead and copper gypsies also conducted an iron foundry near st andrews in hungary in 1496 they made bullets and cannon balls no one should for a moment think that gypsies are either poor careless as to their personal appearance or shunned socially by the people with whom they come ya contact many gypsies are very well fixed financially and few if auy in europe or on the continent are not well supplied with all the necessaries of ihfe they own valuable horses fine wagons and caravans comfortable and furnishings in return they have been entertained by kaiser and pope on the continent and by dukes and earls in england one charles bosworth a gypsy king lived and flourished at rossington in yorkshire in 1709 according to all accounts charles was a roistering blade and enjoyed himself to the utmost history informs us that he was a mad spark mighty fine and brisk keeping company with a great many gentlemen knights and esquires an idea of the social standing of the gypsies can be formed when in 1750 the prince and princess of wales journeyed to norwood to visit queen margaret like the jews the gypsies have for centuries been a greatly oppressed race and great injustice baa been aone them As late as 1873 forty seven of them were arrested in germany upon various charges and imprisoned when they came to trial not one of the charges could be sustained and they were all released HOW THEY As is rule the gypsies are superior to many of the people whose countries they pass through Th eyare bright and extremely courteous they remain frequently several weeks in one camp reaching a town they hire camping ground which is usually ft large field affording sufficient pasturage for freir horses and donkeys the tents are pitched the camp made and then the men begin to buy and sell horses this in england and scotland is called coping it being difficult to cope with a gypsy on horse dealing and the women devote their spare time to basket making and fortune telling there is a throng of visitors about i y camp the greater portion of tb ard a anbe usually takes more town than it brings in the camp is model amodel a of picturesque ness the tents are small affairs grassy soil being the floor general lacov ered with dry leaves gathered from neighboring hedgerows hedge rows in front from a tripod hangs a large kettle and the women wearing dresses and shawls of bright gay colors combine to make abe acene a most cheery one the gypsies are gre attea drinkers and brew the bey era gein a way hat would have delight ed the heart of sairy gamp new york recorder |