| OCR Text |
Show Ualemais Uatydeniptis, i odd lNcmcNi a or roRUtoN tLwi:u and ' OBbi:KVATION ' LoNDOfJ, Miy il 1S93 riio last quarter of a ccntuyy lias wrought a vv onelerful change for the belter Willi 11 losjuilty of Ml British Gipsies who hive teen content to remain in 'belr ovv n land In i867,hllc In Lnglind,! Had means of ; know ing from personal observation that almost universal squalor inn retch edness were characteristic of InVl and English, and particularly of I rtrulon Gipsies No one can make a tipsy anything but a G psy I ut n generation I of change I ere I as effected a more marked advancement la a rugged sort MjA of irosperity with this th-yi m uUr a 11 v nM other lowly class J0l'u lUft It has not selicd tho Gipsy bodily and NK In a moment, or a car, or a decade, put IrsflK fine clothing upon him and made him 1 VifK man of nirairs but, something ns with ibMk the destitute Italians uho have landed LmK upon American shores whom vv 0 directly VW lind as Iiuvrcis, willing labours rcsttu TAW rant keepers, neusboys bootlilacki, nu controllers of retail and uholcsile fruit Ifs and nut Uncles and on tl u high road to MS prosperity because they arc quick vv Itted WjL and ullliig lo labor tho llrltlsh Clp y r hasfoind along with ol I nnkcslufts I r B a livelihood, man) new though ill e Wh occupations and means of pelting on In tt the world, all after lis own mind and WWt Heart r Willi the race characteristics of these folk will require ininy generi K tlons In w Mich to undergo radical changes lfc their conditions and environment art I MHV the main entlrcl) dlflerent from those h K which Crabbe iIo)land, Itorrow an QH Slmson found themnnd of whchlhf) B wrote In other words, there is to I-n flH Utile or nothing In book literature alto gell cr true of Diltlih Clpslcs 01 tin K lour stindud authors nimed llorro 1 Mfr was the most romantic, Slmson the 1110s lav Inexorably true N-et both uriicol yfm t me and a merrlpen or Gipsy I fa w hid glK w ith few exceptions have wholly passci mW( rivvay These exceptions comprise til poorest 1 ngl sh and Scottish Gipsies i mm, today, some families in the north i tWi i.ngland whose members hive conllnii ML ed almost literally the otd form 1 wandeilng I fe b) the roadside tl UK tinkering the dickering, the tlulckeilnj or fortune telling and olicnthc tiny sales K of Imperfect ilr(t and tinware conterl N Willi a 'Khummeled 'or upturned cart BK for a roof In summer, and any sort of 1 HL town tenement in winter: the tiny tngt HRr, gllng bands in Devonshire and Corn - wall where there has been 1 tile chang J In oil social conditions for the past lilty K yeirs the few rcniah lug Gipsies 0(1 H 1 erllishlre Aberdeenshire and thelJIgh MB land districts of bcotlind and the CfiirJI sies of Wales where Is found the inostjl ( primitive and Id) II c lorm of Gipsy IIM 1 yet remaining In Ilillaln The elsW H Olpsles rarely leave Wales All Wclsll JB people are fond of them and they are i almost as much an Integral pirt ot tl e concrete rural social structure as are I lie BffM elsh peoi 1e themselves H The fact Is that llritish Gipsies as well (K as our Amcr can Cipstcs, hundreds ol BB w horn I could mme. w ho are worth from fioouolo Clooooo in landed property, AM have, durir l, tl e past quitter of a cen () tury developed a rrniatknblc ability for f certain lowly kinds of trade These lM linvcbcennnaturil outgrowth Inmost EH instances, of the lieltv wi)sldc dicker mMt ing of less fortunate times but tl ey are . still pursuits requiring the exercise or K t,ood thrift and ju lament and of a (.enulne I robily Hut mike the Gipsy M middleman welcomo both where occas rns 101111 cretin is ncccssat), and anione his countr) side custumers Inthemiln 'flK they are van-dwellers In the summer jflK time, as with us, traveling certain well BjdB defined routes and purveying in villages jH nnd even In the outskirts 01 towns and K cities, articles whose annul! aggregate NOW value mount to n stupendous sum V I heir on ilculcs nt the outset miy jgm. comprise one or more .ins. 1 hese are I riell described tiny houses upon W wheels Thc arc drawn bydonkejs, N ;r olicn I y broken down city tram horses wl Ich the Gipsies get In the , elites lorn sung and whleh will) tare l.fK otc finally transfurmcl iito excellent HP cattle rollowlng these maj be three H r four or 1 half dozen little donkey HV1 carts alter tl e fishlon of the cosier Ht mongers city cms Tlics- will liol 1 -. the real resources of the bind An ex- Cr nmlmlion of the latter would teveal nlmost enough malt rid In quantity, H certainly enough in arietj, to stock a lh little country store H This stock in tride has not been W licked up at ran lorn III the Lor Jon wliltcclnpcl district there arc great storehouses of Travelers' Goods ' mm Tlelr owners who 1 1 f nd Include If wealthy Gipsies could not continue In rsW business without the Gipsies' trade The II. goods handled nre soniewhit similar to WmK ur Amcr cm larudn counter odds BflB "" c,u,, C!l'ccla"y hi tinware and E metal goods, hardware crockery clieap B'JB oilcloths and household i Icknacks, W with die coarsest beads an I glided MF jewelry It would be a revelation to K ordinary I ngllsh tradesmen to reilise & 'he enormous quantities of stuff aiinii ! ally disposed ol In this manner through H out I nejind, Scotland an I Wales and the integrity of these Gipsy wanderers where they ask and rccclvo credit w for their supplies as they i olten do Sinller Travelers aK Goods' stores may bo found near " the Hull King In lilrmliijjmm. where "JK (arts may I c refilled in the I isy journey RDn lilts, but small shipments from time to ME time are forwarded by rail from MrM I ondoil BaHe I haie friends in tho fruit and nut KjBK trade In the Drury 1 ano qujrter of HIH I ondon w ho have si pplied Gipsies In all KB 1 arts of the provinces fur the pist tw enty IME years Hall of this trade Is done on WX f,reiI"i nii the fruiterers ill inform me WmK !"ey, have never lost a penny at the HK hands or their tl ousands or Gipsy mull B customers All these goods fruits and MS nu,l are Invked In little villages and ft f10lll1a filr and on matket diys Indeed H !"e L"K ' country lilr of today would H ,?",Vl ".! Ptourcsquencss and most of m- Its atlnctloris ibr)oun.cr t eoi le were H .eprC WYFW booths andtlpsy show F, men withdrawn H n, nHluV' tml 'id!c ?,f lho ury '' HI ?,ri,' ,',u1urJl '""""Act which was B S,S . V-r,1"'1 Gl?ll, ' nil auder H ing folk of the road, eime In force, we H find llorrow laiiienimg tint thu G psy had nowhere to lay 1 1, heid ' The mm& oppressive meisuru iindoubicdlv sent Am," caf 5? ' .III. Gipsies vv ithma ( e, period or ten ) cars In lied it nlrl nst HI u.i,"aiCiomJns iny tuon w way to W n1"1 his fortunes He look out a V 11 lobecome a Iravelinr merchant B TW,? a,ul "p.;n.ce ,VM '''m thU right K V iSJ "" I erioel st one year He could eS ' uf - still remain a Gipsy In every other pir tlcular Insensibly and by degrees he nctiisll) becaniMhe fellow whose uci t o i he origiinlly assumed in order to inertly exist There gridually followed a svstem among the nindcrcrs of providing ' Gipsy ground on which to camp in sileiy from the raids of the mounted constabulary Gipsies here an I lit re who had got n fooling and could le trusted bt ught or lniecl 1 its t f wiste laud, unusul lines Idle tracts it tl e ut skirts of cities and towns or camping rights In room) old stil le ird These are In turn sublet to nrriv hie, pilgrims at I qui one si Wing down lo a prnny a ill) And thus, with Gipsy trav rs Rvhi.reilly hive something U es ! btick arts ' to sell, one ean travel fr in Land f I.nd In John O Groit s hous or London to Oban, and return and n er upon the road by day, or underne Hi II e tent or the vr.n roof and tl c stirs at tilgl t beoutsllethe cumlorlitig protcc Hon of watchful llrltlsh law Hut the llritish Glnsy Is something moie tlian a ' v igroin tndcr l Hi k 1 1 are cncroacl ing upon or miking for tlx-mselvcs, many other rofitablc i ur suit nnd vocations I havcalwavs li Id tint In this wot Id bo foun 1 the real vo lullon of the Glpsyi and that In I ist th degree he became like other men i ot In religion because you can no more reach n Clips) with Christian missionary schemes than you can secure a ly ex presslon or belief Ironi any other form of Agnostic- In vocation an I the I cttcr luent to I Imiclf and family In mil rial living n like degree wotil I the so oiled 'black nits of Glps)dom dlsippear I have from time to lime shown this to be true amoni, American Gipsies It Is gratlf)lng to find it true among Dilllsli Gipsies I do not regar I them as hiv Itie, chosen the most elegant ot voca tlons nor us a class can they I e said to sustain cnvlihle relations to soctcly Hut they are doing something, nnku g moiic), finding themselves possessed or Inherent Industrial oner, nnd Ihelr acquisition and possession or means are making them a better race ol men In one of the large I ondon' Triv el Ing Goods ' concerns previously referred to the largest shareholder is a Gipsy who is reputed to be worth fully Uuoo. I know of nnny shootltg Lallerlcs In London coiducled by Gipsies They are not only successful with tl esc but In associative form, just as they are beginning to own most ol tl e money making II unch and Judy shows of the Melroi, "'" control mm) like privileges at noted lices of holidiy resort, near I ondon from which unusuit i rofit Is derived One or the most thriving vegetable boothmenor ( ovent Garden market is a Gips), who Is in great fivor with and is I roi lit much trade In the countless costers of the neljiboihuod Nor the Koyal Albert Docks Is n I ubllc house owned and conductc 1 1 y a Gips) andihls proreny Is worth more linn Za.ooo I reclsely as In some of the lead ng American cities, where Im poitant hoisc sites stables are owned y Gipsies who are thought to be ol mother race I found In I ondon an 1 lis mv Irons thirty one similar cslibllsh nents wholly controlcd by Gipsies hey arc credited with an extnordlniry mount of trade not only in horses bul 1 donkevs, Shetland and i ' Ul onlcs and goats Commission dealings re unknown Lvcry transaction is iide for cish an I In two ol these laces the leasehol I, f ttine,s an I stock f animals alw ivs on hand must requite o position of a capital of ftom j Mtoioooo g !ln ol I and prortiblebusincss In Lon l Is thit or purveyor or carts and ikeys to the eoslermongers There thousands upon tlmusinds or these lers in the metropolis Mini nre priously Improvident To stirt In Incss Ire julres a hand barrow or can I a coster of recognised Stan ling st ossess both cart and donkey rre aro many Uccs where from f fiy ioo cirts nre hind out by the dvy. :k or month and where cotcrs may chase I irrows, cms nnd donknt on 4 iMrtial payment ilm lliose con lin, this minner of business are said ecurea prohtof joo to i cooper cent, II y are uiuilly graduated costers I ut e or ihoso engage i In the iridic I v to bu Gipsies who are becoming rich I hey are supposed to lie Bed costers, whh whom I ondon les have many points ol common mblance character nnd Interest , e most surprising discovery of this levermado In 1 ondon was in the kl alntanceof n drimailc agent, near Ul ornerof orknnd Waterloo roads ho Surrey side uhilu nnklng in Y es regiril nj, lie Inunts and ways of 1 lon music hall performers anions Il4iany agents of this vicinity The lit Is one of tl e richest an I most pflcrlul of this numerous trlDe Thoso wf dally deil with him believe him to btli Hebrew, but I Ind Indubitable ev nee, aside rrom his admission, that th) man whom hundreds of the ' pro M rs law ned upon and feared for his lV and Influence In booklnt, tliclr ' ' it nnd irovlnclal music hall em ementj was none other thin one or j! oilcist Romany race He bail ii lor r times been ' i n the road ' with v om traveling shows somo or wh ho still controls, and had gradu- ii ii V!m l at,ra""ir attention to iiJ,lyGlr,sy nMoclillonj become a drjrilc agent In tl Is famous I ovetty 1 -I ,fci'"' lw 'V ' ;ll"u,1;r).11 Glisgow Liver. Po4 I anchtstcr, Drlstol II) outh and 1 01W1, of nnny Gipsies who are chlm ney Veps and who by hiring others jinl Jug contract work have secured indc I dence and comrort At llrlgh ton lithport bcarborough aid other nip nt J nglljh seaside resorts ore Hun.l, ol donkevs upon which oui mil nil children nre given bom iklnj. rides along the I caches Neai ill the owners or these art Gipsy1 some cf whom not only have rcspiiJ ile lank accounts but also own town'i pcrties In nnd about Nunei ton ol ovenlry are nnny Gipsy pro lerivj ners A lew are farmers but most (In properties at the outskirts of IhuefJa such an places for stabllnir silo bHles and oil Inns wlich siill have l,cctlon for the fanners and mako t rli g In horses nnd olhcr live stock ; 1 le nnd , rot table ) robihly the rl : I of all llrltlsh Gipsies one Smith .li ! Nuneaton He owns nearly lie houses an 1 land In one entire J I. has money in considerable sums II to speculnlve trivtll l Gipslc II Is also tho owner of bank stock (i ck or shires hi tlio J on don an J.mh Western Railway Alio gelherf Biol lings aro computed to t xcced liter ol a million dollars On ol Qulon while visiting the old cathedral city of Gloucester, 1" ngland, and wandeilng In 11 Catherines street where the Sunday school was frst estab lisliecl by Robert Ralkes I came, at the head pi the street, to a little old Inn much fre juenle I by farmeis I entered and sit down to rest A half dojen count y rolkwere Just closing some sort or commercial transaction, nnd one or the mm had counted out 'soo In gold sovereigns lie took n recelit ami shorlly left I asked tho barmild if that wis not sn odd plice lor so much P,on?c'.ta.nu'. herepllel that It was not, lor Oilcloth Hick and mch as he fre-qucnted fre-qucnted Ihe place, nnd Gipsies seemed 1 1 have all the rci lymoney In 1 nglind these dns '.Ills van Is ust over there "she ndded, aid ilsworlh seeing" see-ing" lUiialrirgtolhe lane Indicated I f un I O lclotli l)lck Ills van, nnd half ndorcn Gipsy fimllles The iatttrlud for yens pcslllel ol cloth which they secure Ironi orloliro factories throughout I ngland bcotlind and Wales They are several hundred In lumber Their vans nre leiiullful specimens of the wagonnnker art nnd all these Gipsies are practically trivel Ing merchants of large means an I long established trade III no city In the world ran he found finer draught horses than In Liverpool lho Holies or four wheeled trucks are called 'loriles,' their drivers lorry men 'and lhelit,e horses which two and three tandem, pull from four to six to is ol cotton or Iron over the streets with digi Ified ease, aro consequently lorry cattle They are chltlW bre I In Wales, IJiiicishlrenndCI)desdile S ot lind Having been much among these Iprrymcn ind their nippers ornpprcn tlce helpers, I soon discovered I atihe trulo in those viluablo horses was not altogether c nfined lo I nglijh burse dealers Twn Gipsies purcl rise Scottish nnd Uincishlre liorses lor the I Iverponl, lhrmlnghitn an I Manchester markets Wales It (s not seldom that these Kominy horse merchants lum from x ooo to jCsooa Invested In tdncjo ship ments and very dlrTerei t than vvltli their Gorejo or Gentile bretl re n every penny nf ihcse amounts Is their own nnd ni t lorrowed moiiey These Instinccs coil I be, trom nersoml knowledge, Indcfnilely mulllplled There Is but one corclusion Irom tliem I be Gipsy quest! n on this side or tho occin will so o cenc to occupy tlir nllcntlon or e en ihe mlsslomrles for the llritish Gipsy is bi coming n Ilritlsli business msri even lhoui,h ns yet In a snnll wiy, and In cannluess and thrill In tra lo and economy In living no humin being cm surpass this outcast Romany race I'ucur u Wai bjmsi |
