The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-09
An Aacrnoo m Among tl,e l:ip.ics.

! An A ncrnoom A ln OnS the GiPsics.
Tier origin. haJif- and rust5ms- Fortune
teLing- Match making and horse trading
-RcmarkaLie identity Of a horse Cats
and baLics- nd clothes and ,romdas Curl
osity- Charmed peaches Case Of ercesSirc
Nodesty. d., d., DE-.
N,ssrs EIHorS-Accoriing to the best au-
thoritieS, the Gip>ies originated in Hlndoos-
tan, although vast numbers of them have in
| tested Europe, Asia. and Africa for many
| yeers, strolng from place to place. obtaining
/ a scanty living by theft. robbery and fortune
telling. shall not say this, however, of the
modest little band who are now encamped on
the south side of the Illinois river near the
/ bridge. for the simple reason, that | have
been informed by several of their own num-
her that hey are - hoaeS', ciecer p 'opie.n ard
| pick up stray penny here and there in q
/ lrcky trade, or by placiHg a young man in a
/ position that lie can - 20 far his Tjr0f - and
/ from observation and hearsay. ] opine the
latter trade Is proving rich harvest for
/ them in Ottawa.
One of the seventh daughters of the
| seventh daughter ON being Intercepted IN
/ relation thereto, quietly informed me that they
had struck lie r,tiom much LoriH."
! As regards horse trading. it by no means
/ an easy matter TO get ahead of Gipsv-it
! being the ONLY real study the me, have.
! There was only one trade that came under
my observation, and At that tine supposed
/ the Gipsv had met more than his equal bat
! the next day heard George West ad.ise nv
| friend TO amputa;e his horses tail just back
| of his
| a friend at my elbow. recognized the horse
/ h. ub,gh Doc H,,.l laH 4
to J. =. Anthony. some twenty years ago. for
swamp land, VIII, rcupon the law firm OF ID i
! :. proceeded To- iorccose - mortgage on the
/ horse. held by NcsSrs. Turkey. Euzzard 4 Co q,
/ with four wears accrued interest. Owing TO
the horse having gone soHth and Joined tie
/ rebel cause, Col Moore. who Instantly re-
| cognlzed him, stated that " bad it not been
/ for his former cGiiHg. he would have cars
! ed Hat horse at Hrfyg,He."
To saw that all who pay n visit to the
/ camping ground Of the GipSies. 20 for the
/ purpose Of having their fortunes told. would
| Ice unjust. although many PEOPLE have faith
in their powers to liit the veil and penetrate
the future, and as to those, can only exclaim
with the poet,
! "Thcrc'- ro usr If poraIizing now. because
What will DE- vii be-, - what has been was''
As soon rs n person nears The camp, which
| is no more than some dozen covered wagons
| drawn up few yards apart under the trees,
he or she Is accosred by one or more of the
female persuasion, requesting an interview,
just a few minutes private conversation, a
little outside the camp, under some stately
oak and now, gentle reader, it You are u
hurried man tfis is the point where the
91zelic comes ih;'' but ii Won are bent on
having Your for hne told. 1t may be discreet.
| If nothing more, ito leave the ma.ldm nj home
The only instance of this kind which came
| under my observation was hat Of Young
married man who visited the camp with his
wife, out of mere curiosity. of course. They
were accoStei in the usual manner, by "A
| Gamsel with nut brown curls, falling in
| gentle fluctuations over alabaster neck. y
She looked into the geutleman's hand and
told him III II GREAT events would soon crowd
themselves upon him. Opulence lay upon
one side, and wreck and ruin upon the other {;
! that none but the seventh daughter of the
seventh daughter could give him a chart by
which he could steer his canoe in safety
through the angry tide. A dollar or two was
instantly placed in the Gipsy's hand, and she
was hidden 20 proceed and she proc.eded :
''you are TO be the happy father of Mirteen
small cAibiren.' At this uncturc the 6uggy
proceeded very shddeniy, the lady mu,terine
something about cats The particulars of
her remarks | haFe not cared to inquire into,
but think it will be a lorg day before her
husband again 90 es Gipsyutg, as he has fire..
quently remarked since Their, that he is - un.
| unistakably an ALTERED man.
But to proceed +severai of the tribe hal
just arrived from a toraging expedition over
in town, and from the immense packages
they brought, the expedition seemed To have
been successful ~ g,tdHiiiy If not in q,tuiiiy,
and being somewhat of an in9,isiiirc diSpo-
siiion, requested permission to look on while
the process of as Ioring was going on. |
was taking a memorandum, to assist me in
this sketch. 1t would be m possible to emu
merate the articles | had oi;en gazed upon
when adjoining the faircst Of Ottawas daugt.
tiers. There was also, IN the bundles, q
quantity of gentlemen's coats, vests, pants,
! shirts. DC, &c., too numerous to mention
all Of which had been freely given by their
dear wives at home for the privilege of being
told that they would live to a remarkable old
/ age. If they were poor, they would so IN lie
rich if rich they would grow richer: while
the number of children would be Just the
number desired.
"Oh woman, woman, (ncluding female
Gipsies,) thou art the author OF such book
of iollies in a man, 'twould require the tears
of all the angels, to blot the record out"
The most numerous of the Gipsy visitors
are a class who believe
"Therc's nothing half so sweet in life,
| As loves yonus DREAM,
and towards evening, when the sun is gently
sinking below the western horizon, there may
be seen any number Of bugges crossing the
river on :" make believe little ride. How
ever, they never dan pass the encan,pment
without Iirst having consulted the gifted for
| time tellerS.
| One young lady desired a very brief des-
cription of the one with whom she was des.
tined to travel through this vale OF tears, and
was told that her husband would be not only
! a magnetic individual but tOyer of strength
to her, whereupon she gently leaned her head
against the rough side OF an oak tree. A
Respondent young miss, of some sixteen sum-
mers, requested To know of her future destiny.
The Gypsy sorrowfllly shook her head, and
replied that UOrIs would be mingled with
her happiness through lite. will | nerer
be happy?' exclaimed the affrighted dan. sci.
You lie will be as happy an ANY one who
can properly Conduct hod through life,
meekiy replied the fortune teller.
The next candida te for mystic honors was
a Young gentleman of little more than Or
diuary p,umpicily. lie was young man who
apparently enjoyed good health, although he
blu she'd, turned pale, and is lip quivered with
emotion, portraying but TOO plainly his doubt
and uncertainty OF obtaining the desired OBJ
ject of his heart You are fine CHAP, ex-