Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-08-18

but one side of his ledger y
A Troop of Wandering Gypsies IN Phiia-
dclpsia.
[From the Philadelphia Telegraph July 80.
During the early part of June the in
habitants of the rural sections of ouI
city were startled by the advent of q
large caravan of gypsies. They came
from the direction of Baltimore, and
their march was like that of q small ar
my. The first part, consisting of some
eighty men, women and children, with
twenty wagons, came on the 9TH OF
June, and pitched their encampment on
the large level lot of ground situated on
the south side of Haverford street, be-
tween Fifty fifth and FIfty-Sixth streets.
The second party numbering the same
number of persons, but with sixteen
wagons, arrived two or three days later.
Both parties seemed to agree among
themselves very tremendously. As the
weather was so very warm and pleasant
during the nights, they only pitched
about five or six tents, the rest sleeping
in their wagons or around on the
grass. They had with them quite an
assortment of very fine horses, some of
which they Offered for sale to the far
mers around, and others they took down
to West Philadelphia to dispose of.
Their wagons were fitted up IN good
and comfortable style, and, In some
cases, quite elegant. One of them in
deed was fitted up in a manner that
would do cre0it to any upholsterer, be
ing extended over the sides and provi-
ded with berths. This we believe was
the one occupied by the Queen and her
family. They all appeared TO be in
good circun stances, as far as money
was concerned, aud acted in Perfect
good faith with all with whom they had
dealings, except In regard to fortune
telling, in which the traditional Toguery
OF the race would crop out.
The Queen of the Gypsies, Lydia
Palmer, was tall and fine looking wO-
man. She appeared to be regarded
with great respect, although her
authority among her subjects was
not very great She was considered
one of the shreWdest of the whole
OF them in that line. On ceremoni-
Gus occasions she dressed very SPLEEN
didly, as did many of her subjects.
She wore a rich white satin dress,
heavily embroidered in the most elegant
manner; a beautiful loose circular or
sack, also covered by embroidery, and
straw hat trimmed around with a
sllken rope. Among the men there
were no distinctive dresses, and there
was nothing to distinguish them from
the citizens of the neighbOrhood, but
their dark complexion and gypsvish
black hair. On ordinary occasions the
women wore plain calico dresses, with
sacks of the same.
la their business transactions they
were open-handed and liberal Every
thing was paid for as it was bought,
without question. The only drawback
in this respect was with the women.
They would 60 around telling fortunes
and if the people would not submit to
be duped, they would threaten them.
There was one case III question that was
told us. One of the Gypsy women went
into a house in West Philadelphia and
asked to tell the fortune of the mistress.
| She consented. At the same time she
did not intend to pay the Gypsy for her
trouble After finishing, the latter de-
manded a dollar as her fee, when the
woman refused to pay. Nothing daunt-
ed, the Gypsy snatched mp a soup tur-
cen lying near by, and walked off with
| it. The next morning she reappeared
at the house with lot of dirty clothes,
and told the same woman that the tur-
cen she took was not worth the service
she had rendered her, and that if she
did not wash the clothes and,have them
dried when she called for them, at >
o'clock the afternoon of the same day,
she would put spell on her The wo-
man was so frightened that she immedi-
ately sent out and got washerwoman,
and had them done in the time specified.
Among themselves they appeared to
be constantly pickering and quarreling,
although they did not offer any violence
to outsiders. Before the Fourth of
July they agreed among them
selves that there should be no fir
ing off of guns, pistols, or crackers.
During the night of the Sd, however.
one of the young men fred off pistol
over the heads of the horses, who were
corralled In the encampment, causing a
great disturbance among them. This
was the occasion for a fight on the
Fourth, which alarmed the neighbors,
and they sent word to the police, who
came and ordered them off They got
their traps together on the 4th, aud left
peaceably, and went as fan as Sixty fifth
and Vine streets on the county line.
Here they pitched their camp again.
For while things went on smoothly,
but they could not keep from quarrel
ling among themselves, and they were
finally compeiied TO clear ont of the
city limits altogether. They travelled
westward, and are now In Chester coun-
ty. Some of them say they are going
to California. They are true gypsies,
and have all the manners and customs
of that singular people. They are gen
orally well-to-do, and some of them are
said to possess fine farms; but there
seems to be a perfectly irresistible
charm in their wild nomadic life. The
men, as a general thing, are fine looking,
but the women are decidedly homely in
their appearance. One, indeed, named
Jessamine Palmer, was rather pretty,
with that dark type of beauty so pecu-
liar TO her tribe.