The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-12
GYPSIES IN JERSEY.

The Bucolic vagabOuds in Camp-How the
DemoruHxed Descendants Of the Ancient Al.
chemists aud Soothsnyers Exist.
few days ago gang OF gypsIes made their ap-
pearance on the sacred soil OF New Jersey and after
wandering about for while In the wilderness OF
swamps and morasses with which that foreign coun-
try abounds, came to a standstil In thick grove on
the western New York road and pitched their tents as
cooly though they had obtained charter from the
Legislature to run the gypsy machine just where they
pleased. Gypsies have at all times been considered
outside the pale Of civzation--that Is according to
missionary teaching-and the vagabonds who took
possession Of the grove In New Jersey were not at
all an exception to the emibarbarous class OF which
they claim to be ragged part and parcel The
woods IN which they saw at to put up their horses
and their wagons are just west OF the railroad
track, which skirts the border OF the West.
ern New York Road, and are supposed To
be owned by somebody VINO doesn't care a
snap OF the finger who cuts the trees down or
away the TIMBER and OF this consolng fact the
gypsies must have been wen aware judging from the
way they made havoc with the oaks and hemlocks to
sut me neces stiles OIL tneir transient visis There
but four women among the ten or fifteen men, and
about seven little children. Where they came from
no Que In the neighborhood was able TO learn and
the wanderers themselves were altogether too rei
cent TO GLOW their tongues 70 waQ Information 20
barbarian outsiders. The men were dressed In the
brmIned Kossntb hats, which had tile appearance
OF having struggled many summer with the rays
Of the sun and the SHOWS OF many q winter They
were ali cadaverous looking set, with complex.
ions made bronze color by exposure. and eyes deep
sunken 10 the head, though piercngly clear and
sparkling. The women aud children were ali SLOW
emily dressed and looked AZ II they nad never
come under the combined influence Of soaD and
water In all their unnatural lifetime. While IN the
grove some OF the gang slept In their wagons which
are fashioned after the charcoal wagon,n with
broad coverings made waterproof by thick canvas,
and the Others slept under shelter OF tents without
and uicloth. Az night while the women and
some or tile men we're asieep, two OF the men kept
guard about tile encanpment, IN the company OF
several ugly looking ours, which never failed TO
warn the camp OF the approach Of any stranger on
| the railroad track or the roadway. During their
stay at the grove the gypsies passed their time in
trading horses and every thing Imaginable In the TIN
kettle line with the farmers and others IN the neigh
] bOrhO0d. and II was matter OF rumor among GER
tain OF the outside traders in while that the
] mixers ware they got from the strange folK''
looked very suspicOusly like the same Kind OF ar
tices they had missed from their diaries several
days previous. but they did not dare TO ray ANYTHING
derogatory to the high character 81 the gipses ia
! their own camp, aud 80 mad 20 swallow their aus
| plcions and their bargains 1T the same time. There
were, strange TO say, no fortune teers IN the en-
! cainpment but all the women were old dried No
looking and appeared 10 be afraid OF every passer
by, though each mad committed some CRIME which
4 she was AFRAID OF having revealed. Three horses
belonging TO farmers the encaInpment dlsap.
peared rather mystenousy after the arrival or the
gips,es and they were all traced 10 the camp. This
/ OF course, rendered the nelghborhoOd too hot for
them and so, feeling that prudence w their case was
| the better part OF valor, they
! Folded their tents like the ArAbs
And silently stole away
in the midst Of the darkness Of the night where the
I atone KNOW and no one else cares.