The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-20

in England?" "Better Why, it's entirely
different from what it is here. There
we are a recognized portion of the popu-
lation, aud all the old ideas about stealing
children, bringing bad fortune with our
presence, and all that sort of thing. Is ex-
ploded, and they treat us like human beings.
Though / have travelled with my band for
many years in England, fail to remember
one single case in which a charge of stealing
anything was brought against any OF us.
We are careful and provident, and
know how silly it would be to
steal from our friends. Why, even
Queen Victoria paid us visit once when we
were near Balmoral, and she invited the
whole band the next day to breakfast. OF
course she was not there. but she spoke very
kindly to several of the women of our band,
and asked as to our habits of life, and all
that, you know. There is great kindness
shown us by all the high people, and 1t is
only the common people who speak against
us. There are no high people here, and
that's the reason why all are against us. We
are
HUNTED DOWN AND Prosecuted
just as strongly. though in a less open way,
than in the middle centuries in Europe.
There is nothing we can do to overcome
this" "How is your band getting on in
Long Islaud?r when we are all united,
we are pretty strong, and we all meet about
the middle of November together. In the
summer we divide, because, of course, the
less that go together the more easy it is to
provide" "How do you live in winter"
"When we all unite we number
about one hundred, and then we
PUT away ali our travelling baggage and
tents, and live in small houses we have
erected ourselves. The land is not ours, but
il is in desert portion of Long Island. and
nobody disturbs us. When we are disturbed
then we'll move further on. Our life in win
xrr1 oil
the time in doing something or other. the
women make all sorts of small fancy arti-
cles, which sell well, and the men have out
door work" "Are you organized under
any general head, as people?" at is so
understood. We have king, who lives in
Europe, but travels around necessarily. Few
of us have ever seen him. His word IS law
to us when we receive it, but since our tribe
has been together we have never heard from
him. His principal place of residence is in
Bohemia, but he is like all of us, and has no
particular State to denote his station. He is
a very old man. There each country has its
head, to whom those within the country owe
obedience while they are there. As soon as
they move out of it they owe al
legiance to the new head, and
so on. There is no head here that
I know Of / am chief of my tribe, and
orders have never come from any one else to
me here, so that suppose there is no head
for America. In our wanderings we are al
ways Obliged to ask permission of the chief
of the tribes of a country we propose to visit
whether we can do so. This is because
there may be too many at time ii some
stop is not put. The chief then either
permits us or forbids us, and we
obey. 1t is simple system but
quite necessary in our way of living
At this moment one of the women came uI
and said to the old gentleman flor he was
one spite of being gipsy(. Come, father
supper is ready" This is my daughter
said the old man. ''It was she that made me
come out here" The woman was about
twenty-seven, but she looked 35. Her fea.
lures were fairer than those of gipsies
generally are. There was kindly expires
sion about her, and as the writer turned
about to bid them goodbye" almost re
gretfully, her face wore very sweet smile
as of one who suffered, but bore her lo
bT the and heep wrte
Dassed on.