The New York herald., 1876-09-24
Romance and Poetry Of
NomsN Life.
UNWILLING THE MISTY FUTURE,
A Half Hour with a Gypsy
Fortune Teller.
THE CHILD OF THE STORM

Is 4. Bohemia or Egypt or Hungary No; just now
II is at Hunters Point Dutch Kls at tor the
purposes OF this local sketch Not very romantic
home this Hnnter's Point is il? Nor is Dutch Kills
And yet band OF rowing gypsies have struck their
there tell fortunes and trade horses they
say; TO steal and punder the Gay OF the explosion,
when adjacent homes will be left deserted by their
frightened inmates, somo of their suspicious neigh
bors declare. There IS strange fascination in this
wayward, roaming open air vagrant life, which recoG
nizcs The vault Of heaven its only shelter,
tho glittering stars pcepng from the dusky, neetng
clouds MS It's only guide, and glorious aature, with its
ircshening, invigoratng inspiration, as It's only
friend and companion. There is somc-
thing weird and unfathomabe about II to the
dwclcr Of strong and brick prisons tho city, and the
gypsy would langush and die IN the gildsd cage
the Fiftn avenue surely, If not quickly, in tho
inest ed cell in the Tombs These children of nature
it were, borne the heavenly breezcs that
waited their way from the mountains, tho sky and
the sea; the morning sun nuriures them and brings
them to his warm breast; the outrageous trees bend
over them and fan them TO sleep; the forest brcczes
and the flowers delicious perfumes to them drink
and food; and, II the Pantheist be indeed right and
Nature DO God then these dusky swarhy children OF
the forest claim the closest communion with tho
Dcity--a community far closer than that of the fash
ionable attendant Of parties balls whose clothes
in Poole's latest style, and who would catch
rheumatism and evcry other ism In the first night of
his gypsy encampmcnt lie.
GYPSY ENoAMPMgNr NEAR HUNTERS POINT
Dutch Kills, is about three miles from the ferry.
Striking from Vernon avenue into Jackson avenue
and pursuing Jackson avenue for a distance OF about
miles, you pass Snnotts liquor saloon, thence
you directly upon tho encampment 1t is a
rather curious coincidence that gin mill should be
tho dividing line between American and gypsy life.
considering that these eypslcs claim to be temperance
and to rcpudiate sprituous stimulants IN every
form. Right behind Sinnotts saloon is quite an cx
tensivc wood, and in clearing, which is sufficiently
the avenue TO afford the casual passer by a
pretty good glimpse of gypsyland, strange pic
turesque sight strikes the cye Here several
built In regular gypsy style land far efficiently by
the way than any army tents you saw)
some of them of canvas and others of cheap, heavy
carpet, which gives the abode quite homcly, warm
comfortable aspect Then thero large gypsy carts
standing about-houses on wheels beautifully orna-
mentcd on the outside and bristng with comfort and
convenience within, with sitting in front and
smooth, soft bed for sleeping chamber behind These
beds look as inviting, as clean and neat any bed in
the Fifth Avenue Hotel and you can pleasantly imagine
yourself drawn by pair of stout smooth
country road in glttering start night, and dream
OF the magic and tho wonders OF gypsy witchcrn
the winds OF the forest play over your travelling
cot Then think of sleeping in some stormy night In
OF these pretty beds tho horses dashing brnvely
through rain and wind, the patering
head and waking you occasionally with It's dismal
sound. These bedrooms on wheels are fitted up with
looking glasses ana toilet cases and even Saratoga
belle might manage to store away her comprehensive
wardrobe within their capacious recesses.
''How many will this wagon accommodate OF
nighty" asked Mr. Wharton the chief OF the band.
ooh good many" said the strange OF
powerful stature with the deep dark gypsy face and
jewish hooked nose, and altogether an air OF great
shrewdness and wisdom In his 'canny' features 1.-TWO
Will sleep the bed and IN the space in tho front tive
sly ron nncil a al nd dos Qvru tha N
PICTURESQUE scENX
But 10 complete the picture number OF these
though they wero drinking In the warm rays Of tho
sun which shone upon them. few women, strange
fantastic looking creatures all in picturesque rags and
tnse just as they look on tho stage going about
evidently in pursuit OF some domestic arrangement
cracking fire was bull. Of twigs and hugo tcakc,te
already pulling forth its grateful steam And tho
children were playing about in the grass, and such
children, with old narlns rcd ncckerchieis, ap-
time OF Noah's ark, through all the sue
ccssvc generations of the gypsy tribe, each
wearcr leaving a ragged edge and new fantastic
twist in It; with spangcd Jackets Of every imaginable
color and Of unshapey shape and brecchcs that EVIL
IDENTIFY by their great great grandaters as
ovcrcoais and have gradually been reduced TO their
present ana shape That Is OF the beauties of
gypsy dress-hst every article OF wear priced heir
loom which remains for ages in the families subscrv
ing the uses OF an ovorcoat TO tho grca grandathcr
being clipped down to coat by the grandfather then
transmogried into vest by the father until tho
rcjoccs In its faded color but apparently undimn.
shed warmth covers for his legs. To complete this
horses and mules, which 10 judge from their wild look
have evidently adopted the weird ard ianciiu spirit OF
A REsrxcrABLK GYPSY cmKF
Mr.. Wharton, the chief OF the band received the writer
with much old-ashioned courtesy and readily gave
an account OF the number the names the origin, his
tory and present OF his flock
Bat to any one who had seen gypses in The Puszta
of Hungary and In the wids OF Bohemia writer
had It, was not necessary to tell that these gypses
were of very wild, modcrnized and, perhaps, adu-
fe n hard
matter OF fact, practical America Mr.. Wharton, tho
leader, for instance had been in tho country some
twenty yhve years His mother gypsy. hls father
an Engshman By trade he was an itincrant brazer,
but now he traded horses and lived in perfect devotion
to horseacsh. While he spoke he kept jingng a
pocket iuIl OF coins and The writer is very much mis-
taken II this gypsy chief has hot either very respect
able bank account for rowing child OF nature has
not slowed away somo hoard Of gold In lonely
spot under the earth. He and his comrades
puors clean or aypsss ana On ,Ss' Hoeoun, none
the live population in his long, black, unkcmpt HAIR
the rst bond Of brotherhhod would probably refuse
extend to hs Long Island kinsman the right hand OF
fellowship
uxxusrcAL oYrsrEs.
Another feature in the true European gypsy camp
which missing here was the evidence Of that
Wild passionate love OF music which undyingly gows
for instance, in the Hungarian gypsys breast; which
him. like the load star of hts existence
from his cradle TO his grave ou can never VISIT the
tent Of Hungarian gypsy without seeing with him his
faithful HE pan non--hs nddlc--irom whose strings
he evokcs those weird. strangely beautiful and hoar
piercing melodies pale echoes Of which the New York
reader has heard In Lstz's 'Rhapsodc Hongroise
performed by Thomas splendid band. You could
that these American gypsies mad but Iitilc of
that wild Titanic nature OF their Hungarian ohe-
mian brothers; that they were bent making money
moro than soothing aud st,lling their passionate
hearts with melodies snachod from the inncrmost
depths Of love- hatred bafed hope and black despair
melodies which sway the musical soul as the slender
reed ~ swnyed by fierce, unrelenting gust OF wind
''And what makes you live in these tc0ts In the
open AIR, when hotels and comfortable inns open
to you f' tho writcr asked.
30, we are born to it, SIR" the wary loader replied,
In a monotonous sing-son voice, which had somo
faint remembrance o gypsy music in IT, 1--WE are
born 10 It. Wo should be stined IN hotel VIC must
live the orcn die. You these men all are
either Iu booded gypsies or had gypsy fathers
or mothers-tbe love OF nature IL in their blood.
Nothing take 1t out To reduce them city lie
would mako them TOO miserable to ive"
''Do you intend that all your children shall follow
this ME ~
'Ah, no. have several sons in San Francisco who
are plumbers, rooers nc. That's getting to be quite a