The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-10-16

were soon cut down and captured and
the prisoners released from their long
confinement, to the great Joy of their
friends, who crowded around them to
congratulate them. Brown and his
companions were placed under guard,
and with this ended the first act of the
remarkable drama.
The Life, Station and Character Of Gyp.
sizes Described. l5t lr
A taeho Rom. or real gypsy. who can
not in an emergency find his f10, or
even EGO, is very exceptional charac-
ter. As have within a few days, been
in company and on verv familiar foot
ing with great number of Romanys
of different families of the dark blood
who spoke the lib" with unusual ac-
curacy, write under fresh impress
sion- .... ..... .....
The gypsy is almost invariably strong
and active, good rough rider and
pedestrian and knowing how to use his
fists. He leads a very hard life, and is
proud of his stamina and his pluck. OF
late years he kdirs, or s'houses," more
than of old, particularly during the
winter, but his life at best requires
great strength and endurance, and this
must. of course, be supported by gen.
erous diet. In fact, he lives well, much
better than the agricultural laborer.
Let me explain how this is generally
done.
The gypsy year may be said to begin
with the races. Thither the dark chill
dren of Chln- Gwin, whether pure blood,
posh an posh (half-and-half,) or ch,1r-
edis, with hardly drop of the kalo ratt,
flock with their cocoanuts and the balls,
which have of late taken the place of
the koShter, or sticks. With them go
the sorceresses, old and young, who
pick up money by occasional dttkkerin,
or fortune telling. Other small callings
they also have, not by any means gen.
orally dishonest. Wherever there is an
open picnic on the Thames, or 3 coun-
try fair, or regatta at this season,
there are Romanys. Sometimes they
appear looking like petty farmers, with
a bad or even a good horse or two for
sale. While summer lasts this is the
life of the poorer sort.
This merry time over, they 60 to the
Liriner,qro tenn, or hop-land-i. e., Kent.
Here they work hard, not neglecting
the beer pot, which goes about gaily.
In this life they have great advantages
over the tramps and London poor.
Hopping over, they go, almost en- n,aSse,
or within a few days, to London 10 buy
French and German baskets, which
they get in Houndsditch. Oflate years
they send more for the baskets to be de-
hvered at certain stations. Some of
them make baskets themselves very
well, but as q rule they prefer to buy
them. While the weather is good they
live by selling baskets, brooms. clothes
lines and other small wares. Most fam
lilies have their regular beats or
rounds, and confine themselves to GER
tain districts. In winter the men begin
to chiU the koSh, or cut wood-t. e., they
make butchers skewers and clothes
pegs. Even this is not Improbable, as
a family, what between manufacturing
and selling them, can earn from twelve
to eighteen shillings a week. With this
and begging and occasional jobs of hon.
est hard work, which they pick up here
and there, they contrive to feed well,
find themselves in beer, and pay, as
they now often must, for permission to
camp in fields. Altogether they work
hard and retire early.
Considering the lives they lead, gyp-
sizes are not dishonest. If q gypsy is
camped anywhere, and a hen is miss
ing for miles around, the theft is al
ways at once attributed to him. The
result is that, being sharply looked aft
er by everybody, and especially by the
police, they cannot act like their an
cestors. Their crimes are not general
ly of heinous nature. ChiUi,sg q gry,
or stealing a horse, is, admit, looked
upon by them with Yorkshire lehiency,
nor do they regard stealing wood for
fuel as a great sin. In this matter they
are subject to great temptation. When
the nights are cold, 80 .-.. .' .''
Could anything be more alluring
Than an old hedge!
As for gypsies lying, it is SO peculiar
that it would be hard to explain. The
American who appreciates the phrase
:" to sit down and swap lies" would not
be taken in by Romany chal nor would
an old salt who can spin yarns. They
enjoy hugely being lied unto, as do all
Arabs or Hindoos. Like many naughty
children, they like successful efforts OF
the imagination. The old dyes, or
mothers, are lawful beggars," as
much by habit as anything; but they
will give as they will take, and their
guest will always experience Oriental
hospitality. They are very fond of all
gentlemen and ladies who take a real
interest in them, who understand them
and like them. To such people they
are even more honest than they are to
one another. But it must be a real
afcion, not a merely amateur affecta-
ton of kindness. Owing to their en-
tire ignorance of ordinary house and
home life, they are like children in
many respects, though so shrewd in
others. Among the Welsh gypsies,
who are the most unsophisticated and
the most purely Romany, have met
with touching instances of gratitude
and honesty. The child-like ingenuity
which some of them manifested in con-
triving little qualifications for myself
and for Professor Z. H. Palmer, who
had been very kind to them, were as
naive as amiable. 1have observed that
some gypsies of the more rustic sort
loved to listen to stories; but, like chill
dren, they preferred those which they
had heard several times and learned to
like. They knew where the laugh
ought to come in. The gypsy is both
bad and good, but neither his faults nor
his virtues are exactly what they are
supposed to be. He is certainly some
thing of a scamp-and, sonen est omen
there is tribe Of scamps among them
but he is not bad scamp, and he is
certainly most amusing and eccentric
one.
There is not the least use in irving to
ameliorate the condition of the gypsy
while he remains a traveller. He will
tell you piteous stories. but he will take