The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-29
GYPSIES FROM THE SOUTH.


Part Of the .Old Virginia hand" Encampsd
In New Jersey-Their Ci:ers Story.
From The Sev York Sur.
In little cluster of trees on the east
side OF The Boulevard" broad maead-
amized avenue connecting Newark and
Elizabeth, q camp Of gypsies was found
BY a reporter for the Sun yesterday after
noon. The camp is on a strip of high
ground rising abruptly from the edge of
the Boulevard near Waverly, and passen-
gers on the Pennsylvania Railroad get
| short glilpses of it through the trees.
When the reporter reached the camp a
number Of dark-skinned gypsies were
trotting horses ny apd down the Boule-
ward, on which were gathered some hose
dealers, jockeys and idlers. Several fam
lily carriages filed with ladies and chill
dren stopped at the scene, and several of
the ladies went into the camp to have
their fortunes told by the women in the
tents. A little man In velveteen jacket
was pointed out to the reporter as the
chief of the band. His eyes, hair, and
side whlskers were jetty black, and al
though below the medium s.ze, he had
well-knit and athletic figure. He was
very polite. He said his name was Hank
Jones, and that he had been chief Of the
band for many years. His parents were
strolling gypsies in Europe, and they even
penetrated Egypt, where he was born.
When a mere lad he Travelled with his
fathers band through France, Spain,
Germany, England, Ireland and Scotland.
His parents were English. and his family
for four generations had been strollIng
gypsies. A large number of gypsy bands
In England, he said, acknowledged his
father as their Grand Chief and his
mother as the Mother Queen.
'All of my people," said the chief,
''were born in the woods, as We used to
say in England. and think there ain I no
place like 1t. The life OF gypsy is one
Of excitement and adventure, and when
a man or his family once joins US
they become fascinated with the easy,
careless life We lead. We acknowledge
no masters, and as we break no law Of the
land we do not fear the constable. It's a
wild, reckless, rowing life, but it's right
jolly one."
Where did you come from?"
'Oh, we left Virginia In March, and
we've been travelling along easy ever since.
We winter in the South, and we are known
as Drdncn OF the Olu NIRlnld Ddnu
A few days ago about forty five of the band
went up to North Newark into the noun
tains, and our Chief Queen went with
them. | have in this camp fourteen men,
nine women, twenty-seven children,
twelve cove ed wagons, six tents and thir-
ty-seven horses. All the gypsy bands are
now on the move to the East and West.
The reporter found the camp swarming
with dogs. and had too look sharp in
order to avoid stepping on or stumbling
over them. A curious fact was that the
children all seemed to be Of nearly the
same age. In large tent deeper in the
woods than the others were two very pref
ty little girls. six and eight years old re-
spectively. They were neatly attired in
bright pink dresses, white aprons, with
blue ribbons, and their black hair was
braided in a unique fashion. The aged
woman who had charge Of these children
said they belonged to the Queen.
The reporter was told that the other
branch Of the Virginia band are en-
camped on Glenwood avenue, near Bloom
field n J.