Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1884-07-11
THE RoMANY RACE,
The Religion, Habits, and Morals Of
the Gypsys.

ssst ptPEfSs
The only living American who has
any intimate knowledge of the Ian
guagc, history. and customs of the
mysterious gypsy is Charles Godfrey
Leland, the distinguished author, of
this city.
Although "IIans Brciimann" has
spent many years of his life in Phila-
delphia, his personal appearance is not
generally known. Apparently, he is
about 30 years of age. He wears a full.
long. flowing iron-gray beard. His
dark. restless, and sharp eyes glisten
from under high-arched eyebrows. Mr..
Leland's manner is free and kind. He
is nervous and his hands are forever in
motion.
"Oh, yes, ! do know considerable
about the gypsies." he said in the
course of conversation. 81 was with
them constantly for several years in
England. and even now. in America, l
see some of that queer folk nearly
every week. The way came to know
them was through my studying philol-
ogy. For months l spent entire days
in their tents. using only the Romany
language. BY the bye, their language
is the best index of their origin. The
gypsy is unquestionably Hindoo.
The European gypsies of to-day have
I retained much of their race character
istics. But they are amalgamating
more or less with other races. They
thrive better in America than elsewhere.
In England the passage of the inclosure
act virtually abolished all commons,
and so the gypsy has now no place to
pitch his tent unless he becomes tres
passer. The fact is that the great in
crease of population there of 26, 000,-
600 of people in that small country
necessarily put a stop to gypsy en-
campments. Now very many live in
cities during winter season. In sum-
mer they resume their nomadic career.
Their avocation for the most part is
horse-dealing and fortune-telling. They
have the reputation of stealing horses.
They don't deserve it. regard the
gypsy as very much more honest
character than many Christian folks Of
superior standing and higher culture.
Many people think they steal house
hold articles. l am sure they don't.
Why, if an article is missed within five
miles of gypsy tent, the entire neigh
borhood for miles around makes raid
on the tent. If they ever did steal this
wCald prevent it. Besides, there is no
need. All gypsies are rich. The men
are very shrewd horse-traders, and
they earn considerable money at the
business. The women always find
superstitious people from whom to ex-
tract money for telling their fortunes.
Their habits are economical. and their
mode of life very inexpensive. The
gypsy never cares about personal sur
roundings. Even the old taste for fam
cy costumes is disappearing, if it has
not entirely disappeared.
How many gypsies there are / can
not say. | was only able to trace about
one hundred family names in England.
Most of those have Representatives in
America. There are few Spanish
are of English stock. Most of the
older folks in America now were born
in England. Only the younger gener-
ations are natives. The Scotch gypsies
are of higher class; but they are not
numerous now. Irish Gypsies? Yes,
there are some few.
They are for the most part tinkers
or thinkers. They have a dialect of
their own, which | am the first philo-
logical discoyerer Of The only men,
ton of it in literature is BY Shakespeare,
who makes Prince Hal say: 1 can
talk with the tinker in his own dialect.
IL II nI q,
, time ago | saw an Isishman tinkering
in the back yard of my house. went
up and addressed him in Romany. He
replied in that tongue without showing
| the least surprise. | then addressed
him in Shelta. He at once exhibited
unfeigned surprise. The fellow told
me he knew very few who spoke the
dialect, and that he was surprised TO
| find me use it. From him l learned
much more of the dialect than l haG
, known. l made his instructions to me
: the basis of chapter in work on the
, gypsies. A London journalist said that
the Irishman had poked off an ancient
Irish dialect On me. i jokingly reprov.
} ed my instructor in the Shelta. BE
, dad, said he, with a strong Irish &C
cent, if there was but one language
as you think, would have been attel
/ learning two?' The Irish gypsy is 8
, half-breed. They are all thinkers.
"The religion of the gypsy was pure
t atheism. They are the only absolute
r atheists 1 ever met. But now, how
. ever, in England, they are beginning
: to practice formal religion. Some o.
8 them have the babies baptized. ant
others affect legal marriage. With thi.
change, may come love of civilized
and cultured pursuits. As far as l car
trace no gypsy has risen in literature
C art, or science. However, if he should
. it would be difficult to prove, for pride
r would hide the origin. 1t is said tina
ii Daniel Webster and Hannibal Hamlil
s. were of gypsy descent. do not be
It lieve the assertion had good foundation
h President Lincoln certainly did lo6l
, like gypsy, and yet know no reason
to assert that he sprang from thos'
= strange people. With these amalgama
u tons with gentiles comes also desir
IS TO settle down. There are the Cooper
IS in Boston and Harrisons in Washington
ir they are rich, and, as far as know
il they never 60 on the road. l know
few other families that have given
tent life, and who now permaner
e reside in houses. Philadelphia Pr