Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-03

they ever learn the language; was tinker.
Ing common and dicSering easy; and innu-
from nag TO chauyie. and the answers were caught
as eagerly as hungry beast snaps at food tossed
men forgive me. but in these hours fear / soWed
such seed will ripen into wholesale Spanish
Gypsy immigration into America; for, az conf
dence begets confidence, was not long In learning
some surprising facts concerning these people.
Gypsy IMMIGRATION.
Briefly, they demonstrated that an extraordi-
nary exodus OF Gitanos from Spain has been going
on during the past decade into the spanish speak
ing countries comprising the West Indies, Mexico
Gipsies have come 70 cuba. No recognition what
ever OF the fact seems 10 be possessed by cuban
people. But Glpsies are now every where through
Cardenas, Matanzas, ntiago de Cuba, Cfenfuegos,
sc. Few live inland Ike my friends OF the
the lovely canon where they abide from a
Havana landlord; and through this ostensibly
honest life Of the guaJiro are enabled 10 decker
with the peasantry, as Wen as descend upon the
gay Cuban capital In all manner OF guises for
fortune-teiling among the rich and lowly. and
for general trickery and petty depreciation
within the narrow confines OF spanish law.
In Havana they masquerade In all manner OF
occupations They are among the aguad6rs
who hawk water from door TO door as In old
Madrid They are OF the calm, greasy, contented
c0cheroS sleeping in the sun upon their victoria
boxes. They are In hundreds amongthe pictur-
esque guadaneros, or bOatmen, upon the fair bay.
The dulceros or hawkers OF sweets know them yor
most patient OF street merchants Among the
earrtterbs, with their red caps, rawhide slippers,
wide linen trowsers and bare breasts, are very
many. Others have become servltors In the quaint
old posados. Every latOnero, tinker here, as In
While over at the Plaza de Toros In Regla and
about the grander one, beneath castillo del Prin-
eipe three-fourths OF the matadors, picadors ban
aerllleros, and chulos, as well as the AMBITIOUS
hansers-on about those who butcher bulls for
public deiectation, are pure Romany, or are tainted
With the strain OF barbaric Gypsy blood.
FAREWELL ATTENTIONS.
As the time nesred for my departure from the
Luyano camp the attentions on the part OF my
dark-faced friends Increased. Perforce must
visit every tent or cabin-for few Inhabited the
the deserted huts OF the former tenantry. II was
2 sad thiny to them that persistently RETAINED
more. i have never seen a drunken Gypsy. But
these rugged the border-land closely, and the
chatter and yelling from II all were deafenng
Though rushed from tent to tent and cabin to
cabin, there was still time for observation With
few exceptions every feature OF the Gipsy camp In
Germany, In England, or In America was here.
The tent-bow OF old was here. The hooded covers
were the same
TENTS UNIVERSALLY FACED THE SOUTH.
That sacred Gypsy heirloom, the crooked kettle
stick, stood by each smoldering, blazing, fire.
Pots, kettles and all utensils for cooking were
ancient, but quite the same The volceless dogs
were here. The same shrtll voices OF women,
meiodic laughter OF maidens, garrulouS tones OF
century-old hays, and hearty, husky. brazen
Ohio or Maine. And above all, that utter abandon
In spirits and movement which render the happy,
unguarded Gipsy The most awkward Yet graceful,
OF humans. was here as had never seen It before.
Gypsy FROLIC.
But when the night came again the whole camp
seemed determined on genuine Gypsy frolic. A
Dat OF song started In one group would be
snatehe1 away, as II were, in another
quarter and borne toward the 0arbaric climaxes
Inc good humor In IL all was irresistible.
That night i must have shaken hands with,
or rugged every Gitano in the band a
dozen times over. Then came feats OF dane
ing, singing and leaping bacchanalian enough
for actclosngs In the most picturesque OF dramas.
Through IT all there was never malevolent or
trolable bubbling over OF -heartedness, and
there was a tenderness and affection for the aged
the young, and the weak never elsewhere seen.
DOZEN Gypsy LOFTS,
dashng their Sombreros aside, Wed with each
other in dancing the Cuban breakdown. spurred
by this. the old men would now and then enter
the cloud OF dust and perform feats that would
dlslOcate every joint or the average American
youth Nor were the maidens silent. Here and
there by Naming fires dances that were shadow
dances indeed began. No pen can convey the
matchiess grace OF these. COnjure all forms and
Of 9Syed ySq have
ments OF the spanish Gipsy maiden will
convey them all. In courtesy. Gid
whiri she Is cat bird, VenuS-as she Is in her
Dature-in one bewildering, eloquent human. But
II! Americana GOrslO' must Dc one with them all:
and he was. lie gave In his best baritone and
with Gypsy vim and spirit which won him falne
here, II never else, the best he had ever gained
among American GipSies. and made the echoes
ring from the canon walls with "The night ha'
come, the starS are out" 'Sleep, sweet, my Chau-
Vie, sleep" "Its Chee,-Chee! when the Boobies
corre!" that widest and most hilarious OF all
Gypsy melodies; and never gained operate star
such fervent applause.
'BUENos NocHEs."
But all things have an end. Zapateo, fandango
wild and barbarc melodies, ALL stilled in the late
late hours; and as the fires paled beneath the
canon palms and the flaming stars glowed with
more fiery pulsatfOns above, tawny throng with
kindly "buenOs nochesl" on their tongues led past
my tent like witchng shadows from a wraithfui
past. Shadow and sound. sense and scene, word
and movement, with the faint and fainter echoes
OF the bandurilla, guitar and castinet threaded
and thrilled through ROmany dreams that
night. Then when the morning came a noble
Glpsy feast was spread. Those who remained
behind said ''Ad o5!" with tender tone and loving
pressure OF the hand, as though one OF their owl
were going. score OF men upon ponies trailed
with me through the Shadowy defile OF the calon
10 the white cazada- Along came the raging
Guines guagua, or stage, bound for the gay city
Guard, drivers and passengers ScOwled at me as
though were leader OF a bandit band. But heed
less OF these, far as the hilly way would allow 1
looked back with tender gaze to my GitanO friends
as they waved SASH sOmorerO and cane-eaves as
token, while their voices came floating me over
The Old canada with "Feix viagel-felix Wage!
Dios lie a e0mpahe" EDGAK l. WAkKMAN.