Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-01-06
RETURN OF THE GYPSlEs.
D1ckering with Unfortunate Farmers.
Laying by q Winters stock OF Hay.

Laying by n winters Stock OF Hay.
Thus many return to the cities 10 their
actual habitations, which may have stood
hle the summer through. Numbers trail
along the highways until their farm homes
are reached, where, if they be rented, az
they usually are to some less thrifty far
mer. they have reserved a few months
housing. Thousands wander into the
central south for all winter dickering and
trading there. Many return to their viii
hge homes, over or alongside mammoth
barns, where q winters gypsy jockeying
h done. Great crowds of them, not vet
20 well along as their brethren in gain.
ings, struggle into the cities. In the com-
moner quarters these turn their hanos to
bird training, basket weaving, training
ard trading in valuable cats and dogs,
willie hundreds of gypsy youths ecure
ready employment under gentlemen's
grooms, and particularly at he care Of
horses being fitted for the net years
events of the turf. Still others. and these
comprise the larger number, come troop.
ing into thousands of little villages and
countryside places throughout the SOUTH
ern portions of northern states and in the
northern tier of southern states, arriving
as early as the last October days. The
movements OF these provide a genuine
gypsy study.
Their arrival is hardly noticed, as they
never come in a large body, but in twos
and thryes, and it IL often weeks before
the little gypsy community is at its best.
The vanguard his quietly rented some
deserted roadside inn at the outskirts Of
the village, or some former spacious home
long gone TO decay. This is always got
for a song. However much house room
itmay have, it must invariably possess the
requisite Of a great ramshackle barn and
outlying sheds. For q little time the gyp-
ses seem tomerely exist here. But every
day their women folk may be seen miles
away. spinning in light buggies over the
autumn roads in every direction. Not
only are they found on the well travelled
highways, but every grass grown wagon
road leading 10 secluded and remotest
farms has been hunted and haunted. At
this home and that; there tarrying un-
der pretense of admiring some animal;
there making a trifiing purchase Of
vegetables and poultry; over yonder bar
tering for, but never buying, grain and
hay; again telling e fortune or two il
appealed to-; but seldom urging such
profitable vocation-in a little time these
eanniest and most in1omitable of all hui
man detectives have at their tongues
end, for home reference, every possible
item Of information regarding the fnan-
eial standing and condition Of every
farmer for half a county round.
Then Of a sudden some !uckless wight,
under terror of an overdue note or re-
lentless mortgage, has sold his cornfield
Gin the shock to the gypsies. Another's
weather Drowned stacks Of hay have
come into their possession. Then begins,
and TO continue the whole winter through,
o ceaseless procession of young stock.
horses and mules, toward the gypsies'
temporary domicile. Drunken farmer,
unfortunate farmer, tlriftless farmer. in
all directions, pays the penalties Of i'll
doing o. i'll luck TO these superb Jockeys,
who, buying for pittances, and for
months selling at excellent prices or net
at all, at their improvised market, make
large profits; and the spring finds them
ready for greedy city buyers with great
numbers of stock transformed from
shaggy. ambling beasts 10 animals Of
such splendid form and spirit as do even
city gypsy traders eyes good to look
upon. The amount Of live stock thus
gathered - every winter throughout the
country is tremendous; the profits are
icconceivably great, and these wizards
Of the stable must eventually largely ON
trol the entire horse trade of the country.
Edgar l.. Wakeman's Letter.