Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-28
Gypsy TRAITS.
Many Good Ones We Know Nothing
About-We misunderstood the Gypsy.
The Race increasing in Numbers so Rapidly
That Closer Relationship Becomes
Necess ary-Camp Life.
CORRESPONDENCE of the Gazette

Correspondence OF the Gazette.
CAMP, NEAR DOVER, n. J. June &C.
There is something truly remarkable
about the almost Interchangeable reserve
Of the Gypsy in the presence OF any other
than his own people, and of his singular
shifts end efforts TO be as one dumb.
Catch him in city or trading in a VII
lage or come upon him in any sort OF
mixed company and his reticence is SO
marked that the ordinary observer would
set MIN down as inordinately stupid.
This >habit is universal among these
people, and they break through 1t only
under great stress OF badger-
ing or necessity. wagon-loau
OF Gipsles once halted in 'front.'
of q wagon makers in small Penn
sylvania town, where L frequently make
my home, and while one of them tried
TO dioker for a sulky for one-half its
value, a really intelligent clergyman in
the presence of admiring townspeople
put a set of stereotyped questions to them
about their mode of life and the state of
their souls, varying the same with other
proddings OF like nature in his line. But
the lot of lost heather was so bad as
TO smile at him, so dumb as not to an
swer him, and so downright wicked as
to give him no chance for an argument;
whereupon the good man lost his temper
entirely, and consigned them to eternal
perditlon IN one compact and canonl-
cal sentence. Standing next the team
and thinking to have little fun at the
PARSONS expense 1 said wickedly in an
undertone to a particular lively old dame
in the wagon:
IA shan gaugie-a grye chori Tell
him so and jaw the drom, or, in plain
English: The man is bad one him.
self-a horse thiefI Tell him so and go
away.
The woman gave me look of half in
quiry and recognition, which l returned
with all good assurance. Then she called
the Gypsy from the wagon-shop by
word. He came out nimbly, looked
quickly at the crowd, and sprang into
the wagon. Just as they started rapidly
away she turned full on the clergyman
who was still forensically dlsposing of
their souls in different forms of future
torture, and said quietly: "Hit's said
we're no better nor g rse-thief yersel.
Howsumdever hus be, mebby ye might
be a-tendin' yer own soul W.T. profit!
Everybody was too astonished to laugh;
and the good man sorely felt that his
powder had been
BURNED FOR NAUGHT.
Ashamed as 1 was at my own part In
the retort, my establishment was in the
unheard-o departure of the brave Gypsy
rule TO never betray spirit or the bright
ness of Indignation under the most ex-
asperating circumstances. Full retribu-
ton came in learned disquisitiou from
The clergyman on Gipsies, the burden of
which was that Gypsy writers and STU
dents were in league to give the race
place as the most canny and cunning of
men, when everything proved them the
most brainless and stupid people on
earth.
Nor was his idea an uncommon one.
That it generally prevails is not singular,
when it is remembered that their whole
life motive seems to be to appear to all
tut themselves just that sort of people.
II is only with the most ignorant country
side folks, or among those not of their
race no are thoroughly known and have
been unqualifiedly tested that they relax
from this sodden manner and pretense OF
brainlessness. Test this IN any time and
in any way and you will find 1t to be true.
AS is almost true of one or two other
races we have with us, they have no race
sympathy with US; they resist all associa-
ton with us; they cannot bear any man
ner of intermingling or mixing up. All
people not Gipsies are, to their notion,
made for them to forage from-to subsist
upon. Therefore, and because this is
true of the whole race, and not excep-
tionally true of part of it, or Of individ-
uals, their ways among US are, and for
ever will be, the exact opposite of what
al -na
affectation, deceit then are become their
nature. Nor must these qualities be
reokoned against them as parts of their
real selves Foxes may be quite
sociable and jolly and generous at home.
But the Gypsy nature is the fox
nature, limitless in degree, in all that
side of him, in all things, which must be
presented to all other mankind. That Is
the very essence of Gipsyism. Rapidly Us
they are increasing among us, because all
conditions for the same are with us in
finitely more favorable than the world
ever gave them elsewhere, large as is the
wealth they are piling up in farm and
city property, they no not lose an iota of
that impenetrable armoring of eternal
alertness OF pretended nom alertness, I'M
intelligent simplicity and unassailable
repellance, that have protected them
through the centuries with WonderIul
isolation from every possible race en-
croachment. To-day, and right here
among us, they pursue, concerning the
most absurdly trivial happenings, pre-
cisely the same suspicious exclusiyeness,
wary and ell unnecessary precautIon,
and what would appear to us as out
rageously silly finesse, that they did
when battling for their very lives against
continental ediets of determination in
the Fifteenth aud Sixteenth centuries.
In this regard their precaution and over
caution are often
LAUGHABLY RIDICULOUS.
Countless little incidents of this sort
have happened in my wanderings among
them, all too trivial to relate, yet ell
enabling q sure judgment of note
worthy characteristic. One instance,
Illustrative of them all, may be par
doned for repeating.
1 had been generously entertained by |
several families OF Gypsy friends in the |
spring of 1878, near Chicago, in the little |
village of Lyons, on the Desplaines river,
a sleepy, old and nestlihe place, which |
the Gipsies much frequent. Thinking TO |
return their goodness. proposed q trip |
to the theater. They consented only |
after great urging; and, looking forward |
to rare treat in the enjoyment of their |