The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-29
The Romany Found in Every Romantic Glen
in the TrOssachs and Along the
Beautiful Highland Lakes.
special 10 THE SUNDAY CALL.

is interested IN gypSles in vastly broader,
nobler and more evangelical way than N.Y.
self. lie seeks them out and finds them at
their worst. and the worst of them, unearth-
Ing the horrors Of their lives in and near
large cities; and then, burning with desire
and determination that they shall be made
good citizens, rouses all England with his
rugged eloQuence, insisting that the very
world stand still until laws are passed for
their complete sanitation and civilization.
In proportion to its population there are
more gypsies in the land O. cakes than In
England. Scottish traditions and litera-
ture, especially the ballad poetry OF Scot
land, are full OF gypsy countryside lore and
superstitions which have been the out
growth of very genial and close relation
between gypsies and Scottish peasantTy.
Gypsy blood Is known 10 course in the veins
Of many of the Scottish nobility. These
people actually secured the cOuntenance, If
not the favor. of James ". James ' en-
tered into league with John Faw, Lord
and Earl Of little Egypt in 1910, directing
all in authority in his realm TO compel the
return TO Faw's submission all of those Egyp
tians who had rebelled against him, and
that all officers should assist in OBTAINING
and furnishing those people lin conformity
with his laws, SO that, as the edict read,
the said John have NO cause OF compliant
in time coming"
This Faw, whose shrewdness stamped
the genuine gypsy upon his character was
the prOgentor of the many tribes of Flaws,
Faas or Falls, who, with the Baillies. have
been the most noted and numerous of Scot
fish gypsies, whose descendants | have
found IN respectable numbers and condl-
lions throughout the United States.
The environs of Edinburgh and Glasgow
are full of gypses. who are superior In
physique to their English brethren about
London, Birmingham. Manchester and Liv-
eTpOOl. In Tweeddale, Anandale and Niths-
dale are many families of gypsieS whose re-
speetability and individual means, although
they leading a rowing life, would compare
fayorably with those Of the small farmers of
the same regions. The gypsies whom l
have met in Aberdeenshire and Perthsh hire
are not well of, but are much liked and al
ways welcomed among the peasantry.
SUMNER VISITORS.
Within a few years much good fortune.
from 4 pecuniary standpoint has come to
Scottish gypsies through the vast increase
Of summer visitors, American as well as
English, TO the highlands and islands Of
Scotland. They resort to the vicinity of
Oban, ROthesay, lnverary, even cross to
the outer Hebrides, and are found in every
romantic glen in the Trossachs and along
the highland lakes. These are gradually
abandoning the life Of the road for the
greater and quicker profits Of show" gyp-
sizes In summer, and during the winter seek
lowly quarters in cities.
The smallest aud largest collection OF
gypsies l ever found in Scotland were, re-
spectiyely, in the far north and at the very
southern boundary. The first was discov-
cred one early morning in July. l was COM
ing with an eminent Northern Presbyterian
divine from grand STathgla>s over the
bleak moors, down through Fairy Glen
UTQuhart, to DrumnadTochit by Loeb Ness
1T e..
Of a little loch stood a solitary gypsy
tent-the tiny WOODEN hood of the true
ROmany. Its flaps were skewered close.
The inmates were asleep 1t was the tiniest,
snnggest home human eyes ever beheld.
could not but repeat aloud to my reverend
companion some gypsy sayings, perhaps
5000 years old, such as: Firm as a rounded
hill are the tents of our people," my
loves breasts are as hillOcks Of amber; as
bright tents Furnished by the SUM- "Our
tents are firm against the sand-wnd." And
"As still as the red stars sleep shall nestle
our tents In the valleys" But as the
startled look in the dominie's face merged
into inefable Scotch scorn l presently de-
sisted.
The largest aggregation Of Scottish gypsies,
now sadly dwindled, is at the border Teviot-
dale town Of Yetholm. These might be
called house gypsies. as theyoccupy matched
cabins In Kirk etholm, the property of the
Marquis Of Tweeddale, held under the curl
Gus tenure of nineteen times nineteen
years" at a nominal rent But few fami-
lies remain. Nearly all the old stock has
died OF or emigrated to America. though no
longer ago than 1647 they mustered from
round about over 800 souls and 800 asses to
escort the remains of their old King, Canny
Will OVID Faa, from COdstream to the
bur5ing ground al Kirk Yetholm. II was
here, too, that my late friend, the brightest,
wittlest and most sensible gypsy woman that
ever lived, Queen Esther Faa, reigned SO
long, 80 wisely and SO we'll
These 1etholm as well as all other Scot
tish drom or road gypsies. chiefly exist by
hawking earthen, tin and white iron ware
horn spoons, ''scrubbers" and "besoms, u
the latter sort Of willow broom, about the
country. They travel as far as Newcastle
and StaffOrdshlre for the earthenware, buy
Ing faulty pottery cheaply and selling the
same at good profit. The remainder of
their wares they make In rude way among
themselves, the women being quite as adept
as the men. Some drive asses before their
little carts, but more possess the hardy
Sheltie" or Shetland pony. For their own
shelter at night their carts are "whum-
mepd" or "whomPd," that is, turned upside
down.
COMFORTABLE.
Generally speaking, the gypsies OF Eng
land are comfortable gypsies in proportion
to the distance they make their haunts
same is measurably true of all other En-
Elish lowly folk. The gypsy class, which
also includes ell manner of travelling and
trsmDing non-gypsy yagsbonds, the radical
Improvement OF whose condition has be-
come the heroic work of George Smith Of
Coalville, never pilgrim far from London,
Bristol, birmingham, Manchester and
Liverpool Their members sally out from
these cities and forage around and around
them In well-dehned circles, going and COM
Ing as they are prompted by impulse or
scourged by necessity. They are Bedouins
ton or extirpation would prove a public
good. My own observation and experien ces
have been almost wholly among another
and better class, and the latter Is more
like our American gypsies than any Of the
RomaHy in all foreign lands.
Probably the most idyllic form Of gvpsy
life yetremaining in England may be found in
Wales and the English lake district of North
ern Lancashire, Westmoreland ana Cum ber-
land. l have been much among thu States
men,, or land-owning peasantry of the
latter region, as well as with the gypsies
there. Perhaps l have questioned 500 small
farmers and others as to the gypsies' status
among them. l have never secured an an.
twer unfavOrable to the nomads. On the con.
Iary, much as Is the case in remote country.
side districts in America, the gypses' annual
coming is looked forward TO with eagerness
ohu ooh6Ht, hulIo tHb summer market uaY
and the little village fair would be shorn OF
much Of their attractiveness were the gypsy
folk absent. Nor could / learn in ali this
romantic region Of a single act of down.
right dishonesty on the part Of the gypsy
within the memory Of man. In the winter
time those who follow the Umbrian sum
mer routes kair or house usually in the
larger Lancashire towns, such as Wigan,
Bolton, Preston. Black burn, Colne, Lancas S.
ter and INVERSION, and, though the beer mug
travels gayly among them during this period
they are generally liked and often respected
lie the neighborhood Of their habtations
Again, In Yorkshire, away from its man
ufacturing towns. the gypsies have well-de-
fined routes of travel, and are never
they are in the midland shlres, where the,
have chiefly come under Mr.. Smiths obser
walton. In Wharfdale, in the vicinity o