Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-09
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS
i. BRITISH Glpsles.

inrs-Tbeir Condition Contracted with
That Of American oirsies.
copyright, 1871. by Edgar l.. wakemanl
1.nspoS, Nov. Having wandered
among giIsies In America for more than
quarter oi "a century. md for the past live
years having given much time mud atten.
ton 70 study Of the gipsies as | have
found them In different parts Of Ireland,
Scotland and Euglnn1 / feel that some.
thing like survey OF these British numads.
with few points Of contrast between
them and their American brethren. would
havointercst 10 many American readers.
At tho outset am forced to confess that
my good friend, George Smith, Of Coal.
VILE is interested In glpsies In a vastly
broader, noDler and more evangelical way
tliau myself. lie seeks them out aud finds
them at their worst, aud the worstof them,
uncnrthing the horrors Of their lives In
and near large cities; and then, burning
with desire and determination that they
shall be male good citizens, rouses all
England with his rugged eioqucncc. In.
tisting that the very world stand still until
laws are passed for their complete santa.
ton and civilization.
! am not worthy to live in the same cen.
fury with tlis hero phllanthropist. when
motive aud labor for gipslcs are measured
am theirs and they are mine. in America,
because with them have known such rest
and peace n the world has elsewhere mover
given. Because with them the warm heart.
beat Of nature hhs come tendcrly near. he.
cause among them thure have been conf.
dences earnest, friendships true and loyalty
taored Because wherever 20, by hill or
dale, by town or city, the love word they
gave me long ago, "Gorgip Chair goes
with me ~ the seal aud reminder OF ten
Thousand endcaring experiences, aud
thrills me that ! have place In NJ many
hearts, hearts Of wanderers though they
b.. And because perhaps, there Is tho
talnt Of glpsy blood In my own vein, that
brings me ~ my own.
am theirs and they arc mine In this
land, because rough and uneouth men
have received me everywhere ~ brother
aud au honorcd guest; haggish ac.wiycs,
with heads awry, a. II TO catch every Gyl.
liable uttered, have listened with kindling
EYES 10 the word have brought them
from kindred across the sea; great hull,lng
youths, hearing with open eyed wonder,
have hccn neryed with hope for a batter
lnud rad life; blooming gypsy lnsses, with
arms ACROSS tieir mother shoulders, and
yet with the ever wiusomo rc.tlcyness OF
rirlhood, havo stolen glance, at the strnn.
ger, seeming 10 look beyond him with
yearning eyes Ia his fair. far country,
where gpides ride in wagons like palaces
aud eat from plates OF silver; while trust.
ful gypsy children tugging Ut my kneca
have searched my sc1ut pockets. climbed
iutn my arms and fallen uslccp--thtir la.
ttinct ~ 10 tho stranger proving, after All,
Tie trucat sesame 10 the gpsic,' hearts
aud homes III only Ia this selfish, un.
evangelical way that have known IN an
lands tho ontcl,t Romauy race, and be-
cause Of IL have not oycrmuch evil to
record ~ them.
There are not all told-and this includes
tkuikiug city i,omapy, unknown In their
town yocntions NJ members Of the gipsy
racr-upward OF 5000 gipsirs In Ireland.
OF whom barely 1000 follow the prccnriong
but romantic lifcuf the road Irish Catho.
lies, and particularly the lowliest Of tho
pcn-nntry, without exception, hold them
in something like a terrible deiestatlon.
But Lee a gipsy spae.wlieo or fortune teller
once slip into an Irish cabin aud begin any
OF her black glt oouiurings, the smoke u
war Will 1T once rise above hat spot. Call
ing on all the the category OF saints Ia one
shrill aud mighty breadth OF appeal, the
Irish mother willtreat this gypsy cheat t.
fuch whirlwind Of eviction "a may 10
heard for lialf league away. Jhu very
matching would be- pulled from the rooi,
~ necessary, TO speed aud force tho battle
for the home against the grewsomc wilrs
Aud my gypsy friends the world over know
this fact 40 well mud bitterly that uniycr.
sally with their race ireland Is termed, In
recognition Of IT, harrenness for their pur-
poses, salldh lgdlic, OF the unlncky and nc.
ourscd territory.
There Is a marked difference In Scotland
lu proportion 70 lis population there are
more gipsits IA the land o. cakes than In
England Scottish traditions and llterA-
turo, especially the ballad poetry OF Scot
land, are full Of glpsy country side lore and
tuporatltlons which have been tho out.
growth Of a very genial aud close relation
between glpsics and Scottish peasnntry.
Gipsy blood l. known 20 COURSE In tho
veins Of many OF the Scottish nobility
These people actually secured tho cuunto.
fnnce, II not the favor, OF james W.
james V entered into u league with "John
law, lord aud earl Of little Egypt" IN
1910, directing all In authority In his realm
o. compel the return TO Faw's submission
all those EgyptlanA who had rehelled
against him, and That all officers should
assist In Obtaining aud furnishing those
people lin conformity with his laws" 80
that. ~ the cdiet read, "the said john
have no cause OF complain, IA time com.
iug"
This Faw, whose shrcwdness stamped
the genuine glpsy upon his character, was
the progenltor Of the many tribes OF Flaws,
laas or Falls, WHO, with the Daillies, have
been the most noted and numerous NJ Scot
fish gipsies, whose descendants / have
found In respectable numbers and eondi.
ton throughoutthe United States.
This cnvirous OF Edinburgh and Glasgow
are fall Of gpsies who are far superior In
physique TO their English brethren about
London, Birmingham, Manchester aud
Liverpool, In TweeddRlc. AunAndale and
Nlthsdale are many families Of gipsies
whose respectability aud individual means,
although they lead rowing lie, would
compare fayorably with those OF the small
farmen Of the same regions. The glpsles
whom | have met In Aberdcenshire and
Pcr,hshlre are not 40 well OF, but are much
liked aud always welcomed among tbs
peashntry.
Within few years much good fortune
from pecunhiry standpoint, has come tc
Scottish gipsies through the vast increase
Of summer visitors, American as well rs
English, to the highlands aud Islands OF
Scotland. They resort 20 the vicinity OF
Oban, Rothesay lnvoraray, even eros
10 the outer Hebrides, and are found Ia
every romantic glen In the Trossgehs und
along tle kirkland lnkes These urt