The record-union., 1892-11-05

Ots COlilc DGR111 W uN lfOiil tAlI6Ille
northern localities month earlier. 0th-
ers wait with dogged sort of tenacity
until fairly driven from the country lanes
by bowling December storms. Here in
England there are important gypsy COM
munitles in Liverpool, Birmingham,
Manchester and other provincial cities to
which the rowing bands concentrate for
winter quarters, and even the smaller
manufacturing towns of the northern
English and southern Scottish shires
have their regular gypsy quarters.
But all OF these together will not equal
the number, III my judgment more than
100000, that troops out of London in
the sprlngtime and returns to the great
metropolis for the winter months. Their
remote summer migrations, considering
the difference in condition in favor OF
American gypsles, are quite as extraor-
binary as with our own. While have
often known the American gypsy band OF
three or four families to ell in sump-
tuous wagons from central Ohio TO east
ern Maine, and return the same season, it
is truly as interesting to meet, as [ have
met, London gypsies, who travel with
numbering vans or donkeys and carts, in
the most remote mining villages of Corn
wall, among the Statesmen" in the hills
OF Cumberland, among The moorland VII
lagos of orkshire, on the reedy shores OF
the Norfolk 'Broads," along the banks
Of the Till and Tyne, on the southern
slopes of the Cheviot Hills, beside the
lochs of the far Hebrides, or nested against
some old clachan in the misty corries of
the Scottish Highlands.
The evolution of the gypsy, or more
properly the rise OF the gypsy, is, though
slower, as certain here as it has been in
our country. With US hosts have gained
OF are securing little properties. These
largely consist of fine farms, country
fDy toll
of woodland of which they are very fond.
livery and sales stables in the smaller
towns and villages, and, not infrequently,
extensive town properties, particularly
large sales stables in cur own metropoli-
tan cities. All who are at all interested
in American gypsies, whatever may be
the hasty Judgment from the appearance
of occasional dusty roadside bands should
know, once for all, that as class, or race,
they have become rich and prosperous;
and it must be borne i'll mind that no hui
man beings so well know how 10 hide all
offensive semblance of wealth.
In similar degree the last quarter of a
century has wrought wonderful change
for the better with a majority of all Lon
don and English gypsies who have been
content to remain in their own land.
While in England in 1867 | had means of
knowing from personal observation that
almost universal squalor and Wretched-
ness was characteristic of English and
particularly of London gypsies. No one
can make ola gypsy anythingbut gypsy;
but a generation of change here has
effected more marked advancement in a
rugged prosperity with this than with
any other lowly class. 1t has not seized
him bodily and in moment or year,
or in decade, put fine clothing upon
him and made the gypsy a man of affairs.
but-something, as with the destitute
Italians who have landed upon our shores,
who, we directly find as hawkers, willing
laborers, restaurant keepers, newsboys,
bootblacks, controllers of retail and
wholesale fruit and nut trades, and on
the high road to prosperity, because they
are quick witted and willing to labor
the English gypsy has found, along with
old makeshiits for livelihood, many new
though rude occupations and means of
getting on in the world all after his own
mind and heart.
To one not acquainted with the habits
and ways of these interesting folk, the old
false notion still exists that they must one
and all be thieving vagabonds. How else
can they exist? is asked by those willing
to believe that ragpicker, or a Russian
Jew with pack on his back, can hoard
little earnings until he becomes aff1uent
Should you follow one of these wander
ing families or bands from London in
springtime into every English, Welsh or
Scottish village to which its way is made,
and back again to its winter haunt in Lon
don, doubt if you could discover an act
Of single member savoring more of dis
honesty than fortune-telling or cunning
horse jockeying at fairs.
The cavalcade at it's outset may COM
prise one or more vans. These are, briefly
described, tiny houses upon wheels.
They are drawn by donkeys, or often bv
broken down city tram horses which the
gypsies get in London for a song, and
which, with care, are finally transformed
into excellent cattle. Following these
may be three or four, or half a dozen. lit
tie donkey carts, after the fashion of the
costermongers' city carts. These will hold
the real resources of the band. An exam
ination of the latter would reveal almost
enough material in quantity, certainly
enough in variety, to stock a little coun-
try store.
This stock in trade has not been picked
up at random. In the London White
chapel district there are great storehouses
of Travellers Goods" Their owners.
who, I find, include wealthy gypsies,
could not continue in business without
the gypsies' trade. The goods handled
are somewhat similar to our American
bargain counter odds and ends. espe-
cially in tinware and metal goods, hard
ware, crockery, cheap oilcloths and house,
and gilded jewelry. 1t would be a reve-
lation to ordinary English tradesmen to
realize the enormous quantities OF stuff
annually disposed of in this manner
throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
and the integrity of these gypsy wander
ers where they ask and receive credit for
their supplies, as they often do. Smaller
Travellers Goods stores may be found
near the Bull Ring in birmingham.
where carts may be retilled in the law
journeyings, but small shipments from
time to time are forwarded by rail from
London.
1 have friends in the fruitand nut trade.
in the Drury Lane quarter of London,
VINO have supplied gypsies in all parts of
the provinces for the past twenty years.
Half of this trade is done on credit, and
the frulterers all inform me they have
never lost penny at the hands of their
thousands OF gypsy small customers
All these goods, fruits and nuts are
hawked in little villages and sold at fairs
and on market days. Indeed the English
country fair of to-day would lose ali its
picturesqueness and most of its attrac-
tions for younger people were the petty
gypsy booths and gypsy showmen with
drawn. r.
About the middle of the century, when
the British Rural Police Act, which was
directed against gypsies and all wander
1hs IOih u eii0 loau, ClIll6 III IOrc6, we
find Borrow lamenting that the gypsy
had nowhere to lay his head" The op-
preSslve measure undoubtedly sent
America $4,000 English gypsies within a
period of ten years. Indeed it almost ex-
tirpated gypsydom in Great Britain. But
the coming gypsy soon saw a way to
mend his fortune. He took out license
to become travelling merchant. Two
and sixpence" gives him this right for
the period of one year. He could still re-
main gypsy in every other particular.
I..nn.,ril IL nnI L. lil,..-.... -