The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-12

thing and earn something. II there is
loss in one days trade, they work the
next. All thus keep from starvation,
which is more than many who are not
heathens can do in London; and some
even get through the hard, wet, foggy,
sleet, bone-wringing winter with their
lives and few shilIings TO the good.
A few who huddle in these congested
districts have the regulation coster cart
and the helpful donkey, and most Curl
ous quarters are often found for both
Gipsles and donkey. Last winter,
whilo haunting this bit OF darkest Lon
don 1 got on very good terms with Il
Gypsy family who had lost their donkey
cart. and nearly their donkey, through
fateful collision with Hammersmith
bus. 1t was early in the winter and
the loss pretty nearly meant starvation.
There are scores OF dealers in costers'
carts and barrows in London where n
cart or barrow can be hired, though at
ruinous rates. or purchased on weekly
payments. At one OF those made q
first payment OF ten shillings on n
donkey cart in behalf OF the Gypsy
family, became surety for the remain
der, ind the incident furnished to mo
thereafter open seasame TO the inner
most recesses OF Leather Lane,
CURIOUS DWELLING PLACES.
1t was in one OF these innermost re-
cesses that my Gypsy friends had their
habitation, and it is certain that no
more curious dwelling place and dis
position OF homo belongings were ever
seen. About hall way from FurnivaPs
Inn TO Theobold's Row 4 narrow, dingy
court, above which strip OF sky could
barely be seen. wriggled an hundred
feet or more to the east. 10 the right
and LETT the ramshackle yet stout old
house fronts seemed pitching at each
Other threateningly. From the moi
some pavement 10 the strip OF sky it
seemed as il hundreds OF humans we're
constantly in state OF existence on
trembling balconies andtotterinc win"
dow stills. The density OF half led life
behind these raven like beings clin@inR
to the outer walls must have been ter
riblc.
The dark court narrowed at the end,
coming to a dead stop against black
dead wall, which rose thirty or forty
feet above the pavement rs ii to shut
out the desperate poverty OF Leather
Lane iron some better enclosure. Here
at Tho end OF this court against tho
dead wall my Gypsy friends had .practi-
cally encamped by system OF more
than partial suspension. Some twenty
five feet from the ground a mass OF
patched bits OF sail cloth and blankets
formed the only roof lngeniously
braced bits OF wood--tlotsam and jetsam
from the markets and the Thames
made three intervening stories, or
floors. between the tapping roof and
the pavement OF the court, all Of which
were open to the weather and Leather
Lane way, save where rags and other
seive-ike blankets aud sal! cloth an
swered the place OF curtaiEing.
These stories or floors were about six
feet square, except the lower or pave
ment story, which was as long as the
prowess OF the Gypsies could make it
against the hordes OF the sitting court.
An aperture had been made IN the
dead wall which. with few brick and a
little mud mortar, provided capital
chimney piece The draught was per-
feet There was good deal OF Comfort,
too, about this extraordinary Preside.
The cart was "whortled," that is, turned
bottomside upwards for table. A
shelf.like piece OF timber had been fas-
tened against one side wall for aloung-
ing bunk and bench A ladder ran
from this along the wall to the second
story, where cooking utensils and food
were kept. NH
But the most curious of all was tho
nightly disposition OF donkey, what was
left over from the days hawking and
the Gypsy family itself. Immediately
on arrival, the donkey was hauled up
by rope and tackle into a little cage
which constituted the third story under
the sail cloth roof. Such vegetables as
were left that the family did not use
were stored on q shelf alongside the
donkey; and on retiring for the night
the family, comprising eleven grown
people and children, assembled into the
second story lott, and, in manner,
fished all movable belongings up alter
them.
"Yes," adniringly said old man Low
ell, the head OF this Gypsy house, alter
l had lust witnessed the sprawling dom
KEY hoisted into his cage ior his rest
and provender, Illus jess hall goes hup
inter hour ole by night, an pulls the
ole hup arter husw
The east end district locally called
"The Mint" where London's ancient
mint was located, is another favorite
haunt OF Gipsies in winter From Liant
street in the borough. to Blackfriar's
Road, are more than 100 almost impen-
etrable lanes and closes. This region
was the former haunt and home oil Jack
Sheppard and Jonathon Wild, and from
the same locality have sprung many oil
the most noted prize fighters OF our
time. Billingsgate porters, the most
iaunty and rollicking OF all London Co.'S
lerlnongers, and class OF Gipsies who
are noted for their iistic proves, are
the sole inhabitants. Into this sayory
region one must come well introduced;
but when once known as true friend
OF any inhabitant, progress through the
quarter is attended often with even em-
barassing greetings and tamiliarIties.
AT THE RAIRs.
found the Gipsics OF this locality,
who number perhaps fifty families,
which means fully 500 souls, chiefly
those who ply their various vocations
at country fairs and all huge gather
ings, such as the Derby, and London
holiday Outings" at Epping Forest and
the like. They are portion OF that
vast horde OF least winsome but most
picturesque English Gipsies who, cas-
ually seen, nearest represent the faEirs
OF our American country iairs, our cir
Gus followers and the brawltng nickel
winners Of such summer and seaside