Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-11-10

faculties Of old age. Gypsy lassles, ever
demure in the presence of potent act or
fact in their elders, bat miracles of win
some physical and hcart-free abandon
ment in joyous hours, looked twice
their age in their long gowns and faces.
And even the Gypsy dogs, those rare,
sad-vsaged, yoiceless cheats, whose pre-
tense of sodden ignorance out.Gypsy
the slyest Romany themselves, sat
ranged at deferental distances from the
camp fires, the embodiment of dreary
dolefulness.
What was true of this campis equally
true of hundreds more in England and
thousands in our own country. From
the first of October to the last of Novem-
Der this concerted movement of Gypses
from their wandering merripen or life
to the great cities, and with US, TO the
cities or southern states, is constantly
going on. Some begin to fly from
extreme northern localities month
earlier. Others wait with logged sort
of tenacity until fairly driven from the
country lanes by bowling December
storms. Here in Eag!aad there are
important Gypsy communities in Liver
pool, Birmingham, Manchester and
other provincial cities 10 which the ROY
ing bands concentrate for winter quar-
tcrs; and even the smaller manufactur-
ing towns of the northern English and
southern Scottish shires have their regu
lar GYPSY quarters.
But all Of these together will not
equal the number, in my Judgment
more than 100000, that troops out OF
London in the springtime and returns
to the great metropolis for the winter
months. Their remote summer miIra-
tions, considering the difference in con
dition in favor of American Gypsies,
are quite as extraordinary as with our
own. While | have often known the
American Gypsy band Of three or four
families to travel in sumptuous wagons
from central Ohio to eastern Maine, and
return the same season; it is truly as
interesting to meet, as have met, Lon
| don Gypsles, who travel with lumber.
ing 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
villages of Yorkshire, 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 locks Of the far Hebrides, or
nestled 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, rs certain here as it has been in
our country. With us hosts have gained
or are securing little properties. These
largely consist Of fine farms, country
tavern stands, toll-gate privileges, tracts
of woodland Of which they are very
fond, livery and sales stables in the
smaller towns and villages, and, not in
frequently, extensive town properties,
particularly large sales stables in our
own metropolitan 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 q class, or race, they have
become rich and prosperous; and it must
be borne in mind that no human beings
so well know how to hide all offensive
semblance of wealth.
In a similar degree the last quarter of
u century has wrought wonderful
change for the better with majority
of all London and English Gypsies who
have been content to remain in theil
own land. While in England in 1887,
had means OF knowing from personal
observation thatalm universal squalol
and wretchedness was characteristic OF
English and particularly OF London
Gypsies. No one can make of Gypsy
anything but GYPSY; but generation
OF change here has effected a more
marked advancement in rugged pros
perity with this, than with any Other
lowly class. 1t has not seized him
bodily and in a moment, or year, oil
in decade, put fine clothing upon him
and made the GYPSY man of affairs
but-somethlng, as with the destitute
Italians who have landed upon oul
shores, who we directly find as hawkers
willing laborers, restaurant keepers
newsboys, bootblacks, controllers OF re
tail and wholesale fruit and nut trades
and on the high road to prosperity, be
cause they are quick witted and Willing
to labor-the English GYPSY has found
along with old makesnifts for livell-
hood, many new though rude occupa
tons and means of getting on in lht
world, all after his own mind and heart
To one not acquainted with the habit
and ways of these interesting folk, tht
old false notion still exists that they
must one and all be thieving yagabonds
How else can they existi Is asked By
those willing to believe that ragpicker
or Russian jew with pack ON hi
back, can hoard little earnings until hi
becomes atiluent. Should you follow
one of these wandering families o
bands from London in springtime int
every English, WEIGH or Scottish villag
to which its way is made, and bacI
again to its winter haunt in London,
doubt if you could discover an act OF
, single member savoring more OF dishon
esty than fortune-telling or cunnin
horse jockeying at fairs.
The cavalcade at its outset may com
prise one or more vans. These are
! briefly described, tiny houses upo
: wheels. They are drawn by donkeys
or often by broken down city tran
horses which the Gypsies get in Londo
for a song, ana which with care ar
finally transformed into excellent cattle
Following these may be three or foui
1 or half dozen, little donkey cart;
after the fashion of the costermunger:
city carts. These will hold the real II
sources of the band. An examinatio
! of the latter would reveal almos
u enough material in quantity, certainl
. enough in variety, to stock little couu
:. try store.
a This stock in trade has not bee
a picked up at random. In the Londo
\ Whitechapel district there are gre,
storehouses of "lraveler's Goods.
. Their owners, who | find includ
= wealthy Gipsies, could not continue
i business without the GiDsius' trad