Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-11

just witnessed the sprawling donkey hoisted
into his cage Tor his rest and provender,
Illus jess hall goes hup inter hour ole BY
night, an pulls the ole hup arter hus?'
Favorite Winter Haunt
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 impenetrable lanes and closes.
This region was the former haunt and home
of Jack Sheppard and Jonathan Wild, and
from the same locality have sprung many
of the noted prize fighters of our time.
Billingsgate porters, the most jaunty and
rollicking of all London costermongers, and
a class of gipsies who are noted for their
fstic plowess, are the sole inhabitants. Into
this savory region one must come well in
troduced; but when once known as true
friend of any inhabitant, progress through
the quarter is attended often with even en-
barrassing greetings and familiarities.
found the gipsies of this locality, who
number perhaps 80 families, which means
fully 500 souls, chiefly those who ply their
various vocations at country fairs and all
huge gatherings, 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, casually
seen, nearest represent the fakirs of our
American country fairs, our circus fol-
lowers and the brawling nickel winners of
such summer and seaside resorts as Coney
Island and Nantssket The punch and
Judy" shows are getting into their hands.
They are beginning to exhibit freaks and
control the merry-go-rounds. All the fruit
and nut stands at fairs are now in their
h., Al ,h op,,f/ /hor coll 1od 0EAr
nut") ranges where q nut can occasionally
be knocked from deceptively built tier at
q penny "a shy" one of the most popular
form of initiatory gambling sports at all
fairs and outing gatherings in England, are
all owned by these cunning gipsies. Their
fists are as ready as their tongues, and their
women folk are the most brazenly insistive
and picturesquely attired fortune tellers in
all the world.
Genuine Gipsies in the Suburbs.
But the genuine drom rajahs or gipsies of
the road whose vocations of to-day are
really honorable, thrittful and distinguished
by downright hard work and fair dealing,
though still full of genuine gipsy traits
and bearing in mild form the gypsy taint
of dickering and dukkering (fortune tell
ing), are the gipsies who, in their enforced
winter London tarrying, retain most the
manner of the summer road life. should
think there could be found from 10000 to
81. 600 of these in the suburbs of London,
from November until March. These are
entirely exclusive of several thousand
more who never leave London, but travel
in endless circles about the outer edges of
the great city, interminable Bedouins at
all outing gatherings; peas and strawberry
pickers and lavender gatherers in the sum-
mer hop pickers in the autumn, and scaven-
gers in general the remainder of the year.
They camp where they work, and though
often reduced to abject wretchedness, are
kindly and CHEEKY set of mep and women.
The road gipsies generally retain and
occupy their vans, carts and tents. Out
Southwark way, over in Surrey, are large
communities. Many may be found round
about Esher and Woking. The Chelsea
marshes are another winter haunt; while
Epping Forest, depths and edges, are full
of them. With these summer thrift is
never exchanged for winter idleness. Many
of the stout gypsy lads get employment in
gentIemen's and public stables. The men
haunt the horse markets and weekly
suburban markets and buy, sell and trade
horses and donkeya Many of the women
rove about the poorer districts of the city |
telling fortunes for whatever they can get |
Those too old for these jaunts mind the |
pots, kettles and little ones against the |
wanderers nightly return. Old men and |
lads and lasses remaining at home are never |
idle. Rude mats, market baskets, stable |
and street brushes, by the hundreds of |
are their annual handiwork, and |
the millions of skewers in use at the London |
meat stalls are every one whitfield out by
busy Gipsy hands.
EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.