Morning journal and courier., 1892-11-12


But let still be gay.
For it cannot whistle Comrades
Or "Ta-rara-Boom-de-
Washington Star.
wAKEMAN,S wANDERINGs.
The Gipsies of London and Rounda,
bout-Wakeman, the "Gorgio Chal'
or Gipsy's Friend, Contributes An.
other Entertaining Paper Upon tho
Nomads of England-Grades and
| Glasses, Curious Habitations, But
No Idlers Among Them-Their
Haunts and Handicraft in London.
LONDON, Oct. 81.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
To me there is something inexpressibly
pathetic in the unvarying good humor and
kind heartedness of English gipsies when
their hard and bitter, though self chosen,
mode of life is considered. And this is
nowhere on earth made go plain and en-
phatio as when you find them in and about
London, all the brightness of the summer
roads and lanes but a memory, and the
cruel deprivations of winter-generally a
winters battle for existence with million
other lowly-staring them squarely in
their stoical faces.
| Crafty, wary, hard, unworthy vagabond
though you deem him, as he confronts you
and mankind in this battle for life and
those he loves, he truly has another eide,
a CHEEKY, good and manly one, too, that,
without one iota of the prompting to
which all modern society stands indebted,
often glows with kindness, generosity,
helpfulness, good cheer and spirit of
positive loveliness.
An ugly word is never heard in gypsy
camp or band. A selfish act is never seen.
The eternal gosding of a mean woman, the
brutal obscsnity of bad man, the hateful
jsalousies of neighbors, the contemplate
rivalries of pretended friends, each and
all are as unknown as poison in the pure
air of heaven they breathe in tent or upon
the road.
There is quality of sincerity and ten
derness in their doings with each other
that is ever simple, childlike and beauti-
full. Their mirth, merriment and iollity
are all considerate. Rsillery is tolerant;
wit never a murderous weapon. With
them good cheer is seldom license; merry
making leaves little sting; liberty never
knows lewdness.
Ignorant as they may be of your books;
obstinstely as they refuse the "civilizs-
ton" of which we boast; secretly proud
as they are of the ostracism which brands
them as an outlaw race; hesthenish as you
must consistently call them because they
hold your creeds in contempt; they are yet
more than the peers of any living people
in everything tender and true and loyal
| growing into and out of the domestic rela-
ton, and in all that which yields, without
| law or force, and as if unconsciously, the
helpful goodness which ever prompts and
always exceeds exact justice to ones fell
| lows.
There are undoubtedly hundreds of To-
calities which may be termed 'Gipsy
ground" in London and its reaching
suburbs. have visited nearly three score
of these places within the past few years.
| In some instances they are in the most
densely and forlornly populated sections
of the metropolis. Here in perhaps the
stable yard of some ancient historic inn,
among the sheds and outbuildings of an
abandoned warehouse or mandatory, in
the mouldy, cobwebbed precincts of some
habitation which has got into chaucery
and inevitable decay, and even in White
chapel purlieus, and upon the roofs of
houses at the edge of the huge masonry
sustaining some of the railways, many of
which pass out of the city above instead
of through or beneath 1t, will be found
single families or little communities of the
Romany folk. ALL are working in their
way as if for dear life to sustain life until
the spring time exodus shall free them
from their hateful imprisonment; and
contrary to general belief, or what any one
may BAY, none of them are idle.
Following up the trail and traits of gip-
sizes while in their London winter quar-
ters, brought me originally among the al
most as curious costermonger folk; and l
found that there were hundreds of gypsy
families owning kindred ties to costers
who sought quarters among this clsss and
at once fell into their manner of work and
ways. Acquaintance and confidence soon
brought me to many of these almost un-
known gipsy and coster communities in
the very heart of London.
Two of them are very interesting and
historic. If you were wandering about
London up Holborn way and should come
to ancient Furnivsrs Inn, you might note
that its decrepit back hangs over the en-
trance to q narrow lane. This Is Leather
Lane. Scarcely wide enough beneath the
back windows of Furnivsrs Inn to permit
the entrance of a donkey and cart, ii
gradually widens towards Theobold's Is Row,
and to the east and west is itself entered
by almost numberless closes and courts.
No casual frequenter of Holborn would
notice it, but the locality is one of the
densest In London in point of population.
Among the thousands of lowly humans
: living here are fully FIVE hundred coster-
mongers, aud in the winter time half as
many gipsies. The great resort of al
these folk is the Leather Bottle" pub
lie house within the shadowy precinct.
There are many odd places and studies
here. The former class rather pride them
selves on their utter recklessness in the
} matter of gambling, carou'ing and drink
, ing. While they live in entire harmony
with their Romany friends and possess {
certain respect for their winter compan
ions which permits of no trifing, it wal
easy to see that from the coster stand
= point of ethics the tawny folk are no
considered fairly progressive. They ar,
, too quiet. They attend closely to worl
and minimize the i'll effects of poverty IL
London.
"Gor bli me-" said a friendly coster
7 sow can ye ave comfort hout o. ye
0 neighbors less ye can 'elp carry 'em 'om
; now an agin from the Leather Bottle'i
Strike me lucky if Hi doan't believ
o they'd rather heat wittles than lick pew
teri (t'Licking pewter" it must
g known, is coster for guzzling ur ale ,
d Gods truth, but ys awsk one on 'em fo
II the loan O. bob (ahilling) for a fe,
o pots at tn Bottle an their bloody heye
|; stick hout like bleedin' muscles, Cor b
me, 30 they dol"
,s Most of the gipsies in this locality liv
o from a half dozen to q score in q room
"a They possess the scantiest array of houss
% hold utensils. Their native ability {
i make the most of little enables them {
patch up few seats and they sleep con
- fortably and cheerily packed togethe
- y, like herrings. Some of their abodes 81
10 wretched beyond description to one VIII
- - is unable to comprehend their own glat
~ ~ ness at getting on at all. They work har
70 and long, being first at the great market
and last toleave the streets. Handbsrrov
N are used by most of thess. The mothe
father and the grown Sons and daughtel
"a all share In the severe work of pushing Il
as barrow or cart. Many will cover tweni