The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-03-04
ALL ABOUT GYPSIES.
THEIR ORIGIN, MANNERS, CUSTOMS
AND METHOD OF LIVING.


A reporter has had the novel pleasure
of passing an evening with family OF
genuine full blooded gypsies at their
home in this city.
To the average reader this statement
will not appear particularly startling
nor interesting, for the average reader
is probably not sufficiently conversaut
with gypsies and their ways TO be inter
ested in family of them which journeyed
across the water 70 make new home IN
the United States.
1t is safe to say that the popular idea
of gypsies is far from being correct. All
have seen our wandering uOmads travel
ing along our highways or bivoucking
in their filthy tents and still more filthy
camps. Ask ten people what gypsy is
and six of them will substantially say:
People who travel about the country
and exist by doing as little work as they
can and by stealing all they can lay their
hands upon"
This impression is all wrong and there
are few, very few, genuine gypsies in
this country.
Gypsies are distinct race and nation
atty in themselves; as distinct as the
Germans are from the Chinese or the
Russians from the Americans. They are
suppose to come. as their name indicates,
originally from Egypt. They have II
language of their own, the Romance
chick, or Gypsy tongue" which is still
preserv ID and spoken almost as purely
as it was centuries ago. 1t is made up
of the Egyptian, Eindoostanee, Rouman-
ian and other languages.
Gypsies are scattered over all Europe,
and there are today over 200 of them
on that continent II Is not known when
first they left their native country and
began to make their appearance i'll Eu-
rope. They entered Germany in 1929
and as early as 1881 many of them were
in Scotland, following the occupations
of actors and dancers and thinkers. They
are known to this day in Scotland as
thinkers" The better and more pro
gressive class Of gypsies seem to have
adopted Great Britain as their home.
While the men have as ii rule followed
horse trading Us Il business, and the
women fortune telling and basket max
ing they have turned their hands to
nearly all trades and occupations.
NEITHER POOR nor LAZY.
Gypsies have figured as engravers,
| metal and iron workers. actors. artists
musicians, clergymen. eyangelists, car
| penters, physicians and so on. Work
ing upon iron and metals appears
have been their forte, however, next f.
dealing in horses. la 1926 they cast a
large bell 1T i2dgehill, and at about the
same period they practiced engraving
on pewter, lead and copper. GypSies
also conducted an iron foundry near St
| Andrews. In Hungary in 1886 they
made bullets and cannon balls.
No one should for moment think
that gypsies are either poor. careless ~
to their personal appearance or Stunned
socially by the people with whom they
come in contact. Many gypsies are very
"well fixed" financially. and few if amy
| in Europe on on the Continent are uo
well supplied with all the necessaries q
life They own valuable horses iii;
wagons and caravans, comfortable tent!
and furnishings. IN return, they have
been entertained by kaiser and pope OF
|
England.
One Charles Bosworth, Il gypsy king.
lived and fi0urished at ROssingtOn il
Yorkshire in 1909 According to all ai'
counts Charles was roistei'ing hIatl;
and enjoyed himself 10 the utmost
History informs us that he was a ma,
spark, mighty fine ANA brisk l:eepin;
company with great IAany gentlemen
knights and eequires. An idea of III
social standing OF the gypsies can u
formed when in 1850 the Prince aut
Princess Of Wales joulreyed IN Norwoo,
to visit "Queen" Margaret.
Like the Jews. the gypsies h&ge 10
centuries been a greatly oppressed race
and great injustice has been done them
AS late as 1872 forty seven OF them wer
arrested in Germany upon variou
charges and imprisoned. When the
came to trial not one Of the charge
could be sustained and they were al re
leased.
HOW THEY LIVE.
AS rule the gypsies are superior t
many of the people whose countries the
pass through. They are bright and ez
|
They remain frequently several week
in one camp. Reaching town the
hire camping ground, which is usual
} q large field affOrding sufficient pastul
age for their horses and Gonkeys. Tn
tents are pitched, the camp made an
then the men begin to buy and Sc
horses-this in England and Scotland
| called coping it being difficult to cop
E with gypsy on horse dealing-and tn
women devote their spare time to baske
making and fortune telling. There is
throng Of visitors about their camp til
greater portion Of the time, and a triE
| usually takes more money out of tow
than it brings in.
The camp is a model of picturesque
, ness. The tents are small affairs, tt
grassy soil being the floor, generally COZ
} cred with dry leaves gathered from ii
neighboring hedgerows. In front frol
a tripod hangs a large kettle, and ii
women wearing dresses and shawls {
bright gay colors combine to make IL
scene most CHEEKY one. The gypsi;
are great tea drinkers and brew the be
+ erage in way that would have deligh
ed the heart of "Sairy Camp. Ne
York Recorder.
Benzine Takes Ont Paint.
Y To remove paint, fold some soft clot
+ several times and lay the soiled articI