The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-26
From the Boston Journal

of Cleveland to See an Imaginary
Gypsy Camp.
From the Boston Journal
Harry Weaver, the veteran actor, re-
ferring to his acquaintance with Artemus
Ward, says: ...
"My "reminiscences Of Cleveland in 1880
would not be complete if did not mention
sell perpetrated by Artemus Ward,
which had the effect of depopulating the
whole city for a few hours, and the in,
ha0lGants thereof were compelled TO &C
knowledge themselves completely sold.
On March 81 in that year Ward published
in the columns of the Plain Dealer glow
ing account of a gysy encampment, plac-
ing II few miles outside of Cleveland. The
nugand queen were represented TO be lin
cal descendants of the Pharaohs They had
Travelled all over the world and their tent
was adorned with articles picked up on
their Journeys, forming collection so rare
and picturesque, from its very oddity and
orientalism, il could not be duplicated in
any part OF the world The description
Of the aged king and queen and their
progeny was at once ingenious and ro-
mantle Their powers of divination- were
said to be wonderful in the extremeg It
was averred that they had renewed their
youth from time to time and did not really
know how old they were-they had passed
through all the great events of the world
for centuries. They were in possession of
the secrets of the lost arts. t---
The gypsy kings appearance was vener-
able to a degree, his flowing white beard
trailing on the ground. And then the
daughter was married to another de
scendanb of the Pharaohs, one of the
finest specimens of manly beauty the eye
had ever looked upon; they were fifty
mated, for the bride was described as a
dream of loveliness, in fact, another Cleo
patra,i and, after seeing this dusky
divinity, the enslavement of Mark Antony
was made clear and comprehensive. The
many valuable horses they possessed
came in for due share of notice, many
of pure Arabian breed, one especially, a
pure milk-white steed, for which fabu-
lous sums had been offered, but without
avail, superstition prevailing among
the tribe to part with Selim would be to
bring misfortune upon them all. The in
habitauts of Cleveland and its environs
were strongly advised not to miss the
opportunity Of visiting the camp on the
morrow, for the following day the gipsies
were to strike their tents and continue
their nomadic life, travelling around the
globe.
The morning of April list, dawned upon
lovely day, and from sunrise to sunset
Cleveland was all astir, shoals of people
wended their way to to the outskirts,
some in carriages, many on horseback
and the great majority on foot OF course
nosign of gypsy encampment was TO be
seen. After making inquiries in every
direction, it occurred TO some of the
brighter minds that the day being April
1st they had been made April fools Of,
and as they had been sold they deter
mined to sell others in their turn, doing
their neighbors as they had beel done by
Artemus Ward.
A steady stream of people going out
would meet a like number coming in.
Many would stop, and, after exchanging
greetings, would ask if they had seen the
gipsies, and if the whole AFFAIR was really
as wonderful as it was reported in the
paper to be. OF course, they replied to
the effect that 1t was the most wonderful
sight that had ever come under their OBJ
servation. and they would not have missed
it for anything. Nor did the matter stop
there. Numbers on their return went
from house to house, advising their
| friends and acquaintance to take hol-
| iday aud participate in this interesting
event And thus all that pleasant April
day the merry work went on, until the
shades of evening terminated the great
est hoax perhaps ever perpetrated. The
| Joke, a harmless one, was freely discussed
| and laughed over by its victims for weeks
and months afterward. OF course, this
| brought Browne into considerable notice
at the time.