Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-07

1y from Hindoostan. The migration of the
race occurred during the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries. The sobriQuet sEgyp-
tan which they assumed was, it is sup
posed, owing to their temporary sojourn
In Egypt The name Romany ethnologists
derive from the Hindu rom, a man. Armed
with protecting letters from one or more
OF the popes, they appeared in Germany:
and thereafter swarmed over Europe /
cannot say when they first came to Ameri-
ca, but certain it is that they were not
long after the first white colonists Spain
sent her Zincali to Mexico, while from
France and England gypsy families crossed
the Atlantic. in pursuance of their heredi-
tary roaming instincts.
There are many thousands of them in
the United States, and they permeate all
branches of society. / know of an emf
nent and respected Episcopal clergyman in
Boston who has Romany blood in his veins.
once year the old wandering fever comes
over this good man: and then. hey, presto!
the pulpit is temporarily abandoned and
he follows the pattrin trail or lounges con-
tentedly among his kindred in the shade of
the caravan tent. In many of our cities
there are wealthy men and women, mil
lionaires and so-called society people, who
are Romany-chals gypsy mem, or Ro-
many-chis gypsy girls. and who cannot
resist following the pattrin when summer
time comes round. But, of course, the
great majority of the race live in their
caravans all the year round, telling for
tunes and trading in horses for a living
going south with the approach of winter
and returning northward when summer is
at hand. generation or two ago poIyg-
amy was practiced among them in isolated
cases: but today 1T exists longer. An
American gypsy has only one wife. and a
very good husband he generally makes her.
They are excellent fathers, too. In all my
long experience / have never seen a Ro-
father heat hiS OffSpripQ
Gypsy Rulers.
''Since the death of Matilda Stanley III of
Dayton, Ohio, few years ago, the Amer
lean gypsies have had no generally recog-
nized queen. This Matilda succeeded her
aunt of the same name matilda Stanley Il,
whose great funeral and the vast horde of
Rypsies that attended it will still be remem-
bered The Irish-American and German
American gypsies have rulers of their own.
There are $50 families of German-American
Romanys, and their queen is Sophia Freyer,
a F.omany Chi of nearly eighty years. For
many years old John German was king of
the Irish-American Romany. He was sue
ceeded by his wife, Queen Bridget, who in
turn gave place to her son, BARLEY Cor
man, the present king. King John German
and Queen Bridgetscame to New York from
Ireland in the 40s. bringing with them
their wagons. Since then they have roam
ed the country over and multiplied greatly.
x.
Henry Palmer. millionaire gypsy of San
Francisco, who claimed to have succeeded
Matilda Stanley III as sovereign of all the
Romanys in America, died in 1894. His
giant form and great wealth made him a
familiar parsonage in California
All the gypsy families have two names
that is. their Romany patronymic and its
equivalent in the language of their adopt
cd country. Here. as in England, the prin-
cipal families are the Lees. Stanleys Hernes
1-ovels. Grays. Coopers, Smiths, Whartons
Caulhelds. Bucklands and Costelloes In
Romany the seven first Of these families
are known respectively as Purrums OF
Leeks; Bar-meScro, or stone people: RIOS.
sar-mescro, or duck people: Caumloes u
love makers; Grys, or horse people; Vardo
mescro. or wheelwrights, and PetuIen.
groes. or horseshoers 1t will be seen thai
In translating their Romany names, the,
generally attempted a play upon words
when they could not find the exact equiva.
Tents. In the same way the gypsies have
Romany names for most Of the big cities IN
England and this country. They are quite
opposite. too. as may be judged by the fol
lowing snort list. picked up around camp
hres ana caravans: Kanlo-Gav, or Black
town Pittsburg): Boro-Gav, or Big-toWr
(New York;; Levinor-Gav, or Beer-towr
milwaukee, and ST. Louis); Paunomeugo
or White city QPhiiadeiphia). SO called,
suppose. from its famous white doorsteps
Pureno-Gav, or Oid-town (Boston): Sig.
mengo. or Quick city (Chicago); Fudge
Cav, or Bridge-town (Brooklyn); Beluni.
Cav, UT queen Guy tWdsnlngtOn), and
Matcheneskoe-Gav, or Ffsh-town (applied
10 Gloucester, Mass, and other seacoas,
towns).
Some Noted Banda.
The nomadic gypsy bands are not 81
large as in less settled times, when tn,
Romany was forced to travel In large mum
bers for self-protection- From twelve t.
twenty persons make UP the average car
AVIAN today; although in some cases tn,
bands number fifty or sixty. A very larg,
band Is the famous one of which osd Chiy
odine Lowell Is the chief. Every year Low
els band comes north and camps between