The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-04

changes In the various cities are livery
stables aad p1wnbr1kers shops, The
FIRST fact 10 applicable when one recalls
the horse trading OF the Romany; but In
the second calls Tor explanation. dypsses
are the pawnbrokers best best customers.
They buy lavlshly all sorts Of gold, silver
and amber and c0wrle ornaments and
nearly all iheor dealings IS done with the
pawn SHOPS. The gpysy woman has an
Oriental taste Ia jewery, and every
Romncy-chl Possesses box full Of trln-
kets, especially In silver amber ana lin
herltancc from Hindu ancestors) cowrle
heads. The pawnbr0kers keep In touch
with the various caravans, and ~ tho
sign OF the three golden balls the Rom
any learns the whereabouts Of relatives
and friends.
1T Is difficult. indeed, to win the
gypsy's confidence. lie Is distrustful
OF the Gorgio, or gentle. by whom he
has been per7ecutcd, and whom In turn
he has hated and preyed upon for ages.
Ii took me four long yeats TO break the
Ice with single Romnny family but,
once broken, the rest was easy, Very
soon had good colloquial knowledge
OF Romany. Ny friendship with the
one family and my acquaintance with
the pattrin code proved adequate intro
auctions to the gypsles everywhere,
The American gypsy as rule has no
real religion Frequently he ostensibiy
follows some faith, but he does II with
his tongue In his cheek. Their word for
God is Deva, or Devel, from the San
scrit deYa, deity; but the word has TO
them little or no significance. Broadly
speaking, they are pagans. Yet super
stltiou exists among them, though they
affect TO sneer ut the spells and mean
tations with which their trIcksters de-
ceive the Gorglos.
QUEER Gypsy Cations
MANY curious customs prevail
among our Romanys. For instance, 1t
ia common among the Colorado and
California gypsy women, While secretly
connlvlng at the marriage OF their
daughters, to apparently oppose the
sultor's advances bitterly. This neces-
states an elopement; after which the
young pair, having shown their ROM
any spirit, are welcomed back to the
maternal tent pole. Their cooking and
eating habits are often odd enough.
For pork they have great fondness;
and In old times they were accustomed,
when passing farm house, to 'drab the
baulo' (poison the plg) and beg the car
cass from the farmer. The poison
known as 'drab' is one OF the Romany
secrets. 1t Is d curious drug, which af-
fects only the animate brain, leaving
the rest OF the body Imprisoned. Many
old Romany-chals have admitted to me
that they still occasionally yield to the
temptation OF Grabbing the baulo' and
thereby obtaining fresh pork. English
gypsies smack their lips over the mem
Orles Of atchl-witchi, or hedge hog.
The gypsy way to cook fowl is to do
1t up, feathers and all, In clay. and bake
II In the heart of the big fire for little
more than thirty minutes. The clay is
then removed, taking with Il the feath-
ers; the fowl Is cleaned and the feast
Is ready. Yorkshire pudding, apple
dumpllngs, and other English dishes are
great favorltes with the gypsies.
In so far as know him (and may
safely say that l know him welD the
American gypsy Is one or natures gem
tlemen-courteous conslderate, and
loyal, sacrificing friend TO his friends.
The average Gorgio, OF course, the
Romany dislikes and dstrusts; but win
the gypsy's affection, and you keep 1t
always. The vagrant tendencies OF the
race can never be crushed out. They
are in the blood, bred in the bone, OF
the true Romany. So long as the pure
gypsy strain exists chal and chi will
follow the pattrin trail, tell fortunes,
trade horses, WOO the GOrglo's gold, and
sleep with the broad arch OF heaven for
their canopy"