The Red Cloud chief., 1898-03-25
RACE OF N~AGABONDS.
STRANGE CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE TZiGANES.
a Class OF No,nds who Wake Hungary
Their National Home and who Gen
orally Rests, Al Attempts la Civiiizc
Them.

>hCstras the world over and a recent
girl was implicated have drawn the
attention of two continents to those Gu
rious people called Taigincs In Hun
gary, Bohcmians in France and gypsics
In England and the United States, says
the New York Times. Hungary 10 the
OF the T2igancs. In 80 far as they
have any home. In all other European
countries they were pcrsnCuted for CEN
turtles as cmiSsarics Of the evil n II
enemies of Christianity. But Hungary
took pity on them and treated the wan
dcrcrs like lost children. II was In the
fifteenth century that they first made
their appearance there. King Sigis-
mond received them Hospitality and
recommended TO the charity and pity
of the public these poor, wandering
people, without Il home and bounded
by every one"
There are now about 10000 OF these
T2igancs in Hungary. They may he
divided into three classes-those who
20 barchcadcd and barcfootcd, the wan
dcring gypsics; those who wear head
gear and SHOES on Sundays. the sent
nOmads, and those who always wear
hats and shoes. and who have to a
great extent abandoned the nomadic
lives of their ancestors. These latter
are the most civilized. and are general
ly musicians. who excel in the playing
of Hungarian tunes. When the TIL
games arrived In Hungary they were
not trained unsteady. but they soon ap-
propriatcd Magyar music. and out OF 1t
have made IA crude and weird art of
their own. Their favoritc instrument
Ia the has ALA" as they term the
vein. Some play the harp, but they
h Il marked aversion for the piano
fte the reason that II cannot be easily
m,?cd about. In Hungary no fete or
festival takes place without Il Tzigane
orchestra. A. election times a T2iganc
band always heads the electoral pro-
cesSions. and no wedding Is considered
complete without their music for the
dance. The Tzigancs have become ma
tural musicians. playing from inspira-
ton, and generally being unable to
read music. Liszt. who made a study
OF the T~ziganes. says that music IA to
them n sublime language, n mystic
song, which they often make use of in
stead OF conversation, and that they
have, In fact, invented a music OF their
own.
One OF the favoritc abodes OF these
strange people Is near the frontier OF
Croatia. IL Is there that the typical
Bohemians are seen at their best,
Their camps are always set up AT
some distance from the nearest town or
village. often in close proximity To
some forest. The TZigane huts-for
they are nothing more-consist OF n
single room, unless the owner Is en-
tremely well-to-do, and generally de-
void OF furniture. The Tziganes eat
ana sleep On the bare boards. At all
times OF the day there Is q smoldCr-
Ing fire In the hut, ove which hangs n
sandstone pot, for the Tz!gane has no
fixed hour for his meals, but eats
whenever he feels hungry. The ordi.
nary bill of fare consists Of potatoes,
stews. milk and lard. On festive occa-
slons such tit-bits are INDUCED I'm az
hedgehogs, foxes and squirrels. Cats
are considered by the Tziganes q
princely diet. Dogs are trained Ia
hunt h%cdgehogs and foxes. They have
a peculiar manner Of cooking foxes.
They are placed in running water for a
couple Of days and then cooked under
hot Goals in a hole i'm the ground. The
TZiganes have n Partially for the flesh
OF dead animals, and whenever a farm
or a stable takes fire they rush to the
scene in the hope of finding the carcass
OF some dead animal. Like certain
oriental races. they use their fingers
in conveying food to their mouths.
Tzigane women, as a rule, go abou,
half-naked, the young girls wearine
nothing but a small apron, excepting
when they go to the ncighborlng town
The men wear but little clothing. and
until the time Of their marriage, a,
between IL and Il years OF age, they e
at~ut almost naked. After marriage
however. they attire themselves in thu
eaudy Hungarian national costume, o
which they are very proud. Cast-of
garments OF some Magyar noblemai
they have Il great weakness for, ant
when they are able to obtain a brigh
red coat their satisfaction Is complete
The Tziganes have horror OF worl
or restraint Of any kind. Even thos
who have a fixed residence like to roan
about when they feel so inclined. S,
firm IL this wandering instinct witt
them that they have no word In thei
language to signify remain" Mos
OF the trades they adopt are suitabl
for a nomadic life. They are eithe
horse dealers. blacksmiths, sheep shear
ers. or, and above all. beggars. II I
quite impossible to take a countr.
drive through some provinces of Hun
gary without coming across a band o
TAganes, some one OF whom will sure
ly follow a carriage for a half-hour O
- ynt