The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-05-21

UlOuceSIer, MISS, ana otner sea coast
towns.
1.-The nomadic gypsy bands are not so
large as in less settled times, when the
Romany was forced to travel in large num-
bers for self protection. From twelve to
twenty persons make up the average car
avan today, although in some cases the
bands number fifty or sixty A very large
band is the famous one of which old Chiv-
odine Lovel is the chief Every year
Lovel' band comes north and camps be-
tween Newark and Elizabeth, n. j., in
the woods by the boulevard These Low
els are over sixty in number At one
time they were suspected of having abb
Quoted Charley Ross; but the air-haired
boy found in their camp and supposed to
be little Ross was proven a nephew of old
Chivodine, and is now heir-apparent to
the chieftaincy. Chief Starley's big fam
lily yearly encamps on Crow Hill, Kings
county, n. Y. In the suburbs of Denver,
Colorado, the gypsies ruled by Mrs. Car
olina Smith meet annually; while branches
of the royal Stanley family Of Ohio en-
camp near Dayton, Cincinnati, and Cleve-
land.
The pattrin is the code of signs by
which gypsies tell each other the road to
be followed The word Games from the
Sanscrit patttra, leaf; and the common
est form of patrin is the scattering Of little
tufts of grass or tiny bundles Of leaves
along the route pursued. Straw, sticks,
pebbles, and crosses in the earth are also
used. The form of pattrin for night
guidance is the placing Of a small forked
stick upward in the ground, with a smaller
stick poised in the cleft to show the direc-
ton. Nowadays, however, the gypsies
are getting so unromantic that they do a
great deal of telegraphing. Oddly enough,
the great gypsy exchanges, in the various
cities are livery stables and pawbrokers'
shops. The first fact is explicable when
one recalls the horse trading of the Ro-
many; but the second calls for exclamation.
Gypses are the pawnbrokers' best custom
ers. They buy lavishly all sorts of gold,
silver and amber and cowrie ornaments,
and nearly all their dealing is done with
the pawn shops. The gypsy woman has
an Oriental taste in jewelry, and every
Romany- chi possesses a box full of trink-
cts, especially in silver amber, and in
heritance from Hindu ancestors) cowrie
beads. The pawnbrOkers keep i'll touch
with the various caravans, and at the sign
of the three golden balls the Romany
learns the whereabouts of relatives and
friends
1T is difficult indeed to win the gypsy )
confidence. He is distrustful of the gor-
gio, or gentle, by whom he has been per-
secuted and whom in turn he has hated
and preyed spon for ages. It took me
four long years to break the ice with Il
single Romany family; but, once broken,
the rest was easy. Very soon | had
good celloquial knowledge Of Romany.
My friendship with the enc family, and my
acquaintance with the mystic pattrin code
proved adequate introductions to the gyp
sizes everywhere The American gypsy as
a rule has no real religion. Frequently
he ostensbly follows some faith, but he
does it with his tongue in his cheek.
Their word for Ged is Deva or Devel,
from the Sanscrit deva deity; but the
word has to them little or no significance.
Broadly speaking, they are pagans. Yet
superstition exists among them though they
affect to sneer at the spells and incanta
tions with which their tricksters deceive
the gorgios.
'EMany curious customs prevail among
our Romany. For instance, it is common
among the Colorado and California gypsy
women, while secretly cOnniving at the
marriage of their daughters, to apparently
oppose the suitor's advances bitterly. This
necessitates an elopement; after which the
young pair, having shown their Romany
spirit, are welcomed back to the maternal
tent pole. Their cooking and eating hab-
its are often odd enough. For pork they
have a great fondness; and in old times
they were accustomed, when passing
farm house, to drab the baulo' (poisen
the pig) and beg the carcass from the
farmer. The poison known as 'drab' is
one of the Romany secrets. 1t is curious
drug, which affects only the animal 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 'drabbing the baulo' and
thereby obtaining fresh pork. English
gypsies smack their lips over the memories
of toasted atchi-witehi, Or hedge hog.
The gypsy way to cook fowl is to do it
up, feathers and all, in clay, and bake it
in the heart of the fire for little more
than thirty minutes The clay is then re-
moved, taking with it the feathers the
fowl is cleaned and the feast is ready.
Yorkshire pudding, apple dumplings, and
other English dishes are great favorites
with the gypsies.
sIn so far as [ know him (and | may
safely say that [ know him well) the
American gypsy is one Of natures gentle
men-courteous, considerate, anda loyal,
sacrificing frienp to his friends. The av-
erage gorgio, the Romany dislikes and
distrusts; but win the gypsy S affection,
and you keep it 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 gorgio's gold, and
sleep with the broad arch Of heaven for
their canopy.
!
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