The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-18

majority of the tribe are camped on
the reform school road a short distance
from North Topeka.
The laws of the tribe prescribe that
a queen shall not be crowned before
attaining the age of 20 years, and on
May % Queen Maria as she is called
by members of the tribe will reach that
age Her coronation will take place on
that day, and for a, week the assembled
tribes, amounting to at least 700 or 800
people, will hold festivities in honor of
the event.
Queen Maria" belongs to the Rom
any tribe of GypSieS, which claims tObe
the original Gypsy tribe and dates their
lineage back to the time of the Pha-
raohs. For several hundred years the
headquarters of the tribe have been in
Austria, and there the young queens
mother died a short time ago. Maria
heard of her death but five days ago,
and being the only daughter of the
queen was in direct succession to the
royal place. AS soon as the news of
her mothers death reached her a con-
ference was held, and it was decided
that the band should spend the winter
in Topeka, and that here the coronation
ceremonies should take place.
Accordingly steps were taken to notify
all of the different bands in the United
States of the coming coronation of the
queen, and by this time all have be-
ceived the news. Some of the bands
have already started on the overland
trip to Topeka, and by the date of the
coronation the majority of the tribe in
the United States will be here. There
are 1,2O0 members of the tribe in this
country.
The queen came to this country eight
months ago. and five months later was
married to GustaVe Stanley, a, member
of the band with whom she took up her
residence. Stanley is an Australian,
and his correct name is Stackovitch
The English pronunciation of the
queens name is Fryer 2 and her moth
er was known as Queen Sophia
There are two Stanleys-Gustave and
.n1Ti md hot
cradle education in the American
schools, and speak the English Ian
guage f1uently. OF the two men, Louis
Stanley has enjoyed better educational
advantages, and handles much of the
business of the tribe. The arrangement
of the coronation ceremonies will be
mainly under his charge.
Stanley is a bright, good looking
young fellow, and dresses in good style
He requested that an announcement of
the coming coronation be made so that
the people of Topeka would not be-
come curious as to the object of the
bands long stay in this city.
Queen Maria is a bright young la
dy," said he today, and While she
hasn't been in this country long enough
to speak the language very we'll yet
she is learning rapidly. When she learns
the English language it will make the
fourteenth language she is able to
speak. She has done little but travel
over all countries since she was a little
girl, and in this way learned the differ
ent tongues. She likes this country
and after the coronation will probably
make her stopping place in Chicago,
and stay here all the time.
The coronation will be big time
for the Gypsies,' he continued. There
has been but one other crowning among
Gypsies in this country before, and that
was near ST. Louis last year. But that
tribe was not as big or as old as ours.
We are the original Gypsies, and our
first home was in Egypt The ancient
Egyptian language is still largely re-
tanned and spoken in the tribe. The
queen speaks it we'll.
I'VE will be very glad to have the
people come and see the croWning of
the queen. She will be crowned on
her birthday, May %, and then the fes
tivities will keep up for probably
week The crowning of the Gypsy
queen is the biggest happening that we
Stanley says that after the corona
ton of the queen, the tribe will travel
overland to Omaha to be present dur
ing the Transmississippi International
Exposition.