The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-17
TzIGANEs OF HUNGARY.
The Most Interesting and Curious
People in That Empire.

The Most Interesting and Curious
People in That Empire.
From the Home Journal.
Among the many races which make up
the population of that heterogeneous geo-
graphical expression termed tho Ahstro-
Hungarian ..npire certainly the most in
terestng are those curious people called
Tziganes in Hungary, Bohemians in
France and sypsies in England and the
United States. Hungary is the home of
the Tziganes, in so far as they have any
home. In all other European countries
they were porseouted for cen .uries as BE-
ing emissaries Of the evil one and enemies
I of Christianity, but Hungary took pity on
them and treated the wanderers like lost
children. There are now about 10000 of
these Tzigants in Hungary
one of the faYOrite alb des Of these
| strange peel PIE is rear tha frontier of Ctol-
tia. 1t is there tfat the typical y games
may best be seen. Their camps are
| always set up at some distance from the
nearest town or village; often in c ose
| proximity to some f-r St. The Tzigane
hu-s-for they are nctoing no consist
! Of single r ON, unless the owner is ex-
| uemely We to do and are e,ene ally de-
| void OF furniture. The II games eat a d
| sleep on the bare bC ards. AT al times of
| the day there is a smo,dering fire in the
| NUT over which hangs a sandstone not,
| Tor the II game has 10 fixed hour Tor mis-
| meals, but eats whenever he feels hun
g,y The ordinary bill OF fara consists
! OF potatoes, stews, milk and ard on fas-
| tive occasions such ti.-bi S are indu eed
in as hedgenogs, foxes and squirrels. Cats
| are considered by he Tziganes a princely
diet, and they train dogs TO hunt hedge
| hogs and foxes.
Izlgane women, as a rule, go about half
| naked, the young girls wearing nothing
| out a small apron excepting when they go
| TO the neighboring town The men wear
| but little clothing and until the time of
| their marriage between u and Is years
OF age) they also 60 about almost naked.
| After marriage however, they attire
| themselves in the gaudy Hungarian ma
uonal costume, of which they are%~ery
proud. Cast-off garments of some Mag
| var nobleman they particularly prize, and
| when they are able to obtain a bright red
coat their satisfaction is complete. The
! Iziganes have horror of work or re-
! straint of any kind Even those who have
| a fixed residence like to roam about, when
they feel so inclined. So strong is this
| wandering instinct with them that they
| have no word in their language to signify
| remain Most of the trades they adopt
are suitable for a nomadic life. They are
| either horse dealers, blaeksmiths, sheep
| shearers, or, and above all, beggars. 1t is
| quite impossible to take a country drive
| through some provinces of Hungary with
out coming across a band of Tziganes,
some one of whom will surely follow a
carriage for half an hour or more until
he has received a coin. The Tziganes
! have given themselves the nickname of
poor men," and the habit of begging is
so thoroughly rooted in them that even
well-to-do members of their race, whom
| one occasionally meets in Budapest, driv-
ing pure-b looded horses and wearing cost
| ly Jewels. cannot resist the tempta ton of
asking for money.
Many unsuccessful attempts have been
! made to restrain the vaga bond propensi-
| ties of Tziganes The Emperor Joseph
II once tried to compel them to have a
! fixed residence and allotted them land
distributed agricultural implements among
| them and ordered them to cultivate their
acres But, instead of taking up their res
dence in the comfortable homes they had
been presented with, the Tziganes turned
| the houses into stables for their horses
and cows, and set up tents near by for
their own use To prevent the corn, given
them for seed, from sprouting, they boiled
1t, But the Emperor was not discourag-
ed. He abolished the Tzigane language,
as he had already done away with the
! Magyar language; did away with the very
name of Tzigane. and finally took their
children from them to be educated by Ger
man and Hungarian farmers who were to
bring them up according to a strict ccde
of discipline. But the little Tz'ganes grew
up with all the instincts of their race and
at the first opportunity escaped and re-
Joined their parents.
A few years ago Tzigane who had been
adopted as a child in an Austrian family
entered the army and rose tothe rank Of
captain. One day, without any warning
he disappeared, and six months later he
was found among a band of wandering
Tziganes. List, the great pianist, once
tried to tame a young Tzigane. He took
the boy to Paris, gave him teachers and
tried to bring him up in a conventional
manner; but the effort was useless, and
the young Bohemian had to be sent back
to his native land. There are a few ex-
ceptions which prove the rule, for in
Pennsylvania some peasants are Tziganes
and enjoy a well-deserved reputation for
thrift and intelligence. Others in Transyl-
vania have become wood carvers, masons
and dentists.