The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06
ANNUAL MIGRATION
OF GYPSY TRIBES.
Some PecuIiarities and Gus
toms of the Nomadic Race.

With the advent Of warm weather the va
rioGs gypsy tribes encaulped around -.
Louis in the winter months are preparing
10 begin their annual migration to the
North. The largest settlement. which WAS
located on the East Side. near the Me-
chants Bridge. have already packed th-ir
sayly decorated travelling vans and started
OH the long Journey.
This band. which is under the sovereign
ity Of the RoInany Queen Leah Stanley,
was the most noted that went into winter
quarters near the city. When the queen
was here in January she spent several days
with this e~ncamprnent bat made only 4
formal csl on the tribe in the northwest
ern city limits.
In the winter and early spring hundreds
Of st. Louisans visited the encampment
across the river to have their fortunes told,
but out of this number the majority were
Interested only in their past or future
destiny. md. after being told what the
gods had in store for them, hurried away
without evincing any personal interest il
the picturesque mode OF life placed before
them.
While the first view of a modern GYPSY
eHoampment is sometimes disappointing -
'~@- '@f 'AHa S'--D $1,000
OF novelty and the pleasing. aughter-lovins
characteristics OF the Gypsies themselves
They are far from being the wholly I'm
provideDt race held to be by many. II the
tribe is we'll TO do as are mos: OF the
Romanys the camp will be found TO be
laid out I'm a systematic, even military style.
Camp chairs, a few bedstsads, stoves. and
IN several tents mats and bits of gay car
pets, were to be seen ct the encampment
near the Merchants Bridge. The men or
this encampment were lnVetefa:e morse
traders. and while the women canvassed
the city and n~eighborirg towns with packs
OF quaint trInkets, which they daily dis
posed OF, the male contingent of the tribe
bartered with American Bottom farmers
for a horse trade.
In the cold weather the children OF the
encaInpnent went barefooteo. In the cold
est weather they played In and cut of the
tents. and at times through the snow. with
out so much As wrapping Up their bare
feet. There was but one death the whole
winter, that OF a beautiful young girl
named Hazelio, whose loss was deeply
mcurned. In times OF sickness she was con-
sidered the best nurse in the e~ncampmeut.
At her death all her possessions. consisting
of clothing, jcweiry and even small trim
kets. were placed beside the body in the
coffin. Hazello was buried in a cemetery
near East ST. Louis.
AA N ~
both women and men 70 gather at the en-
campmenr after passing the day selling
triEkets and trading horses. The more eX-
perienced forum teilerS among the Won-
en-. together with the old women o. the
tribe, spent all their time In the tents For
tune-segking adventures came to have
their past or future revealed to them daily.
FOrtUne-teliing is an Unborn characteristic
of all gypsy women. knowledge OF house
hold duties has to he acquired. Consider
able small change is earned telling for
tunes.
Gypsies are fond Of ~fanciful names.
Among the encampment girls such given
raries as EazelIo, Haidee, Ne!ita, Nevada,
Sybarina and Elita.
Fickleness in love complications is never
tolerated among the Roinanys. All girls are
compelled to marry the young man whose
attentions they first accept and divorces are
unheari OF. Parents never consent to the
marriage of their children until the cere-
mony il already performed. as they hold
themselves accountable Tor the future hap
piEess Of contracting children. Marriages
are required to be carried out In secrecy,
but II there is no serious objection to the
match young couples are speedily pardoned
and blessed.
h authentic origin of the Gypsies has