Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1901-10-28
GYPSY CHILDREN.

Whenever there is a trail over which
a wagon may pass there the Gypsy
travels, and with him goes his family,
in which children. horses and dogs are
about equally numerous. They are the
most Travelled children in the world.
these youngsters of the snug and gaudy
wagons, and that region through which
they once go they intimately know,
not as more fortunate children know
1t, from guide books or the lips OF
others, but from varied and perhaps
bitter experience of its ups and downs,
its fair and foul weather and its
friendly or unfriendly folk. In the
wilds Of the sharp-ridged Alleghenies
or on the sun-beaten trails of the great
prairies, they are as much at home
Gs in camp on the outskirts OF New
York, Chicago or st. Louis. 1t is a
wild and varied life they lead, but by
no means an idle one. Except among
the lowest classes of Gypsies. the chill
dren are carefully trained to the hardy
life they must lead. Only "the am
bulanters" (as the Gypsies contemptu-
ously call class of wagon wanderers
upon whom even the tramps look
DOWN let their little ones grow up
with no more training or instruction
than IL they were animals. In repre-
sentative Gypsy caravan out on the
trail every human being more than
four years old has his or her allotted
work. Often the tasks Of the children
are harder than those of their elders.
At sunup they are astir, for the true
Gypsy starts early to make half his
days distance before the overhead sun
makes travel irksome. Out of the
wagon, or perhaps from under 1t, IL
the night has been warm and fair,
tumble the boys and scatter through
the dew-beaded grass-this one to look
to the horses, that one to gather dry
wood for the breakfast, another to
gather whatever seasonable wild fruits
are to be found: fourth to carry
buckets of water. II the water near
which the camp is pitched is fish-in-
habited, there is joyous mornings
task in catching the speckled trout
and the gamy bass, or II not these at
least the hungry and gayly-hued little
| SullllSu. IL W
occupy their sisters. Breakfast things
must be got out and in order; shawls
curtains and bedding must be spread IN
the sun, and the wagon put to order
Just as II 1t were house instead of a
household on wheels. The true Gypsy
is not a slovenly person. He takes
pride In the neatness OF his wagon and
his fellowGypsies judge him from it;
so his wife trains the children to be
good housekeepers. After breakfast is
over ard the things cleared up the
family takes the road. This is the part
that the Gypsy boy enjoys. for there Is
usually several spare horses, and ne
has the glory of riding one Of them.
And early he develops into an expert
horseman, and, II the truth bS told, an
INSCRIPTIONS horse trader. 1t is no
unusual thing TO see twelve-year-old
boy chaffering with some sharp-faced
mountaineer, old enough to be his
grandfather, over a proposed swap"
Of a more or less broken-down horse
for a sturdy native trotting mule. II
the boy gets the best Of the trade, as
usually happens, all is we'll. If II goes
the other way the young trader comes
In for a severe beating from his faith
er.-Indianapolis News.