Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-15


" nance we have right here in our
midst. Just out beyond East
lake park there is a gypsy encamp-
ment. They are real Egyptian gyp-
sizes, too: no make-believes among
them There must be fully fifty of
them. Their tents aren't pitched near
the road where every one can see
them, but way back among some trees.
They have their wagons and their
tents and horses, and If they are not
as clean as they might be the dirt is
surely picturesque.
The gypsies are true lovers of the
beautiful. il their selection of setting
for a camping place is an example.
This camp is supplied with its full
quota of dogs, and they are tied at
regular intervals around the outskirts
of the camp, and such a howl as they
set up when any one comes to the
camp that they don't know!
The camp is composed of six tents
and one family living in wagon.
There is only one stove among them,
and that is very small one, but the
funniest part of it is its position. They
have it about fifteen feet from the
ground in tree. resting on the inter-
section of several branches.
Tents Are Weatherbeaten
The tents look as If they had seen
more than one winter. Their color
could hardly be distinguished from
that of the ground. During the day
the sides of the tents are drawn up
and the bedding is spread out to air.
The men go away early In the morn
ing to swap horses, or more properly
speaking, to see how many people they
can get the best of.
Some of the women go into the city
to go from door to door telling for
tunes and getting old clothes. But a
good many are left behind to take
care of the children and watch the
camp.
There are only two real old people
here but they are as well taken care
of as if they were the greatest treas
ures in the world These people have
only been in America five years. so
most of them haven't learned English
yet.
The children wear only one article
of clothing, dress, boys and girls
alike, but in the younger children even
that is considered unnecessary, and
they roll their little brown bodies
around in the dirt with far more en-
joyment than they would have with
all the fine clothes in the world.
Around the camp every one goes in
One little baby that was just learning
TO walk stepped on a sharp stone and
cut her little feet, but that didn't make
any difference to her parents. They
examined it very carefully, tied a rag
about it and started her walking
again.
Queen Is Aristocratic
This band is the proud possessor Of
a queen, and a very picturesque queen
she is. She is more aristocratic than
most of her countrymen, for she trav-
els in train, not in a common wagon.
Her skirt is pink and her loose waist
blue, while she has basted around the
neck a ruffle of bright red and green
plaid goods. From her wrist TO her
elbow are heavy carved silver brace
lets and there are two anklets on each
ankle.
All the silver bands are a sixth of
an inch thick and the carving goes
half way through the thickness. -Four
strings of marvelously colOred beads
hang around her neck and her fingers
are heavy with rings. Her rich black
hair which hangs down her back is
interviewer with bright pieces of glass.
Her feet are bare like the rest of her
people. but for this she apologized
very hurriedly to her visitors, saying
MY feet so tired. Heavy shoe
hurt
All those who were not engaged in
some household work were seated in
a circle around the ashes of a fire
The old man and woman were there
each smoking a pipe. The little baby