Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-03-05


is living in Everett, while the people
of his tribe are distributed through
out Everett and Lynn for the winter.
Gypsy Held in Respect.
II would take Valley Stanley's word
where would not take another mans
bond" said an Everett horses dealer
of the chief of the Stanley tribe.
why, knew his father, Bill Stanley,
chief of the tribe before him. There
was never a straighter man in the
horse-dealing business than Bill Stan
ley"
That is the idea formed of two gypsy
chiefs by man intimately associated
with them in a business that offers
great opportunities for sharp work.
Perhaps you yourself have been
frightened when child by somebody
telling you to watch out or the gyp-
sizes will get you" said the chiefs
SON. THAT is because people have
the idea that gypsies go in for kid
naping children. They have usually
carried this idea in their minds since
they themselves were children, when
they received it from their parents in
precisely the same way. That is alb
solutely a wrong idea of US. Why
should we kidnap? We have children
enough of our own, quite as many as
we can take care of.
"Then they accuse us Of being ad,
dicted to stealing. That is a lie. We
know the value of good reputation
in our business, and If we had no
higher standard of honor than that it
would be sufficient to keep us honest.
think that if you will inquire among
the people with whom we have done
business you will find we bear an eX-
cellent name for honesty. This mis-
conception of thievish tendencies is
inherited, and it has been fostered by
the depredations of many wanderers
who are not gypsies at all, but have
taken to a nomadic existence for
sheer love of idleness and freedom
from responsibility. l know of French
men, of Irishmen and of Germans who
travel about the country posing as
gypsies, when they have not drop
of gypsy blood in their veins and none
of the gypsy code of living.
"Some Of us are fairly well educat-
obtained by contact with the world,
but the world is good university, and
one doesn't forget the lessons one
learns there. When a gypsy leaves
the life of his forefathers and applies
himself to the usual pursuits of civ
ilization, he generally succeeds, which
proves that the gypsy is man of in
telligence. have a cousin who is
mayor of a large town and another
who is head of considerable shoe
mandatory.
Personal Characteristics.
Look at me. Do look like an
Egyptian? Am dark, or swarthy, or
fierce of aspect?"
Tom Stanley is wel1-set.up man
above the average height, no darker
than most dark men of Caucasian
blood. He speaks English well, and
away from the environments of his
summer camp has as little of the air
of the gypsy-the gypsy of fiction,
that is-as business man.
"Yet people picture me and my
people in their imaginations as half
savage wanderers, akin to the Egyp-
tians or the orientals. Look at this
little girl of mine. Does she look like
| an Indian child?"
He thrust forward a bashful tot of
about seven years, a faxen-haired
child with big blue eyes. She, too,
was as far removed from the popular
idea of the gypsy as Peary is now
from the north POLE
II am of American blood, but of
English descent. My people lived in
Worcester few generations ago, and
my great-great-grandfather was q
Bristol man. The Stanley family Is
a good one in England.
yet we are gypsies, descended
from long line of gypsies. We speak
the Roman tongue, which is Ian
guage in general use among gypsies
the world over. though it varies great
ly according to the country in which
tribe lives.
1.-THE next time anyone tells you
that we have no religion, do not be-
| lieve it. We have our religion pre-
cisely as you or any other man who
is not gypsy has his. Many of our
people are Baptists; some belong to
other Christian denominations. When
a. gypsy does become enthusiastic over
his religion he makes not itlfseauent-
ly what you call a great reviyalist.
That is his temperament.
This temperament shows again in
the music of the gypsies. Although
this music is entirely by ear, many
great composers have conceded that
1t is effective and accurate, even
though wild in character The gyp-
sizes in Hungary and Russia and Po-
land are noted as musicians"
Mr.. sinclair's Testimony.
| What the son of the chief of the
spnsryills Eypsies Says atyut the