The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-28
THE REAL GYPSIES.
Story of a Visit to a Romani Tent,
Talk With Tribes Chief.

1t was a dome-shaped tent of dark
brown blankets stretched tightly over
plant ash wands, and in the midst of
1t was glowing fer of coke. Six faces
were lighted up by the glow Of the
fire, and five were those of swarthy
Romantics in whose veins there was
no strain of English blood. All of US
were seated or lying on colored rugs
spread on the ground. Opposite the
triangular entrance to the tent,
through which the lighted window of
caravan could be seen. sat a hand
some gypsy woman, whose hair, in
spite of her sixty years, was still of
raven blackness. and whose features,
brought into relief by the freight,
were those of a sybil-keen, mysteri-
husband. a gray-eyed. white-haired
horse dealer. who was one of George
Barrow's Romani friends, and who
could we'll remember having had for
walking Lord of Gypsy Lore"
Stretched out beside him was his
daughter, a 1.-THE, dark-eyed woman
with a scarlet-and-black shawl hung
loosely over her shoulders; when she
looked toward the fire her eyes gleam-
ed like stars, She was talking in a low
voice to her brothers. who were
lounging, one on each side Of the en-
trance to the tent, where they could
keep watch upon the horses that were
grazing nearby.
Her voice was lowered because her
father was speaking, and the old man
was in no humor to be interrupted.
more especially just then, when he had
a sympathetic listener. He was talk
ing on a subject often discussed in
gypsy tents-the i'll doings Of the nu>
merous van-dwellers who are not Ro-
manies, but among whom the true
rom is frequently classed by people
who know nothing of his contempt for
the travelling "mumpers." Never once
in all my life" said he, "have I slept
in a house and ever since my father
buying and selling horses. All over
the country my name is we'll known
to those I've had dealings with. and
no one yet has had reason to say I'm
horses to gentlefolk. and I've been a
good friend to many poor man who
has wanted a horse and has only
had money enough to buy a cheap
one. have brought up three sons
and two daughters and not one of
them has ever been in any trouble.
I owe no man penny, and I wish I
could say that no man owes me a
pound: But whenever travelling folk
(van-dwellers) get into any mischief
people at once say, It's them gypsies
again. though nine times out of ten
the gypsies have nothing to do with It.
ITO hear people talk one might
think" he went on. and a touch of
sadness could be noted in his voice,
that there are gypsies everywhere;
but how many families of true gypsies
are there today? You've told me the
names of nearly all of them tonight.
There are the Hernes. and the Lees,
and the Grays and the Stanleys, and
one or two more, and even they are
dying out and will soon be gone. I've
heard my father say that when he was
a boy as many as fifty true-bred Ro-
NAMES sometimes camped together on
a heath or common, and that when
Fenella Lee was married to one of the
Boswells (Bosvils) over a hundred
gypsies danced to the fddles at the
wedding dance. Now 1 often travel
about for months together without
seeing a gypsy who does not belong to
my family"
"Ah, my old man has kept to his
own people" broke in the horse deal
er's wife. ''If all the gypsies had been
like him there wouldn't be so many
numpers on the road. But years ago
a gypsy man here and a gypsy woman
there got married to a house-dweller.
or to one of the show folk. so that now
there are travellers who have gypsy
names. but who are no more gypsies
than Black Jake. the bruiser. who
used to call himself the Ronaani king
Black Jake used to speak London
thieves patter. and said 1t was gypsy
talk but one day when I met him at
West Hartlepool I spoke Romani to
him. and he thought it was Welsh