Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-10-02

NJ YARSANN, Sept. 2O.-ro the
N Russian. and stil more to
Wv foreign travellers in Russian
territory, the gipsies are a
constant source Of wonder. From the
time they are born until the day when
thSys arc piad~ss6 rest. coninIess,
in the depths Of the forest,
they obey other rulers and have
other ideas and ideals from the
rest OF those who own the cars
sovereignty. To them their own king
dictates His word is law and no ap-
peal is ever made 10 the civil courts Of
the kingdom
This king. who Us elected for life by
the male gypsy population. need not be
rich. The great idea is that he should
DC strong because q delicate man may
die young and. therefore. cause all the
trouble Of new election-and have a
rough sense OF Justice Neither rs he
supposed TO live In one particular place
set apart for kings. After his election
he goes on living whore he was be-
fore. For Instance the last king Of
the Russian gipsies lived near As
trachan the present one lives at
piotrkon two towns as far apart as
Quebec and san Francisco. People
who want 10 get him to marry or di-
vorco them. TO settle a great dispute
that has been brought before one OF tho
smaller oonsuls IN the mpments,
have 20 go several weeks journey 10
nnd him.
There rs one condition he must ac-
code 90. and that f. 10 be always In
the same place. Encampments come
and go but he remains.
ELECTING A KING
As soon as the old king dies, mes
sougers are sent 20 the most import
ant encampment In each province 90
tell the gipsics that, bon a year and "a
day. "a now king viii be elected and that
each cucampment is To- send lis votes
and tho name of IT'S candidate to the
place where the late king lived. This
cncampment then sends its own mes-
songors 10 all the other enCampmcnts
iu the province.
The voting takes place after many
speeches have been made and after
every candidate has been thoroughly
inspected by tie voters. Wrestling
matches and stone-lfting contests take
place so that am can judge of the
strength OF the candidates. Then tho
different cases that have arisen since
the last kings death are brought bee
fore the candidates. who must judge
ANHIlf 10y way OF rIiNN lux AIA'II AAFhT
Of Justice All this takes n long time
and tho elections often last "A month.
Hearing that a gypsy wedding. or
| rather. "a series OF weddings, was % be-
held recently near the town OF piotr-
kom ! took train for that old-World
place that lies between Warsaw and
Vienna. and arrived one nne moruing
at ths gipy cncampmcut which was
planted ON "a nat waste of ground near
] D a. ..N
moro or less ragged and made NJ every
,oIorad patch under the sun. were
grouped together against tho dark
green background OF pine trees. The
Noise that went up-a mingled chorus
uf CRYING children. screaming women,
laughs fnatches 0f songs the Jingle
of guitars and the regular clang Of
smiths hammers and the sWarns of
children, reminded one OF the Russian
poets description of a Cossack feast as
something that begins noisily and
seems 90 lose its end.
Iu few minutes "a burly man emery
"a lr0m the crowd that hommed us in.
and the driver introduced him. lu "a
d.m'ucd manner. as kaminsh king
/ of the Eips.e8 re is "a black bearded.
hueht-eycd giant, with strong white
teeth and "a joyial laugh. Some years
ago ha Was elected king by all the
gIpe.ef iu Poland He has bought n
small piece on land near pl0trkOn
where hc Is quite "a popular parsonage
and shoes the peasants horses Tor
Fersts around, de performs most of
the marriages, for II means az much
90 "a Polish. or even Russian gypsy. 90
bc married by kaminski as ID does 90
most people to be married by an arch
bishop on the pope He laughed an 4
scratched bus head ON learning my
,rr1ud
"lt iH true there are several wedding
! going ON just now" hc admitted 'Ac-
cord.ug 10 custom only one takes place
| Zoo "a day and Inc prettiest girl rs 20 be
married at noon but we don't gem
orally let strangers sce our ceremonies
| Besides. ] suppose the marriage peo-
pie Themselves wouldn't like &c."
he laughed again when j suggested
crossing the brides hand with silver