Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-20

are entirely <illiterate; they cannot aol'e
in towns. and they wear costume oi
their own, consisting of coarse Whlte
wooden shirts. long nantes of wool as
thick as a carpet, and high caps OF
sheepskin with the wool upon them.
They let their hair grow long until 1t
hangs upon their shoulders. and their
tea rds sometimes reach to their waists.
They are very superstitious: thew know
all the signs and omens. and their ioik
lore and legends have been the theme Oh
poets and writer's of romance Tor cen
turtles.
There is a race of gypsies in Roumania
too. of greater numbers than are found
in any other country. They
Roumanian are called Tzigany. and are
famous for their musical
0yPsles. genius. Tzigany orches-
tras are the fashion in European restau-
rants these days, and their wild. weird.
passionate music has fascination and
exhilaration that comes from none 9TH
ers. These gypsies number perhaps
quarter of a million. and are related to
the tribes that wander about Hungary.
They maintain their distinctive habits,
customs and dress, as well as their racial
purity, with fierce jealousy. No Tzigany
ever marries any but gypsy. and they
are faithful unto death to the members
Of their own race. although their transac-
tons with the rest of the population are
usually open to suspicion
The population Of Roumania is about
600 Roman Catholics. $1,000 Protes-
tants and the rest orthodox Greeks 1t
is singular fact that, although greater
part of the population belong to the
Greek Church, their greatest pride and
satisfaction are found in their descent
from the Roman legions which overcame
and occupied the country during the reign
of the Emperor Trajan, century after
the Christian era.
The famous column of Trajan in the
center of Rome. which is familiar to
everybody. bears an epitome in marble
of his campaign for the Subjugatfon OF
Roumania. You will remember that 1t
Is covered with carvings. winding around
it from top to bottom. like the coils OF
serpent which show the progress or
armies and battle scenes. These carved
reliefs contain $500 human figures and
representations of hundreds or animals
and other objects, and all OF them relate
to Roumania. 60.
Traian lies buried beneath this column,
but in the middle ages the piety Of the
popes led them to remove his statue.
which was originally placed upon the
summit. and to replace it by one OF St.
Peter. SO that the Rock TX, upon which the
responsibility for the Roman campaign
along the Danube.
Trajan left his legions in Roumania as
a rampant against the barbarians upon
the north and east. and Notwithstanding
the constant invasions of Avars. Huns,
Goths, Tartars, Mongols, Turks and other
hordes from Asia. their descendants have
held their ground. and nothing. as have
said, Is dearer to them than their con-
seriousness of Latin origin.
Many of the customs of the ancient Ro-
mans still prevail. And on a certain hol-
iday in all the villages may be witnessed
a revival of the Pyrrhic dance SO sa-
cred in mythology. The peasants wear
robes in imitation Of those of the an
cient Roman warriors. with bells on their
belts and sleeves: they stamp their feet
on the ground, like the North American
Indians. and they shout in unison as the
warriors of mythology are said to have
hearing the voice of the infant Jupiter,
the future king of the gods.
The Roumanian peasants bestow Latin
names upon their children. and even upon
their steers. A farmer will
Latin call hfs oxen after cassius.
Caesar. Brutus, Augustus
"aMeS' and Anthony, and the name
Of Trajan Is as common as the name of
John" with us. There are several tangi-
BILE traces of Trajan remaining. One of
them is a bridge which he built to con-
vey his army across the Danube in the
year 1C4 A. D. 1t consisted originally
OF twenty piers. each 100 feet long, ll5
feet high and IS feet wide. The orig
inal piers still remain as solid as the
mountains. although the bridge has sew
eral times been rebuilt, and the road
which leads to the bridge along the right
! bank of the Danube is still maintained.
Whoever cares to go there may find d
bronze tablet, blackened by the hand OF
centuries, which still bears Latin in
scription, with the name and the titles
and the achievements of Trajan.
The original inhabitants of the country
were called Dacians, and their warlike
disposition got them into print very fire.
quentiy They are discussed by Piiny and
| Herodatus as the bravest and most hon
orable Of all the barbarian tribes. and
| Thucydides alludes TO their proves on
| horseback with the bow and arrow. and
the determination with which they re-
sisted the advance OF the Persian king.
| Darius.
| About :,oa b. c. Philip of Macedon
invaded Dacia and laid siege to one OF
the towns. That great Grecian con-
queror was about to give the signal
| for an assault upon the walls, when the
gates opened and long line of priests,
| clad in snow-whfte robes. with Tyres in
! their hands, came forth and approached
| the Macedonian camp with songs OF
peace Impressed with the spectacle and
their confidence in him, Philip spared the
citadel married Media. the daughter OF
| the king. and entered into a treaty of Of
| tense and defense, which was greatly to
| his advantage in his future campaigns.
| Even today the natives wear gold pieces
| bearing the busts of Phillip and Alex