Putnam patriot., 1930-05-22
WHEN GYPSES
 CAME TO TOWN
Souatted Near the Little Dam Tavern and Piled Their
 Arts
Legends of This Rowing. Little
 Known People

 n remnant of a wandering tribe that came down from the north. They called themselves Gypsies because of their far away country, Egypt. The towns northward, first visited by these people. sent word here that the ped dlers and horse -jockies had been asked to move on and were SO doing in this direction. The curious minded eiti- zens visited the place they chose for encampment. We may hike there by the old Providence road, one of the | two of Putnam's first roads in that direction. that leads out of the busy | nreseut. past the schools, several aerosses." or cross roads. into a place | of half forgotten glories with far off misty legends. From this highway, | now known as School street, we may take a side trip to the Devils Den or continue along this road of ancient memories until We slip through the shadows of a lane just before you reach the bridge beyond which IS d little babbling brook shaded by White and black birches.
 Long ago here stood the Little Dam and the Little Dam Tavern. Pronounced by our fore-mothers' Tarvern) It IS not the dam or the Dam Tavern that is to interest us now but the lane into the meadow just beyond the bars on this side ot the bridge. Now follow along this stream to the encampment of strange people with their magic and entertainments who had squatted there "A sauatter is one who lives in place for a time and then moves on.l This site belonged to the flutter Of birds. the signing of wind through the trees. the murmuring stream the tipsy hooded wagons with dangling pots and pans. beds and youngsters, were alien things among them. it was challenge to the imagination, those carts of the strangers of magic and divination. Stay right here! Watch the wobbly-legged puppy trot- ting around on a bias and watch him suiffing at this and that, wagging his tail as he digs Co deposit bone until more ripe. Then hurrying away to finish his nap. The next moment the dropped tail. lowered ears of the eoni- ! mon eur spies dog of high pedigree unearthing his bone just put in cold storage--he must finish with this in- trnder. A dog fight is onl by stander says. "The duce take him. Now the Duce, though not commonly understood Is synonymous with send ing him 10 the Devil as Duce IS popular name for the Evil one or the Father of Evil.
 Visit the Camp
 So now through the murky twi- i light we see the villagers visiting the camp The shadows deepen about the region with it's taste of gandiners. But why in the gloom of twilight These days men worked from sun to sun. The Gypsie Camp has chapter of curious history.
 By some striking proofs from their language it seems that the glpsies or gypsies originally came from Hindo- stan. where they were supposed to be the lowest class of natives. Unques- tionably they must have been m Egypt or they wouldn't have been known as Egyptians or Egyptian ko- ges." They had a language of their own which they called "canting, but other pedlers French" a speech that borrowed many English words and great number of their own that none but themselves can understand, but everywhere so similar as to prove they are derived from one source Two or three centuries ago the beg gars used to proclaim their want by means of A wooden dish with nov able cover, which they clacked to show 1t was empty.
 Gipsey: "Can you think l get my living by a bell and a clackdish2'
 Devil: By bell and a clack-dishE How's that?" o,
 Gipsey: "why, by begging. Sir.
 They were first found in Europe about the first of the Fifteenth cen- tury. and are still found in every country of Europe. The men are thievish; they follow no regular trade and have no fixed religion. They do not enter society, and are only tole- rated They seldom possess land or become soldiers. They marry among themselves. stroll in troops about the country and bury their dead under water They are contented if they can get food by dexterity."
 One authority says-they were of Lower Egypt and represented that the Christians subdued their country and obliged them to become Christians. Some were baptised and became lords in their own country with a king and queen to manage their affairs. Later the Saracens over ran their country and compelled them to renounee their faith. When the Emperor of Ger many. the King of Poland, and other orthodox rulers heard of this, they forced them to leave the country and to go Co the Pope of Rome. who by way of penance "bade them wander over the world without lying in a bed. " After wandering five years they went to Peris. there to be lodged by the police outside the city. They were the sorriest wretches that had been seen in France" They were very hlack-the mems hair curied-their faces were scared; they wore one or two silver ear rings. while the women had hair as straight as horses tail. Both men and women wore an old shaggy garment under which was a poor petticoat or shift. Ca shift is now called a slip) The women told for tunes-the men were tinkers and beg gars. The following lines of Gay pre- sents vivid picture Last Friday eve, when the sun was
 set
 l near your stile three sallow gipsies