The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-09-28
Woman Druggist at Fort Smith,
Ark, Is 'Postmistress'
For Tribes

Fort Smith, Ark, Sept. 28.-If you
arc looking for prosperity, follow the
gypsy tribes that roam the world.
For, guided by some instinct that
seems almost uncanny, gypsieS seem
to know where money is being made
and go there: 1t seldom has failed.
Shortly before the arrival of de-
preston in the U. S. in the fall of
1929, lots of them seemed to sense
that bad times were coming and de-
parted for other lands. Now-which
appears a hopeful sign-they are
coming back.
Take all this from Mrs. w. H. Cole,
who, with her husband, operates a
drug store in Fort Smith That drug
store is at the crossroads of all the
Romany trails in the world, for
through it the wandering tribes COM
municate with each other.
For Is years Mrs. Cole has been
their unofficial "postmistress, for
warding letters and kilograms to and
from all parts of the globe and main-
tanning communication with the scat
tered bands.
"They are coming back now" says
Mrs. Cole. Eve been getting letters
from South America, Australia,
Europe and South Africa which in
dictate lots OF them are planning an
early return to the United States. 1t
seems like good omen for the re-
turn of prosperity; gypsies always
seem to know where money is being
made"
The case of Miller Costello is
typical. Miller is the father of Steve
Costello, king of the Spanish gypsy
tribes in America. He left the U. S
IN the summer of 1929-at a time
when most Americans probably
thought prosperity was here to stay.
When the crash came here. Miller
Costello was in Brazil. He wrote
Mrs Cole that business there was
very good" This continued for sew
eral months. Then his letters told
her that business had fallen off, that
he had travelled for many days
through mountain range-with only
one horse-in search of richer fields.
Recently, Miller Costello wrote an
other letter, quantity addressed tt
Mrs. Cole, care of Cole Drug Store
Ftltzmitt, Ark, Estador Unidas ds
America do Norte." It requested hel
to forward his mail to another city
more than a thousand miles away
and informed her hat he was on thu
slow trail back to the United States.
| From johannesburg, South Africa
Mrs. Cole received letter recent!
from the Yanas band Of Russian
gypsies. They are coming back, too
So are many other bands of thes'
restless nomads.
How, you may ask, does it harper
that woman running drug store II
Fort Smith, Ark. is in touch with
these wanderers of the Romany trai
who communicate with each othel
! through her?
Fifteen years ago, Steve Costello
feeling the need of central point O
communication between members O
the tribe, asked Mrs. Cole If she woult
forward messages to other gypSies i
sent to her. She agreed.
News Of this arrangement spreat
throughout the tented camps from
Maine to California, and soon othe'
tribes were depending on her for com
munication.
The gypsies know Mrs. Cole ant
trust her with many important serv
ices. In 1923, for instance. she wa
appointed administrative for tn
estate of Yonko Urich, aged king o
the Russian gypsies. She handle'
Yonko's $4,000 estate. Of which $40.
600 was in cash. Every heir was sat
iSfied.