1891 IN A GYPSY CAMP
An hour with the King & Queen of Michigan's Gypsies
John Broadway & his wife Isabella
Gypsies there was the camp we had been looking for all this afternoon and had now just blundered upon a little to Lover's lane on the edge of Springwells Wood. Their horses were tethered all about them,their tents spread and the traditional " Polly" kettle hung on its tripod in their midst.
The Gypsies themselveswere lying under the shade of the trees,swinging their babes in old shawls tied to the branches.
The men were smoking playing cards,dickerin a true Gypsy word over a horse trade.
These Gypsies before me are a camp of American Gypsies- whose head was born within the sound of Bow Bells in London England and who's grandchildren and children are here with him.
I saw the wagon of John Broadway and his spouse Isabella and as I had some acquanitance with them,went direstly towards it, the steps were out,showing visitors were welcome.
The Queen was in the first compartment,she was plucking a chicken and the smile of satisfaction over her work never left her face.
Do you think she was going to let me see she knew me? no not she, until at leastthat it would be wise to acknowledge it.
" Where is your Dukkerin Lil?" says I, " that's Fustratus" she said gravely and made room for me to sit beside her, " Where is the Rye?"
" Yan" she pointed to the front room,which was seperate from us by a curtain patition.
At this John Broadway appeared " Ah ma laddy" I knowed I were a- hearin no false,Can ya Rakker Rominchal miri por?"
"No you must speak english Rya " I replied, he then told me they had closed their house on Anton street for their old life in the camp and had been " Kairin" for at least a month now.
He wore a red waistcoat faced with yellow and the silk handkerichief about his throat,with had every known colour in its stripes and even his queer woollen hat was of many colours, a more picturesque Monarch it would be hard to find than this Gypsy King of the Michigan Tribe.
"An ye'll no have your fortune telled- an the luck there is in your palm laddy-an's out a new moon over your right sholuder and the rakkerlin- chillicon asking ye as hard as he can"
That was true,a green parrot with a red head was chattering an unknown jargon at me from its cage, it was the only captive in all this freedom.
" The old man ain't hisself" said the Queen He mobbut shak a legat a fairin he's too ole for his good ealth"
" but I don't see any grey hairs? says I,knowing what she would say.......... ! Gypsies never hav any,I telled ye against lan dinnot I!"
That was first acknowledgement she hadever seen me before.

The chicken was plucked and laid aside,Isabella was in gala dress,her calico skirt being flounced to the waist.although the day was warm she wore a red shoulder shawl. her black hair was in long loops on each side of her swarthy face and she wore a remarkable black straw hat with a red ribbon band. On every one of her dark fingers gleamed heavy gold rings.
She is a familiar figure in the town where she spends her time fortune telling.
There was sickness in the camp 2 children lay ill in a tent which we visited," We have sent for the doctor " said the father, he was the son of John & Isabella, ! Where does your Doctor Live ?" I asked.
"He is one of us, he married a Gypsy" said John. The children were not seriously ill ,but it caused a gloom over the camp, the gypsies are fond of their children and do lose a great many.
John & Isabella only have 3 living out of 15 children............ as soon as one of their member dies they burn everything belonging to them and never utter their name again.

Strange as it may seem a Gypsy man finds great delight when a female child is born, for she will bring him great wealth, Isabella informed me with great delight that their latest grandchild was a " bobby" girl born with the cau lover her eyes and those eyes would melt your heart. John & Isabella were at the funeral of Matilda Stanley who died at Dayton, they say there were 15 hundred gypsies there.
The Broadways tell me the American Gypsies are learning to live in houses and that they themsleves will only go out one more season
A son will take the fine wagon and make summer outings in the open.
Isabella can troll a song like you never heard the likes of and dance as well now as she did when young, although now weighing 200 weight, there are none of her descendants that can boast they danced and sung,told fortunes for Queen Victoria and John broadway has been to Windsor Castle and isn't likely to forget that.
Everyone says he is a honest man and tells truth ,like the renown Tinker John Bunyan.
Tomorrow at sunrise there might be but a pattern of ashes to tell the story of their camp, they wil be wandering across the land where ever their spirit should take them.





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Emanuel Broadway son of John & Isabella Broadway
Born June 20th 1852 Somerset England -died 20th June 1869 -aged 17
Buried: Woodland Cemerety & Arboretum Dayton Montomery Ohio USA