Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-07-29
FERGUSON,

Is the name of n well known colorcd woman re-
Gently deceased in New York City aged IS years,
The Tribune contains an obituary notice from
which We make some extracts:
Katy was born a slave. Her mother gave birth
to her on her passage from Virginia to this City.
Katy Williams-for that was her name-was
owned" by X. b., who lived on Water-st., and
was an elder in one Of the New York City Presby-
terrain Churches. ar. b." said Katy, sold my
mother away, but | remember that before We were
torn asundcr, she knelt down, laid her hand on
my head, and gave me to God"
Katy never saw her mother again. Her mistress
told her that if she was as good as her mother,
she would do we'll. Katy felt kecnly the loss of
her mother. The recollection of her own anguish
when separated from her. made her, she said, feel
compassion for children. When ten years old, she
told her master, r. b., that If he would give her
her liberty, she would serve the Lord forever. But
he did not do it.
Katy was never taught to read. any mistress"
she said, would not let me learn and once she
said to me, you know more now than my daugh-
ters.'" One of her mistress sons asked Katy to
teach him geography, &c. Sho exclaimed 81
can't" He replied. yes, you can; If don't
read right in the Bible, or if l don't say my cate
chism right, you tell quick enough" -.
When Katy was sixteen or seventeen years old,
a lady in the city purchased her freedom for 5000,
giving her six years to reimburse her; but she
afterwards agreed to allow one half of the sum for
ClcNen months WOrK, anu the ldlc cACCilcht "
Bethunc raised the other hundred dollars.
At eighteen she was married. She had two
children, but lost them both. "They arc dead, y
said Katy, land l have no relations now, and
most of my old friends are gone"
During her life she had taken forty-eight chill
dren-twenty of them white children-some from
the almshouse and others from their parents, ant
brought them up, or kept them till she could fine
places for them. She expended much money OF
their behalf and followed them with afectionat'
interest with her prayers. To my inquiry, "llav'
you laid up any property" she quickly replied
"How could l, when l gave away all earned?'
When she lived at No. 50 Warren ST., 1.-THE hous,
has since been taken down. she regularly collected
the children in the neighborhood, who were accus
toned to run in the street on the Lords day, int
her house, and got suitable persons to come ant
hear them say their catechism, &c.
The sainted Isabella Graham used to invite
Katy's scholars to her house, to say their catechisn
and receive religious instruction. This was nbou
the time Or. Mason's Church in Murray-st. wa
built. The doctor heard of her school, and on
Sunday visited it. what are you about here
Katy2" said he; keeping school on the Sabbath
We must not leave you to do all this" So h
spoke to his elders, had the lecture room opene'
, and the children transferred to it. This was tn
origin of the Sunday school in the Murray-st
Church, and it is believed that Katy Ferguson
was the first Sunday school in the City.
For more than forty years, up to the last of he
Z life, she has had q prayer meeting at her hous
c every Friday evening, and for some five years pas
another every Sabbath afternoon: into which sh
gathered the poor neglected children Of the neigh
borhood, and those adults who did not atten
church. She always secured the aid of some goo
5 man to conduct these meetings. The results Q
these efforts were most happy. The tract distril
| utors, City missionaries and others remarked tina
, where Katy lived the whole aspect Of the neigf
! borhood was changed. So much for the ~exertion
of a poor colored woman who could not read
\ 1.-THE liberal heart deviseth liberal things"