The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-09-20
THE DAILY GAZETTE.
THE ADVANTAGES OF FREE
OVER SLAVE SOCIETY.--A TEN
NESSEEAN INIOWA.


The advantages Of freedom in the
Free States over sslavery in the Slave
States, for the poor white man whose
only capital is his capacity to labor. is
well illustrated in the following which
we extract from the Glenwood mills
Co., Iowa) Times, where it appears
over the signature of II. P The edi-
tor says it is "a plain statement and
true one." The condition Of this
family, when they left Tennessee, is
the condition Of laboring men in the
lump in Slave States. Their condi.
ton now is the condition which indus.
try, energy and frugality is sure to at
tain to, where the soil is cultivated by
free labor:
Il i write for the purpose of relating
the history of a family that formerly
lived in Tennessee and now resides in
Mills CO., Iowa. This family former
ly, resided in Hamilton county, Tenn
essee, comprising man, his wife and
daughter, who were in humble circum-
stances; on account of the hardness OF
the times in that county, they We're
unable by their industry to earn more
than scanty support, as they were
renters on the soil that they TILED.
The father Of the family, being an en-
ergetic man, concluded that this course
Of fife would not do for him, and that
he would seek some new location more
eongenial to his feelings, although it
would be hard TO part with dear rela-
tions and friends. In the winter Of
1915 he read small book giving
description ofWestern Missouri and
Iowa, this book was Lewis & Cla-k's
explorations in the west. Onreading
this book he concluded that this was
the country for him, but his wife
thought that it would be an inpossibil-
ity for persons as poor as they were to
venture on SO long journey, as it
seemed then like going almost ont Of
the world, bnt the man was determin.
ed and concluded to make theventure.
In the spring of 1898 he settled with
all his creditors, and on taking an ac-
count Of his stock, he found he had
left, one poor old horse, worth about
$50, one feather bed and bedding,
worth IS, one small skillet, one small
bucket, called in that county pig
gin" and 81 624, this was his seanty
means to commence Journey Of from
900 to 1000 miles, all of which was
to be performed on foot, but bis heart
never failed him, he was determined to
60 and would make the venture.
On the 9th OF April, 1884 they star
ted, the man leading the old horse be-
fore with alltheir worldly goods pack
ed on his back, and his wife and daueli-
ter travelling behind, his daughter be
ing but six years old. They passed
through McMinville and Nashville.
Tennessee; Hopkinsville, Kentucky;
thence crossing the Ohio River by a
ferry, thence through Princeton and
Alton to st. Charles, on the Mississip-
pi River, thence to Arrow Rock,
thence to the Grand Pass in Saline
county, Missouri, where they located,
and on concluding their journey they
had all their household goods and 81
in money. The man had swapped
horses three times, and each time OBJ
tanned boot" and was enabled by
this to pay his expenses, and made
the journey in one month and seven
days. Their only protection at night
was an old quilt spread over some
poles.
In the spring of 1886 all they had
excepting the clothes that covered
them was burnt ,and.in 1s44'they were
washed out Of the Missouri bottom by
a hcod, and also had much sickness.
Notwithstanding all these difficulties
they, labored under, they have lived
through all, and are now in good
health residing in Mills county. own
ing 220 acres of the best of land, with
means ample for their support. The
writer of this is the father of this fam
lily and is now an old man, but still OF
his youthful vigor and energy, never
leaving his rented fields OF
Tennessee for the fertile prairies Of the
West.
III. p.