The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-03
CHAPTER XIX.
The Ogre's ID G ~.

1he ogre zen.
Child Rowland 10 the dark tower came- Shakespeare
Days passed, and weeks but Sam still APP
peared to be nowhere. Herman had, at the
outset, made it his business to find Mr.. l. Meade
Scurge, the trader who had bought Sam at the
auction. He had had the pleasure of an inter
view with Mr.. Scurge at Tallahassee and what
he knew about Sam he told with the utmost
| civility and good humor but it was not much
He reported that that chattel had proved as in
corrigibly mutinous as any spiritual article Of
furniture, and that as he couldn't get along with
him pleasant TO Orleans, he had sold him again
just soon as he could, to " a right smart mig
| gerbreaker," planter up by Columbus Herman
| went thther, and made the acquaintance of this
accomplished gentleman, but was informed by
him that the man had had the devil in him
| right bad to that degree, indeed, that his
| amiable owner had almost worked himself
| up y in unavaiing attempts to cast him out and
| that rs it was the busy season then, and he
hadn't the time to give to him. he had sold him
to trader from Mobile, whose name he " dis
remembered To Mobile, accordingly, Her
man had posted but nobody among the " lots for
sail to suet purchysirs," answered to the name
of Sam Taliafero, until the prepossessng as
pect of the inquirer was perceived, when half a
dozen did so, in the most obliging manner, but
on cross-examination proved to recollect moth
ing about the former abode or history Of their
namesake.
Herman went on again through auction-room,
and jail, and barracoon, in State after State,
compelled to lift the veil through which the grim
dark face of Slavery looks SO fair, and blithe,
sometimes, to superficial eyes in pleasureground
and drawing room. He examined the records
of sales, where any had been kept, and the mem
of ha oh 1o1 hut tbov
were for the most part, for anything that APP
peared, destitute of surname, or. of any other
token Of identity with the Sam in question.
From considerations of various kinds, Her
man had been very DESTROYS, throughout, of
keeping his business out Of the newspapers /;
but at length he bethought himself of getting a
certain wellknown slavetrader to insert in his
own name an advertisement in the National
Inteliigencer, the Picdyune, and one or two other
gazettes, Offering a handsome reward to any
body who would make known the whereabouts
of g mulatto boy Sam Taliaferro, raised on the
plantation of the late George G. Aspenwall,
South Carolina, thence purchased by |. Meade
Scurge, ESQ.,, of New Orleans, and by him solo,
&C., &C., &C., with as minute a description of
his person--the usual scars, so important an
item in the physiognomy of a slave, not omit
ted-as Herman had been able to. pick up.
contrary 10 MS almost discouraged expectation,
in the course of ten DAYS this ELECTED an answer
almost as remarkable as Grammar itself for it's
treatment |" of photography, etymology, and syn
taxi which the trader made over to Herman.
1t stated that the boy Sam Taliaferro, with one
scared lip and hole in his ear, and without
two front teeth, was now Individually in the pos
session of Anronie st. Dominique, Esq, in Blanc
county, State of Bondage but requested, that as
the latter was " o excentrick man, and did not
allwers take things pleasant" the name of the
writer might not be divulged a request which
| accordingly and duly observe. At the period
which we have now reached, Herman, having
arrived, at one the night before, at a little inn
in Bancville, was seated there at the breakfast
table, over his coffee, toast, and poached eggs.
Can you direct me to Mr. st. Doninique's
plantation ," said he to the landlord who, that
music might not be wanting to the Joy of the
banquet, stood whistling on the the threshold,
with his back to his guest, and his hands in his
pockets,
The man stopped whistling, turned round
surveyed him somewhat curiously from head to
foot, and then answered, Reckon 1 can. What
for? Want to go there :?
"Yes. How far off is it 2"
"Some thirty mile. Friend O. yourn?"
NO; have never seen him, but wish to.
on business. Can you let me have a wagon y
swell, dom know. Purpose to be back
afore night?"
| /" If can, by all means but it depends a