The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-06-14

and would not sit before me. Let me
describe her. A tall woman, over six
feet high, as straight as an arrow. stout.
well-proportioned never having worn
stay or corset in her life, ignorant of
the use of whalebone or padding, bare
footed, and all her children so. She
stood up before me in ali grace of noble.
uncultivated womanhood, her great blue
eyes cleaning with modest benignity.
| could not forbear expressing my great
admiration for her noble deeds She
said she had not done more than she
ought to have done, nor more than she
should do again if her help was wanted.
I measured her foot and those of her
children, and when arrived home had
some shoes made for her and the
children, got stockings, and made up
box of things and sent her all that I was
able to. [ bought her Bible, inscribed
her name in gold letters upon it, and
sent it with her package to her. Her
oldest girl had white swelling on her
knee. [ told her I would get steamer
to stop for her in the spring, one that
ran up the shore of Canada, and, if she
would come to Buffalo with her girl.
would get her into the Sisters Hospital.
and DR.. Hamilton would cure her. She
came and stayed at my house and at Mr..
Aurelian Conkling's; her girl was put
into the hospital and cured. I went to
Mr.. Hodges, who kept the American
Hotel, and asked him for his parlors for
levee for Abigail. I went among the
T.
Hall, and many prominent citizens at
tended.
We collected over 81, 900 for her in
those rooms. [ had written an article
and published it in the Commercial
Advertiser; it found it's way down to
Quebec, where the Canadian Parliament
was sitting. It was read by permission
of the Speaker, committee was ap-
pointed to investigate the facts, and,
when found to be true, the Government
gave Abigail 100 acres of land near Port
Rowan, where she now lives. ] have
a letter from her, written last year, now
in my pocket.
Another pretty incident connected
with this story is this:
The late Joseph Walker, Quaker
President of the Life-Saving Benev-
olent Association of New York, hearing
OF this, wrote me, "The giving of our
medal is confined to the saving of Amer
lean life. IF thee wilt find that there
was an American life saved from on
board the Conductor, Abigail shall have
our best medal" Inquiry showed there
were two Americans on board and saved :
the mate, Jerome, and one other of the
crew. The medal, fine large one,
made especially for her, was sent me to
give her. I was asked to get a receipt.
I sent it up to the Collector at Port
Rowan, an old army officer, to give her,
and return me a receipt. He found
Abigail could not write, so he took her to
a daguerrean artist, and, seating her,
with my Bible on table, one arm rest
ing upon it, and her medal in an open
case in the other hand, took her picture
and sent it to me as her receipt. / had
it put on stone, making nice engraving,
and sent the original to New York to
Joseph Walker.
Abigail was taught by the ladies of
OAo AUOW"A w WIIOO, dACl SIG 1S QulU0
improved. And thus, gentlemen, you
have the story of Abigail Becker, the
heroine of Long Point. It will be new
to most of you; it has never been so full
" written before, and it has never been
placed with our Historical Society. This
is specially prepared for it, as matter
of interest. [ give it as a tribute to the
noble woman and Of the great deed per-
formed by Abigail Becker in saving frona
otherwise certain death the lives of
Capt. Hackett, First Mate Jerome, four
sailors and cook, seven persons in all, of
the schooner Conductor, of Amherst
burg, Canada.
Maritime history affords no parallel to
this, requiring such physical effort, such
clear Judgment, adopting the only posi-
BILE means to save those people, sur
rounded as they were with such desper-
ate circumstances, carrying out her plan,
when formed, with such unfinching
courage and devotion in that freezing
cold exposure.