Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-08-21
sOJOURNER's JOURNEY.
what the Old Lady Hopes to Accomplish
Out In Kansas.

what the Old Lady Hopes 10 Accomplish
Out In Kansas.
FROM the Chicago Times.
Sojouner Truth is in this city visiting
her friends. Mr.. and Mrs. Ford, at No. 22
Fortieth street. She is on her way to
Kansas, but she will be in the city several
days, and will be glad to have any friends
call.
She is said to be l03 years old, but to
see her ready motions and to hear her con-
versation, makes one doubt this some.
what There Is nothing whatever senile
in her speech; on the other hand she fire.
quenty manifests the enthusiasm Of re-
former of 40 or 50; and her conversation
is always connected and entertaining. She
was born IN Ulster county, New York, a
slave, when slavery was still custom in
New York. The master under whom she
was born was named Ardenburgh. She
is not, herself, certain as to her age; there
are friends of hers and OF her former mas
ter's, who have determined it by COM
parison of dates. She is certain of one
thing, however, that she is very old.
"Bless your soul, chile, )" she said, 81 was
born when the world was. Anyhow, ev-
erything has come into it since then.
There were no railroads, or steamboats,, or
telegraphs when | was born. There were
only horses, wagons, oxen and sloops."
She had FIVE children, all of whom were
born slaves, and three Of whom are still
living at Battle Creek, Mich. where she
now lives. The eldest is
age. When Sojourner w
and even for some time aft
was Isabella, or, as she was
Her last name was always thu
master who owned her. l
name she received, she says, q
the Lord. The Lord gave it
same as he has given so many
to the world in the bible.
came about was this: After
her freedom she went to New
and there she began to save little
money from her earnings. She worked
very hard, so hard in fact, that it appear
ed as if the Lord was laying burden ON
her in punishment for some wrong she had
done. One night when she vas scrubbng
on her hands and knees in a house on
Canal street. and when her lot seemed
hardest, she asked the Lord why it was
that she was SO afflicted, and somehow
the answer came to her that il was be-
cause she was becoming misery, saving
money, and robbing the poor. Then she
asked the Lord what he would have her
do, and He told her to 90 east. She
arose from her knees, packed her clothing
in pillow case, and by daylight she was
ready to start. Then it came to her that
she was to have a new name, and that
encouraged her and made her happy.
But what it was to be she did not know.
Clo, ,,l,nl lln I n,l 1,,I IL IA all
her. When she started it occurred to her
that she was 'journer," and that Jour.
ner was to be her new name. She went
on, and finally came to the house ola
Quaker lady, where she obtained some
food. The lady asked her name, and she
replied by giving her new one. The lady,
by inquiry, learned how she had come
with it, and expressed some distaSte for q
house to continue on her way she prayed
die to it. Soon the word Truth, came
to her, and she cried out, That is it. So
iourner Truth shall be my name.' She
says that she heard the Lord delivering
all these messages as plainly as if he was
speaking through telephone.
There is something about Soiourner-
rs she is called by everybody, strangers
and friends alike-that is peculiarly i'm
pressive, there must be some reason for IT,
that she, black woman, unable either to
read or to write, could gain and hold as
friends such persons as Abraham Lincoln,
William Lloyd Garrison, Parker Pillsbury,
Susan B. Anthony, and thousand others.
Even the hest OF men do not respect and
reat as an equal person whom they
consider beneath them. These persons
Knew her not as an oddity, butas afriend.
There is in her manner dignity of bear
ng, consciousness OF worth, q sense OF
equality, even if her skin is black as
hight, that commands respect. Her
anguage is not eloquent, but it is gram
natically correct, and she can say what
he means as well as the most learned
ollcge professor. Her hair is turning
ray, and her step is uncertain, the result
1 Il partial paralysis some years ago; but
er manner is earnest, bordering on en-
lusiasm.
Her sole thought is for the black race,
nd her conversation last evening showed
consideration of the question greater
robably than most whites in the north
an boast. She is on her way to Kansas
} visit old friends, to see the country she
Nv so many years ago, and to encourage
nc governor in his endeavors to aid the
egroes who have come thither during the
xodus. She has been in that state be-
IRE. The reader is familiar with her his
)ry as au anti-slavery lecturer before the
ar. She spoke in those times in twenty
vo states, and Kansas was one Of them.
he expects on this visit to see many OF
er former friends. But, most of all, TO
,e the governor at Topeka. She has
card what the papers tell OF his kindness
, the fleeing negroes, of his welcoming
lem, and helping them, and she wishes
, add her influence to have him continue
l his good work. She considers the ex-
dus as equal in race importance to the
xodus of the Israelites from Egypt, The
lack race can never be anything in the
outh, she says, because nothing is there
D make them anything. They are not
reated like human beings, but like brutes.
hey work hard, are cheated by the en-
loyer and the store.keeper, and at the
nd of the year they are in debt, instead
f having something saved. They learn
othing. Teachers dare not 90 south to
lstruct them. Shehoped that The negroes
'ould leave the south until the southern
rs had to do their own work, as the
ortherners have to do. In the west, on
lrms OF their own, they could save some
iing, learn something, learn habits Of
,lfreliance, develop traits Of manliness
nd womanliness, acquire a competence,
nd rise TO something in life. She grows
Itensely enthusiastic when she talks,
ld she evidently believes that the black
ICE has future before it, provided it has
lie opportunity to develop.
American Beef for Europe.