The Portland daily press., 1880-09-14

County, Kentucky, in 1914. Three brothers
and one sister are all that remain of our fami-
ly."
Were you ever sold?"
"Yes; was mortgaged once, sold under the
hammer twice, and offered once but nobody
bid, as they said l was too white and
spoiled niger" ="
''How ong were you slave, aud when did
you escape?,
'I was slave until l was q years of age,
and escaped to the north in 1871. In August
OF that year crossed the Ohio river on horse
| back at Maysville, KY / left that point with
body servant in the evening, but we rode on
| ly part of the night together. / thought L
was too ignorant too travel With him, for L
could not read, and accordingly determined to
send him back. put up at a public house,
where was frequently met with inquiries as
to my business. l told such ipquisiiive ones
that was from Kentucky; that had friends
| in the North; and that wanted TO find them.
| l could not read the guideboards. and to be on
| the right side always took the biggest roads
| When arrived in town | would make q
mark on the side of the road, or somewhere
else, that l might know from which direction
/ came-for
IDARED NOT ASK THE WAY
of farmers, for fear they should discover my
identity. wandered about for nearly week
and at last found myself near Cincinnati.
Here met Dave Caten, freed slave and an
old-time friend of mine. Dave aided me in
getting rid of my pony, and being acquainted
with the captain OF the steamboat Sylph, he
secured my passage to Portsmouth, Ohio At
| that point took q canal boat for Cleveland
When / arrived in the latter city / found
| great excitement prevailing over some runa-
| way slaves, so was afraid of that city. 7 had
hoo apI tbat do avv0o Toba Ersa a.,I
walked down and viewed a lake for the first
time. l could not see the opposite shore, and
made up my mind there and then that ii was
pretty wide stream. walked up and down
the shores OF the lake for several miles, but
could not see Canada. Finding it impossible
to discover the looked-for country, gave it
up, and went back to the city. heard man
asking some sailors where their boat was going
l marched boldly up to the captain and en-
gagged passage on the vessel, which was to
leave the Cleveland port that evening. There
was no cooking on board the boat and each
man carried his own lunch. We sailed out
about ten miles; but there being no wind we
returned to port remained in the boat un-
til morning. The next night we crossed the
lake, and. when stepped ashore, felt, for
the first time in my life, ,'that was free man.
My hands and feet were my own. / came
back however and spent the Winter at Ober-
lin."
"Where did you finally settler"
SIN Chataqua county, New York, where
bought farm. was married in .1S49, but my
wife died year later, leaving no children. /
raised seeds while on the farm, and afterwards
took them to Canada and distributed them
among the fugitive slaves who had settled
there. finally sold my farm and moved to
Canada TO live. helped the fugitives all /
could then, and went South frequently to get
for them their freedom. For this purpose
alone expended about 81, 600 ofmy own mon
ey.
Once while in Oberln, 1 was asked to 60
before meeting which was presided over by
DR.. Morgan / made a bad mess of my gram
mar in trying to make speech and was
laughed at several times spent about one
year in Oberlin. While there the slave-catch-
ers came after me and was taken with my
brother to New York and was left with Lewis
Tappan. While there | spoke at several meet
ings and at one in Brooklyn. Tho hall was
crowded to its utmost capacity. l went from
there to Boston and made my home at Cam
bridgeport for seven years or more, and made
my home while there with Deacon A. III. SAT-
ford, bI 'ther-in-law of Mrs. Stoves. Dur
ing this L.riod canvassed the whole of the
New England States. i was married the sec
ond time in Detroit, Mich, in 1860. During
the war returned to Canada and remained
there. Ny second wife died in Oberlin, Feb
ruary %, 1876 leaving me with nine children.
| want to try my hand at lecturing, but am
compelled to rema n at home and educate my
children. My eldest girl Matte, is teaching
school in Washington, Ind, at present"
"How long have you known Mrs. Harriet
Beecher Stowe?''
"Wel. about thirty-eight years. She came
nearly every year to see me while / lived in
New England"
"What points in Uncle TOMS Cabin did
you suggest to her?"
"Uncle Tom being whipped to death, incl
dents of my own life, tho woman crossing the
river on the ice, and numerous other incidents
in slave life.'
sis the statement of your history in the key
to Uncle Toms Cabin correct?"
eyes, L think so.''
"Who was Uncle Toms''
There We're two characters of Uncle Tom.
One was Josiah Henson, whom / knew well.
His history that of Unc.e Toms through
out, but he did not undergo the .ortures that
Mrs Stowe represents that he did. He is now
well-to-do clergyman in Canada, at Dan
Mills, Sidney clergyman in Canada, at Dan
peared on the stage at Detroit during the play
Of Uncle Toms Cabin"
"Who was George Selby?''
His name was Robert Orgo a grandson Of
Legree He is now living, and he remembers
seeing negro Sam, blacksmith, whipped to
death by Legree, who sat in his room all the
next day. eating nothing, but drinking heavily
of liquor. The picture of Uncle Toms death
was drawn from this circumstance"
"Were you ever at Henson's house; aud who
was Chloe?"
eyes, was there quite often. Chloe was
his wife. have forgotten whether Henson
was sold from his family or not"
"Who was Wilson,"
"He was Quaker. He met me at hotel
as is related in Mrs. Stoves narrative
"What about the woman
CROSSING THE RIVER ON THE IcE?'
"There was such woman. She crossed the
Ohio in 1S41 the same winter was in Ober-
lin. The river was full of floating cakes of ice
at the time, She left one of the child's gar
ments on the bank, so that those seeing it
would think that she and her child were
drowned. l knew quite well Lewis Coffin
who gave her change of clothing and cared
for her after she landed
''Who was Tom Loker?"
AT one time knew q young man named
Henry Bibb who went Though Just such per-
ilous adventures"
"Who was Nine. De Thour?"
"She was my sister. The account given of
her is generally correct. / still have piece of
the dress she wore while sine lay chained in
New Orleans slave market. She was bought
by MIR. Cavel who took her TO Mexico and
married her. My brother and Mr.. Lewis
met her in New Orleans, and they brought the
sleeve to me-"
"Who was Cassy?'
81 hatdly know for sure. There were two
that answered her description.
"Who was
EvA?"
Zone Of the little Evas was Mary Ann Lo-