Ellsworth American., 1883-12-20
sojourner Truth.

Solourner Truth, the well-known colpred
lecturer, died at Battle Creek Mich, Mon
day, NOV. 2G aged no wears. For almost
three-quarters of a century She delivered
lectures from the east to the west upon
temperance, politics, and the woman's rights
question. She was born a slave, in the
State Of New York, and spent the earlieS,
part of her life-until 1917, when slavery
was abolished in that State-n hard work
in the fields Of her many masters. Her par
rnts were brought from the coast of Guinea.
and sold as slaves on arriving in the nitrd
States. Her real name-or that which had
been given her by her first master-was
Isabella ilardenburg, but, becoming dissa,-
istied with ii, it is said that she went into a
wilderness and prayed to the Lord TO give
her an appropriate name. After praying for
some hours She heard. she said, the name
"Sojourner" whispered TO her, as She vas to
trave! "up and down" and atterwarl Truth"
vas added to il 10 signIt, that She should
preach nothing but truth 10 all men. So
journer had a tall, masculine looking figure
she was almost six feet Highland talked
in deep, cultural, powerful voice that
made many people who heard her think that
she was man, and was imposing on them
by masqueradlng as a woman. Upon one
occasion, while she was preaching to an
audience, doubts as to her sex were freely
expressed and she satisfied them that she
was Il woman. She could neither read nor
write, but on her !ecturing tours took with
her her grandson, who attended to her bust
ness affairs. Sojourner knew many promi-
nent member favorte statesman was Abra-
ham Lincoln and her narratives and descrip-
tions of those whom she had known showed
that she had Judged then characters exceed.
ingly well. During her latter life or for the
past 10 years, her avowed object in travel
ing around was to obtain names to petit
ton which she intended presenting to the
government, asking that petition of the
public lands in the west be set apart for the
establishment OF negro colony, where she
proposed that the negro youth should be
educated Sojourner undoubtedly did
great deal Of good work during her lifetime,
for she was instrumental in reclaiming hun
dreds Of men and women from bad life.
and by her own life set splendid example
10 the coored population.
An incident is told Of her by Mrs. Fran
ces ID. Gage. 1t was at a woman's rights
meeting in Akron, Ohio, in 1851. where this
strange looking woman was present. Some
Of the managers Of the meeting thought
their cause sufficiently unpopular without
any addition of discredit that might come if
Sojourner shared in the meeting as one of
them. She sat crouched against the wall on
the corner of the pulpit stairs, her sun bon
net shading her eyes, her elbows on her
knees, her chin resting upon her broad, hard
palms.
Mrs. Gage said, "She moved slowly to the
front, laid her old bonnet at her feet, and
turned her great speaking eyes to me-"
Kisses came from the audience. But she
looked the disapproval down. Nearly six
feet high, her head was thrown back, and
a dream At her first word there was pro-
though not loud, which reached every ear in
the house, and this is part of what she
said !"
dat man ober dar say dat womin need
to be helped into carriages. and lifted ober
bitches, and to hab de hes place eberywhar.
Nobody eber helps me into carriages, or
ober mud puddles, or gibs me any bes'
place Y And, raising herself to her full
height and her voice to a pitch like rolling
thunder, she asked, "And ant a woman
Look at my arm" land she barred her right
arm to the shoulder, showing her tremend-
GUS muscular power.) II have plowed and
planted and gathered into barns, and no
man could head me. And ant woman?
| could work as much and eat as much as a
mah-when could get it, and bear the
lash as well. And ant a woman? have
borne thirteen children, and seen 'em mos
all sold off to slavery, and when cried out
with my mothers grief none but Jesus
heard me. And ant woman?
"Den dey talks bout dis ting in de head
what dis dey call it ?" ("Intellect," whis-
pered some one near.) "Dat's it honey.
What's dat got to do wild woman's rights
or nigger's rights? If my cup won. hold
but pint, and yourn holds quart, wouldn't
ye be mean not to let me have my little
half measure full ? Den dat little man in
black dar,-he says women can't have as