The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-04-30
a Journey in n Coffin.

A Boston correspondent of the New
York Tribune writes: ''Do / rcmem-
Der any incidents of the underground
railroad that haven't got into print?"
said an old abolitionst and sla.e-res-
cuer the other night in response 70 u
question: well, there is one story that
l don't remember TO have seen in the
books or the papers. In 1859. just in
the height of the agitation. s.. our
agent ut Columbia, 5. c., had occasion
10 ticket middle-aged negro, job Van
cey by name. through 10 Providence. L.
L., by the underground. Job had shell
tered Il runaway in his cabin and had
been betrayed by another negro. He
learned the situation and came into
Columbia in the middle of the night
There was no hope of conccaling him.
Our agent had thought of new means
of shipment that he had never tried.
This was his opportunity to try it, for
job was clear grit. strong with the we'll
knit strength of middle age, and patient
rs his namesake.
IS got a large coffin that lie kept
for the emergency. and into this collin
he put poor job, and with him guam
tity of crackers, cheese. dried meat, and
n rubber bag full of water A few gim-
bet holes. admitting air. On the first
train in the morning Job Vancey went
oil, shipped as corpse TO n chosen adj
dress in Providence. Trainmcn were
general respectful of the dead in those
days, and Job travelled comfortable for
time, barring the hours that he occa-
sionally lay on some depot platform in
I,n i,,.r un1
slow, and sometimes the treatment was
little rough. Job after day or SO
began to get exceedingly lame with the
CONTINENT and pressure, his grim berth
grew irksome, but it was when the loud
shouts and laughter of his own kind
died away around him, and when that
and the sickening chill came over him
when they dumped him one night on the
stone floor of cold baggagc-room
somewhere told him that he was III the
north, and he began to suffer. The mere
consciousness that he was in the north
might have buoyed him up. however, if
it had not been for one dreadful circum.
stance.
There was sort of Il faint gleam
around him that told that il was day,
and he must have been in New York,
for he says that he knew that he bad
been carried across some water by the
sensation of rising and falling that he
had felt. He had felt himself ratified
along in II wagon, too, and the wagon
had brought up in n place where he had
heard the clatier and the roar OF trains
again. His coffin was dragged violently
out of the wagon and when his bearers
put him down they stood the coffin
against WALTON his head. Job be-
gan to feel the blood rushing to his
head, He felt that he was lost, and
would die. but he dared not shout for
help, as that would mean discovery, a
delivery to his owners, and worse than
death. Better die there; even Il horri-
BILE death from torture. than be carried
back to his masters plantation. He
chung to the determination, but mt last
felt his weakened senses give way. His
consciousness. after minutes of agony,
which seemed hours, was lost.
"Wben he recovered job had actually
arrived at Providence and his new
found friends-better friends than he
had ever known-were using their best
endeavors to restore him. In q few
days he was able to step out into The
world, in a home in chosen village, Il
free man"