The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-04

OF missing Fugitive property. He had never
seen Smith, and having read the Republi.
cans denunciation of that terrible aboli.
ZIONIST, followed in the same strain by de-
nouncing Smith as ian enemy to all moral.
ity and decency, a lawless wretch who
made a business Of niger stealing, and
who should, who must. be speedily arrested
and hanged to the first convenient tree"
Imagine the fire, eaters surprise when a
hard knuckled fist, attached to a brawny
arm, owned by strong man with an eagle
eye, was tiourished In uncom Portable prox.
unity 10 the said fire. eaters nose, and de.
termined voice announced II am Smith
now proceed with your hanging" The
Southern gentleman spoke not another
word, and his seat was vacated at the first
stopping place
CAUCASIAN FLOODED SLAVES.
Mr.. Morse was of opinion that nearly
all-not less than eight out of every ten of
the fugitive slaves who passed his place
had more or less white blood in their
veins. And II was due 10 their Caucasian
spirit that they flew from slavery to free.
dom. Among the many runaways who
partook of his hospitality he remembered
an unusually intelligent girl who had pure
blue eyes, thin and evenly formed features,
a straight nose, and auburn hair, which fell
in ringlets down her back, not kinky or
wavy, but in natural curls. Her feet were
small and neatly formed, her voice was
clear, and her pronunciation excellent.
There was nothing in her appearance or
movements or conversation to indicate AT.
rican blood, yet she had been born and
raised slave!
At another time two sisters came to his
house who seemed the perfection of femi
nine grace and beauty. Their lips were
thin, their skin fair, their cheeks bloomed
with natures roses their hair in long ring
lets of light brown, their feet small and
without the African heel, their noses of the
Grecian mold, without flaring nostils and
eyes of tender blue. Their department
was modest and lady-like, and they were
slaves! They and their parents belonged
to an aristocratic Southern family. Their
parents were white, and only by their
grandmother had been related to negro
blood and she was nearly white. Their
owner, by sudden reverse of fortune, had
become bankrupt, and the girls were about
to be sold by law as other goods and chat
tells, to satisfy the creditors of the estate.
They had wisely chosen freedom, by the
advice of their late master, who had aided
them secretly in getting away.
Another case was that of beautiful lit.
tie girl who came alone one evening. She
was so fair in complexion and so purely
Caucasian in form and features that il was
impossible to believe her to be of negro
blood, even in the faintest degree. She
was so lovely in her disposition and so neat
and graceful and intelligent that Mrs.
Morse was solely tempted to keep and ed
ucate her; but to create an attachment
which might be rudely and cruelty broken
at any time and without moments warn,
ing turned the scale, and tearfully she let
the little one go away with adevout prayer
for her future happiness.
THE PEORIA STATION.
Moses Pettingell, of Peoria, lately de
ceased, was another noted philanthropist,
and kept an often patronized station on the
great colored railway from slavery to free
dom, and was also very religious man, as
the writer embers with awe, for, once,
when at his beautiful home in Peoria, AT
dinner, when all were seated, without a
moments warning he turned to us and said
"Mr. Armstrong, please ask the blessing!
We thought of the multiplication table
and "Now lay me down to sleep and
Hail Columbia" and good many like
quotations, but could only stammer our ex
cuse, when the good man of the house
tackled the subject and went at it with q
comprehensiveness and eloquence which
we have never heard before or since! But
afterwards, in his library, when we ex
planned our perplexity. he good-humoredly
forgave us, and gave us an excellent &C
count of the underground railway" as fol
lows:
ITO commence with: many years ago
was appealed to by Mr.. Brown, living
across the illinois river southeast OF Peoria
to assist him In getting two colored mel
and woman and some children across the
river on their way 10 freedom. He hat
started with them the night before, but wa
turned back at the Peoria bridge, will
threats of being shot If he persisted. A
friend of Browns, in whom he could con
tide, ran small skif upon the river TO
fishing purposes, and he had agreed to row
the party over. lIandbills were posted al
over the city, accurately describing thes'
same colored people, and Offering large
reward for their recovery. at once agreed
to assist Brown In his plans, was to NEE
Browns friend with another skill, acros
the river at the place where he was to &c
the negroes, at ten o'clock that night
engaged two trusty young men to help US
| a. h.p u,trraaHaI narfapfly Mrs