The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-01-21

published In 1880, mentions an illustration
He says: III heard colored man once give
a description Of II (the railroad) In IS4S
when at one Of the river towns. 1t was or
raising the first telegraph lines that the
people had ever seen. A great crowd had
collected TO witness the raising of the poles
Some wag conceived the idea OF having q
colored man make speech, and they
mounted him on box for that purpose
He was bowlegged, uncouth negro whose
appearance was comic In the extreme, and
who when on the plantation had acquired
a reputation as 'funn- fellow and de-
lighted In his supposed ability In the di.
rection of making fun for the white folks.
Swinging his disproportionately long arms
and making the most absurdly inappropr!.
ate iesticulations, he said de white folks
tnk dey done gone done big thing whey
dey done made de telegraph, but faint ne
circumstance 10 de undergrou' railroad
Way down souf we jis grease nigga an
start him on de track, an he goes zip, and
come out In Canady a free mani" The
roars of laughter which followed stamped
the speech as success.
NEGRO ASDY's TRIP.
Mr.. Lewis relates the experience of
ANDY a colored man, who took passage
on this road: He had been sold from Ken.
lucky Into Georgia, and made up his mind
to run away He started, travelling at night
only, across the States of Tennessee and
Kentucky, hiding In cane.breaks or other
friendly and yet uncomfortable retreats
during the day, and living upon corn which
he roasted, using persimmoHs as dessert.
Arriving at the Ohio river he stole boat
and crossed. Finding himself In free
State he travelled In the daytime, and was
never interrupted but once, when he
promptly told that be was going to Spring
field, H., to get work, where he had some
colored friends. His questioner was salts
fed and Andy went on, reaching the CAPT
tol, where he found some colored people
who sheltered and protected him. He was
sent on afterwards to DR.. Dyer, In Chicago
who soon placed Andy safe across the Dor
der among the "Canucks"
THE ROAD THROUGH MARSHALL COUNTY.
The general line of tails peculiar railway
was from Springfield, where 1t branched
in several directions to the south and south
west, coming north through billions settle
ment, Washington Grove, Peoria, Crow
Creek, and thence on across La Sale Co.
towards Chicago. Another branch ran
from Peoria west of the Illinois river, to
Lawn Ridge, Marshall county; thence to
Princeton, Bureau county, and on to Lake
Michigan. Among the great workers and
of the line in Marshall county
were Rev. Mr.. Dickey, the father of the
late Judge Dickey; Rev. Mr.. Cook, father
Of Hon, B. c. Cook, James and Samuel
Work, VIM. Lewis, Nathaniel Smith, and
others whose names we do not now recall,
Lawn Ridge, a small village, in the south
west corner of Marshall county, was noted
'abolitionist hot bed" commencing from
her very birth, and of course became a
station on the az. r. r."
ANECDOTES OF FUGITIVE NEGROES.
The first fugitive man and brother who
passed through that place on his road to
liberty was brought by DR.. Cutler, of
under feather. bed In wagon,
through an auger hole in the
bottom of the box! The next was colored
man who had been 80 closely pursued that
he jumped out of the wagon on which he
was riding and hid under bridge near a
lump of hazel bushes. The slave. hunters
spent a couple of hours in thoroughly
down every foot of the brush, in
vain, and yet the object of their search was
'scrooched down." in plain sight, or would
have been, had his face and clothing not
been the same color as the surroundings
under the bridge. They didn't get him.
When some one afterwards told Sam his
ayes and teeth might have given him
away" he chuckled and said "Marser,
was powerful keerful to keep my eyes and
nouf shet and only breaved (breathed
once minute, and then drefful easy, kase
hey mought a smelled my bref" This
poor fellow was so scared that he remained
A day and night under that bridge, until
lriven out by hunger and thirst, before
'enturing abroad. When he did, he wan
Tered away from the sight of possibly
passing slave-huntcrs, and finally brought
up at friendly house where his physical
wants were cheerfully provided by kind
woman, who, though democrat and law
abiding, as she told the writer of this, still
she want a.gwine to see poor human
,ritter starve, law or no law!" The good
Did lady was mistaken as to the meaning of
The statute. Its enemies and its friends had