The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-18

but with him 10 think Was 10 got. A senti
ment is USELESS IL II does nothing. A liv,
frog in the heart Of solid oak tree nigh
sing, but who would hear itY To wish ,
drowning man safely ashore is Il wish In III,
right direction, but IL doesn't help the victim
Of the food. While we wish him oat HI
sinks and browns, The Doctor while yet =
medical student had his benevolent feeling,
probed and lascerated by reading an aboli
tonis, newspaper at Cincinnati. The tale,
il told Of slavery'e barbarisms fred his young
blood with horror and filled his heart with
pity for the negroes. Born and reared O
democrat he revercd the principles Of that
grand old party, in everything save its toler
alton Of slavery, and he became an abolition
isi, 10 remain with that pa ~ ill sl,very
was obliterated forever; and when that blot
on the national escuicheOn had been erased,
and was no longer even indirectly upheld by
his party he fell again into step in the great
line Of democracy. az Of yore. When he
came to Ottawa Father Cook" the preach.
err, father OF Hon b. G. Cool, was IN old.
time abolitionist. One evening the reverend
old minister spoke in the Baptist church in
Ottawa, where the postofice is nov, and so
offended some Of his audience in his remarks
on the slavery question that they threw eggs
at him, and he escaped from the church by
fight, with eggs following him. Rev. Mr..
Cook and DR.. Stout we're the only ou,spoken
aboliticnists for while in this city. After.
wards they were joiued by Rev. Basseit, who,
despite his then unpopular notion on the ne
gro question. because Of his ability, frank.
ness and kindness Of disposition, soon made
a troop of friends. But it was long time
afler this before runaway negroes began TO
arrive here. DR.. Stout, to whom we are in.
debtel for these facts, says: 1--WE did not
always know who sent the negroes to us.
All we cared to learn was patent on its face
they we're colored people, poor, hungry,
ragged, and escaping from slavery; and we
leu anu ClOtucu tuCui anu sCut tuCu VII tuCil
way" Sometimes they came by twos or
threes once there were six in one party
three women two children and an old color.
ed preacher. The Doctor took them to Rev.
Chss. Hardings, at Harding, in the we'll
named town OF Freedom. who kept well
known "colored depot" He sent "the pas
sengers' to Newark, and thence they went
to Lisbon, and SO on towards Chicago. The
negroes came frem Jacksonville or Spring.
field to PEORIA and then through Magnolia
and Lowell to Ottawa. and were sent on.
They we're generally brought to DR.. Stouts
house, where they we're hidden in an upper
loft in the daytime, and then he drove them
to Harding at night. "Wm. b. Fyfe was
afterwards one OF u.s." says the Doctor, "and
30 was Watson V. Coe, Of Grand Ridge, and
AN enthusiastic worker in the cause. He
would canvass the country for miles around,
soliciting boots, shoes, socks, stockings, and
clothing Of all descriptions, which he deliv-
room full of goods of this sort, ready at
moments notice to fit a man, woman or cLild
Of any age or size. After the canal WAS
opened the great railroad line through here
was somewhat relieved of business, except in
winter The land road became q water
route. All we had 10 do was to know how
the captains Of the boats stood on the negro
question, and then act accordingly Few
boats passed up without negro or two hid
den away among the corn or potatoes! The
Rock Island railroad did not assis, US. for
travelling upon it was too public for colored
people. who were always timid."
AN EXCITING EPISODE OF A NEGRO.
The packets" as the boats which carried
passengers on the raging canawl" were call
ed 10 those days, stopped at the Fox River
House. One night colored man, an escaped
slave, arrived, closely followed by officers and
the announcement OF a reward for his capture.
o aicers here had been notified Of his being
probably on that particular boat, and were to
"gobble him up" DR.. Stout and friends were
notified, too. The brothers Grow DR.. Stout
and Rev Bassctt met In the evening of the
night when the packet was due up, and laid
their plans. The negro was so well described
that there could be no installing him, even in
the dark The officers went to the lcyae, 10
await the boats landing; the other party in
tercepted the boat and took the colorcd man
off at the stern, whlc the policemen were
waiting for him at the bow Of the packet He
was taken by Or. Stout, in lis buggy, to Rev.
Bassett's. The officers discovered THAT they
had been outwitted, and, first venting their
rage on the midnight air In "cuss words"
started in pursuit of the Doctors rig. Mr..
Bassett, instead of taking him in the house,
ran with HIM to the old Hickling cement
house and hid him In the cellar. The batiled
officers hunted and ragged and stormed about
the city al night and the next day, but failed
to find their man. After all had QUOTED down
in few days, one night DR.. Stout hitched up
bis horse and took him out TO Ilardings, and
thus he escaped.
OTHER UNDERGROUND STATIONS.
n.sidas Raw Nr uardiOu's IN Eraadntn