The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-17
ley especially, and Aaron and Jim sold.

for freedom; at different times they scat
tered pepper on their tracks, for they
knew when morning came they would
have TO hide until night would come again
and the men might overtake them; but
they were not After much fatigue, wad
ing creeks, swimming rivers, &c. they
cpms to the Mississippi, and after travelling
up lis banks long ways, they came 10
small stream Berkeley swan II and luckily
found boat; In this he recrossed, took
the boys In, and they safely made then
way TO the Illinois side think they
crossed not far below Hannibal Mo-, for
this reason; Berkeley said he wished II
keep nearly due east In Illinois, II being n
free state. He wished 10 put AS much dis
lance as possible between them and Mis-.
souri,. After they had travelled what
seemed 10 them long ways, they turned
towards the north star, coming 10 Bloom
ingtoD, III. After turning north for several
nights, they began To think 1t might be
safe TO show themselves, especially Aaron
He was quite an old man. He more thar
once regretted that he had started, even
before they had gotten out of Missouri, foi
before they had gotten out of that State
they had suffered with hunger, were foot
sore and thoroughly tagged out. Aaron
was sure he would give clean out. Then
he would he caught taken back, whipped
numerically and sold. Soon after enter.
ing Illinois they found daylight too soon
once and found they were In narrow skirt
of timber. After day break they concluded
to slip across an open piece of ground and
get into what appeared TO he larger body
Of woods. Before they were across thu
open ground three men on horseback got
sight of them and halloed for them t.
stop They broke into brisk run, reached
the woods and got away This was the
worst scare they had passed through, ana
Aaron got badly discouraged and wished
he had not started As stated before, my
reason for thinking they crossed the Miss
issippi near Hannibal is that after travel
ing nearly east in Illinois and then turn
ing north, they soon struck Bloomington.
Before arriving In the vicinity of this
place Aaron had nearly given out-his fat
feet we're swollen and his whole body so
stiffened up that he was a perfect cripple.
They had to go very slowly or he could not
keep up. Finally Aaron gave clear out
near what afterward proved to be Bloom
ington. Here they we're really safe, but
this they did not know for certain. BerK
ley and Jim, having but little faith In its
being safe 10 show themselves, bid poor
old Aaron good bye and piodded on. From
Bloomington they followed the Illinois
Central railroad to La sale, when coming
to what seemed town they circled around
II, again striking the railroad AT La
Sale they ventured to show themselves.
and as no one ordered them 10 show pass
or stopped them, they concluded they were
tolerable safe. From La Sale they fol
lowed the Chicago, Rock Island and PACT
fic 20 Ottawa, where they were seen by Mr.
John Hossack, who at once approached
them, and after considerable parley in
duced them to accompany him to his home
on the South bluff. They were nearly
starved to death and very much jaded OUT
Mr. Hossack gave them a good breakfast
and showed them mp stairs to bed. After
r. Hossack had told them again and
that they we're perfectly safe and to 60 e
sleep without rear, he went down stairs
Jim said: II believe that mans "ul
friend" Berkeley said: He may lr, I'M
we don't know for certain Berkeley told
Jim "a go 10 sleep and he would keel
watch, After about an hour he awakened
Jim and said: Now you watch while
sle- p.' Berkeley had not got to sleep he
fore Jim was snoring like bison. Berk
ley logged him and asked him II he could
not do better than that He tried hin
again, hu, Jim soon fell asleep and Brlk-
ley let him sleep long time and said h
laid awnke until Jim got his sleep on
Mr. iIossack founu places for them t
work A jawelry man by the name OF
Mccain. In Ottawa, WAS improving thu
farm in Grand Rapids now owned by PA
Mccormick He hired Berkeley to dil
post holes and make fences. Jim hiret
out to Captain Savage, in the same town
who owned the quarter section now owned
by the widow of John Maggie and MIR
Kuhn, In the fall my father hired Berk
lev tn dig coal on Fox river, opposite Ly
mans farm, where he worked that winter
Jim lived the same winter with Colema,
Olms,ead, In Rutland, on the farm nov
owned by Mr., Brisg. My fathers famil,
then lived on the Cyrus Debolt farm. Dur
Ing the winter they both attended schoo
Cor while In the Daniels scbool house
Mr. Daniels made considerable fuss abou
II aud Berkeley left school,
Berkeley WAS an extra fine player "n III
banj, and raked In a number of dime
nl,\lDy ,,pun Ii and singing on DAYS whe