The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-01-28
Ottawa, H., January 20, 1883.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
OTHER STATIONS, AND ANECDOTES.

OTHER STATIONS, AND ANECDOTES.
WIN. Lewis, a relative Of Hon. Samuel
r. Lewis, lived near Magnolia, and be-
longed to the Friends, or Quakers, who
without exception were Ab0litionists, and
openly took in and cared for and sent on
heir way rejoicing, all slaves who came
along. Capt. VIM. HAYES, once answered
question put by the writer, as to "wheth-
Of he had ever seen any of the fugitlves
around Magnolia ?" Runaway niggers,'
said the old Kentuckian, Eyes, have seen
an, mornings, roosting like crows, on Bill
Lewis fence"
James Work, deceased, was an active
worker in the cause of helping the black
man to freedom. He kept station on
Crow creek. He related to us the follow
ing interesting facts:
"The first appearance of slaves in Mar
shall and La Sale counties, who seemed
to have come up on the Irregular line" was
not much prior to 1910, and 1t was about
that time that we had regular stations or
stopping places for them along our rail
road line" and we the station agents"
knew little OF each other; | knew a few
# the stopping places north and south OF
me, that Is in Peoria, Marshall and Wood.
ford countless and in Bureau, and at Peru,
Ottawa northward. Usually the negroes
we're transported In the night and would
arrive at my place, from some point south
of me, the next station perhaps, about bed
time, and after comfortable lunch we
would drive them to Mr. Lewis's, Magno-
Lin, a distance of fourteen miles. 1t was
nothing unusual for me to get up at any
hour in the night and drive a load of my
dusky friends to the next station. Those
that reached a stopping place at or near
morning, the careful station keeper had to
secrete them all day, from the watchful
eyes of some inquisitive nelghbor, or a
chance trader, or slave hunter | have fire.
quently hid my colored guests in the corn
field or deep recess of the ravines during
the day, and have had much difficulty In
keeping the exuberance of the darkies
down, so as TO prevent their dancing, sing
ing and shouting in boyish glee, and had
special trouble with the bright.eyed, woody
headed little "picaninies" who would yell
and laugh like little devils on the slightest
provocation. was In constant fear Of get
ling into trouble because of the irrepressi.
Die juvenile kinky heads" who were al
ways brim full Of mirth, music and pant
mp boyfulness and fairly trembled when
driving past much freQuented places and
the houses OF persons uniriendly TO oul
operations, knowing that at any moment
some, or all of my precious cargo of little
mps might explode In frantic African
yells, and thus invite pursuit and cuptare
some of my neighbors and near relatives
we're strongly opposed TO my work in be
half of the negroes, and threatened fire.
quently TO inform upon me, and one OF
them was so much in earnest about ii thai
he once threatened TO shoot mel remem
Der Of no instance when runaway wat
captured from my division of the line, ant
there were not many instances of an esca
ping fugitive being pursued by his master
or representative of one. The slaves who
came over this route we're chiefly from
Missouri or kentacky and now and then
one from further in the southeast re-
member of one mailing from South Caro-
lima, whe, ignorant of geography and with
out guides, had wandered to opposite Cal
70, In this state without being made aware
that he had lost much time and travelled h
long distance out of his way.
The cause Of the slaves self-emancipa-