The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-04
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Els.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
PARKER MORSE.

The apostle Of anti. slavery in Woodford
county was Parker Morse, who died In
1873. What he saw In connection with
the Underground Railroad We give as We
obtained 1t from his own lips short time
before his death, at his home near Wash
burn, In Marshall county.
About 1882" said Mr.. Morse, III saw a
negro slave, (who had just been captured
by his masterJ chained by the wrists and
legs, as he was being driven past my place.
The sight made my blood boil, and from
that moment determined to be an active
worker In the cause of freeing the negro.
Not long after that Deacon Morse, of Mt.
Hope, Mclean county, a man of my name
but not relative, called at my house and
laid before me the outlines of prospec.
tive method of helping escaping negro
slaves on their way to Canada. The plan
that which was afterwards employed of
entertaining them in the houses of their
friends, scattered along on general lines at
distances of from fifteen 10 thirty miles
apart from the Ohio and Mississippi rivers
to Chicago, and Of each station keeper Oh
ligating himself TO carry the fugitives on TO
the next stopping place-seemed at once
so feasible and philanthroD!c that had no
hesitancy Ia enlisting in the scheme. This
plan was speedily put into active operation,
and, so far as knew, this was the origin
of the underground railroad in Illinois,
or In the Union, for that matter, After din
ner, the Deacon and | went 10 Mr.. Jehu
Lewis's, in Magnolia, and on the road
stuck the stakes for a track Mr. Lewis
went to Lowell In La Sale county, where
he established station, and soon after
stopping places were fixed at intervals to
Chicago, and thence TO Canada. To the
south of my place there were two or three
lines; one through Bloomington to Spring
field, and another TO Delavan, and Wash
ington, Tazewell Co., and branch line ran
up the Illinois river. A runaway slave, on
striking the soil of this State anywhere
along the big river south or west, was rap
idly taken from station to station, neigh
borhood to neighborhood, and was soon
safe beyond pursuit"
NIGER ON THE wooD.PILE.
Deacon Nathaniel Smith, of Lawn
Ridge, was one of the most efficient work
ers along the line. He was a God fearing
blacksmith, and member of the church
militant, who could strike sturdy blows in
debate and back his views up, if need be,
with sledge hammer accompaniment, in
defense of what he thought was right. He
assisted many slaves on the road to free
dom, and was always ready TO turn out day
or night with his team tor such purpose.
Some of his colored friends were rather
closely pursued, and deacon Smith," as
he was called, was often put TO eXtremities
10 save them from their late masters. Once
he concealed an escaped Oakley under a
brush pile for three days while the owner
was staying In the village, and suspected
smith and watched him with such vigi.
lance that the negro came near starving be.
fore his master gave up the hunt there and
went further on On one occasion slave.
hunter caught sight of his runaway in the
woods, near Smiths premises, and jumped
over log by the side of which the colored
man had hidden, clearing the log, negro
and all, without seeing his prey and never
found him. The slave had made his way
from New Orleans and was worth 81 600
A woman came along who was almost
nine-tenths white, if so accurate distinc.
ton could be made. She was owned by
Rev. Mr. Eli, of Baltimore. She had been
for several years stewardess of popular
steam boat on the Potomac, and her Rever-
end owner regularly drew her salary, which
was large, as she was uncommOnly well
qualified for the position she filled, and 8
woman of excellent judgment and much
natural dignity of manner. AS Mr.. Ell
had allowed her plenty of decent clothing
and her position was one of independence
and trust, she having other servants to obey
her commands, she had never found slav-
cry irksome; but, learning that her pioul
owner had of late acquired some conscien
tious scruples about his right to keep slaves
and to ease his mind was about to sell her
she concluded to escape. She brough
abundant proof to substantiate her story
and had money enough to have paid he
way on any tirst-class public means o
travel to Canada, but to have gone that wa,
would have insured her capture; she ha,
wisely chosen the general oolored railwa,
line Her husband, who had assisted he
In getting away from the boat, and who hat
previously become free man, was arrested
for helping her off and confined for severa
years in Maryland penitentiary! She 60
safely to Canada.
A young colored man had been brough
to Lawn Ridge from Pennington, and, OF
seeing two strangers approaching on horse
back, Smith hid the negro under wagon
box turned up side down The horseme