The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-22
lHE SLAEE GIRL.
RpoHgn Eagle,

RrOoElua Eagle,
TO he Editor Qfthc Eagle,
think the following very interesting
sketch Of the sale Of a beautiful slave
girl in Lexington, KY, where the slave
system existed in It's mlldesta form, will
be new to your many readers who have
grown to adult age since the great re-
bellion closed, and who know but little,
II anything, OF that system OF "incurable
injustice" that existed so long in our
country, A series OF articles from the
pen Of Mr., Fairbank, who passed many
years Of his life in Kentucky prisons,
would DO read with great interest at the
present day, and woull excite as much
curiosity us did the narrative OF Messrs.
Robins and Riley, who were captured
and held by the Algerines. The $1,000
check handed by MIR, N. Longworth, one
OF tho earliest millionaires OF the West,
tells how easy 1t Is for US to err in our
estimate OF the character OF men. / re,
member, q few years before 1860, u
wonderfully beautiful slave girl was sold
on an auction block in New Orleans, and
bid off by a gambler for the sum OF ST..
Thank Godl the world moves.
Where once stood the auction block OF
the slave is now the school.house, and
where the slave pen Is now the church.
Let us educate educated
JAMES A. BRIGds.
BF0Oklyn, June 7, 1850.
EPISODE IN AN ABoLITIoNfsT's CAREER,
When q Just and adequate history Of
the abolition movement shall be written
a prominent place must be given to the
life OF Calvin Fairbank, who, though he
still lives in an unpretentious farm
houseintho outskirts OF Angelica, N. V,
was as true a martyr to the cause OF
human liberty as Elijah Parrish Love.
Joy or John brown. The following Is II
thrilling incident Of his remarkable
career, as told by him to a correspond.
ofthe Philadelphia Press:
zone day in March, 1913, while look
ing through tile Jail at Lexington, KY,
my attention was attracted TO one OF the
prisoners, q young woman Of exquisite
figure and singular beauty. l asked tho
iailer who she was, and to my surprise,
Tor she WIS as white as a lily, lie told me
she was a slave girl named Eliza, the
daughter OF her master, who a few days
later was TO sell her upon the block OF
tho New Orleans market, impelled by
the jealousy Of his wife, because tho
slave girl was superior to her own
daughters. Then l talked with the girl.
l found that she was intelligent as we'll
as beautiful, and / resolved to exert
every effort to save SO magnificent q
creature from such q fate. | told her
that / would 90 to Cincinnati aud do
my best to raise the money with which
to purchase her freedom. | hurried away
and sought that old hero aud apostle Of
freedom, Levi Coffin. He gave me
prompt and generous assistance, and in
a sAort time we raised $500. then laid
the case before Salmon Z. Chase, after.
ward Senator, Secretary Of the Treasury
and Chief Justice, who gave me 5000
more and went with mo to sec Nicholas
Longworth. The latter was worth mil.
lions, hut he WINS never known to give a
dollar for anything. We feared nothing
would como OF our appeal to him, but
decided to appeal to him, as 1t cost US
nothing,
"IMr. Longworth,' said Chase, after
VIC were seated In the title crib which
the millionaire called his office, do you
consider yourself a ChristianT
az am not a very good one was the
@EWell, We have got a case here that
appeals to both humanity and Chris.
tfahity. Mr.. Fairbank will tell you
about it,
AZ told the story. Longworth listened
in silence, and, when | was through,
hitChed nervously to his chair, drew his
check book from q drawer and began
filling out check, While he was writ
ing Chase whispered:
"'We will get about $50 from him.
"a moment later Longworth wheeled
around and handed me the check
il was for $1,000. You sec the miser,
as they called him, hadn'tsuCh a stinted
nature after all. A number Of free col.
ored people raised and gave me $500
more, aud when Invent back to Licking.
ton the day before the time appointed
for the sale / carried $2,275. Moreover,
in my poCketbook was an agreement
signed BY Chase, Longworth and vii.
liam Howard, another rich CinCinnatian
empowering mo 10 draw upon them, II
necessary, to the extent Of $4,000. The
sale took place in the public square and
WIS attended by fully two thousand peo'
Pile, drawn there by descriptions OF the
girls Comeliness and rumors OF the etEort
that was TO be made 10 save her. The
best people OF the town were'there, ant
u number OF strangers from Boston, New
York and Philadelphia were also pres
ent, curious aud horror stricken, But
one man appeared to bid against me, {
squat.fgnred, broad.shouldered, thick
neCked, bullet.headed FrenChman, from
New Orleans, WHO'LL was told, made i
his business TO attend tho sales oiyouni
girls and purchase them for n fate worst
than death. Eliza, when placed upot
the block, seemed ready TO drop for fea
and shame. Tho auCtioneer began hi
work by pointing out her beauties, con
Cludingwith
"'Nyhat am l offered for her2'
"'live hundred | cried.
1.-THE New Orleans man raised my bic
500. ! bid 500; he $500; l $500; HI
$1,000; / SLIGO; hO $1,000. When
raised his last bidto $1,000 the Louisian
ian turned to me with an angry look ant
said;
Inflow high arc you going to bidp''
"Higher than you Monsieur, 1 re
piled.
"Ho turned away and bid Sl,326.
raised tho bid to $3.50. He, after q iev
moments hesitation, made II $3.50.
again went him one better and made |
$i,4OO. Once more Returned TO me ant
aSkedi
"How high arc you going2'
"'Nono Of your business, but yot
hayn't money enough 10 buy this girl.
"Aiier my bid Of Sl,A00 both III,
FrenChman and | bid slower, both bolnl
resolved TO have tho call when the ham
NOR fell. TheRuCtlonper grew impatlen