The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-27

club. and the necessity of putting forth
her best Efforts in rivalry with the bril-
liant minds in the company did much in
developing her excellent style.
After her marriage TO Professor Stowe
they built home near the Beeeher home
stead. II was while living in this house
that she gathered most of the materials
for the great story. But even before her
marriage the matter for certain chapters
OF the future book lay ready in her mind,
receiving additions as the cloud around
her grew darker and finally burst into the
Civil War. As an instance: In company
with fellcw-teacher she had once visited
Kentucky estate answering closely to the
description of Colonel Shelbv's in "Unce
Toms Cabin" Years after the friend saw
in the story the reproduction of scene alter
scene of that almost forgotten visit.
For this special book she could not have
been more favOrably situated. Cincinnati
was on the border between two civiliza-
tons. The abOlitionists and the slavery
advocates were in constant strife, and the
clash of the conflict echoed through her
daily life.
The scenes. incidents and characters of
the story were taken largely from her
Cincinnati experiences.
Her own husband. who was in full
sympathy with her, stands for the char
acler of Senator Bird, and the incident
that brought him into the story will be
referred to further along.
An old house about ten miles from the
city is known as 1.-The Eliza house" from
the fact that it gave refuge TO the escaped
slave girl who afterward figured in the
story as Eliza. The house stands upon a
hill near the village OF Glendale. Looking
southwark from its weather. beaten porch.
one sees a lovely landscape, through
which ruDs the shining thread Of the
Miami canal, and across which rush hourly
the trains of the Marietta and Cincinnati
Railroad &
John Van Zandt, member of the Society
OF Friends originally a KentuckaH. He
moved to Ohio be ore the war; and settling
upon this farm made 1t an underground
station. He held himself in readiness at
all times Tor service on the road, and as
sisted in ELIAS rescue by sheltering and
ccncealng her in one of his ample ire
places. He figures as the Van Tromp Of
the story.
Elias adventures, while all having
groundwork in fact, are really drawn from
a NUMBER OF sources-in fact, throughout
the book many actual characters have
merged their Identities and concentrated
their happenings in a few representatives.
who serve as figures IN the tale.
The young girl who Is known TO the
reading world as Eliza Harms was Ken
tucsy slave, owned by a man near Ripley,
ONO, but OH the slavery side of the river.
She had comfortable home and an indul-
gent master aud mistress, bat under the
pressure Of financial difficulties it became
necessary fG- he slaves to be sold. This
would place Eliza in danger Of separation
from her only child, and size determined To
carry the child 10 free territory
AS she approached the river, which she
had hoped TO cross on the Ice. she found il
iull OF floating pieces, the ice having
broken up during the night, and her pur-
suer> just then appeared over the hill. de-
scendlng the bank. In her SperatiOn she
rushed TO the river aud sprang upon
/ floating ice cake with her Oab-. Then,
with the courage of desperation, she
leaped from cake 10 cake-SOmetimts sink
ing to the waist. when, sliding her child
upon the next cake. she would Uuil herself
up with her hands-until. at last. be-
numbed and exhausted, she reached the
Ohio shore and was pulled up the bank bv
man who had watched her perllous
venture. She was taken TO the house of
Rev. John Rankin, whose family still
live in Ripley. and there sheltered until
she ana the child could be forwarded
| through Cincinnati 10 the home of Levi
| Coffin at Newport, Ind, and thence to
Canada. The Rankin house still stands
on the high hill back OF Ripley.
The Levi Coffin just mentioned was n
most interesting character. lie and his
wife. Catherine. earnest and active Quaker
abplitonists. are the originals of ''Simenn
and Rachael Halliday" III was for thirty
years president of the Underground Rail-
jOdu CccitlS III Tile west, ana according 10
the inscription on h monument in one Of
the Cincinnati cemeteries assisted 10000
fleeing slaves TO liberty. He lived to see
the success of his efforts. aud to annnunce
at the tlual meeting Of the society in Gin
clnnati the ratification ot the fifteenth
amendment, and to declare the society dis
solved, because ''the objects for IN ch it
was effected have been accomplished.
Another young girl who gave much to
the construction of the character of Eliza
was seamstress in the employ uf Mrs.
Stowe. She came from Kentucky with
the consent of her mistress, her brother
being held as hostage for her return. The
occurrence was not infrrquent, rs the Ken
tuckians were very lenient with their
slaves and often INDUCED them in trims
across the ONO to free soil. The girl was
legally free by her prese' ce in Ohio by
consent of her mistress. Shortly after her
arrival her brother escaped and she re-
solved not to return. In his she was en-
couraged by her friends and also by Mrs.
Stowe, in whose family she had found en-
ployment. Free papers" were obtained
for her 10 make her condition dnubly legal.
There were many people in Gin ciunat.
however, who were ready TO serve the
Shareholders by kidnapping fugitives, and
when Professor Stowe learned that the
former master of Eliza was in the city,
and friend told him there was a plan to
take the girl at II ight il was determined to
Professor Stowe performed tie tart Of
Senator BIRD" Procuring a horse and
wagon, accompanied by Henry Ward
Beecher, be drove the girl ten miles along a
lonely road and over a dangerously flooded
ford 10 the house of John Van Zandt. The
fireplace is still shown where Eliza" is
said to have been confined during one of
the visits of the slave-hunteTs to the place
in their pursuit.
1t has been stated by some writers of
Renaissance that tile Topsy of the story
was girl Mrs. Stowe mad brought from
the South. but this is not confirmed. On
the contrary, the truth seems to be that
Topsy was an aggregation of pickahinnies
whose comcalities and happy-go-lucky
ways were compressed into one character.
Another character in the story is Rich
ard Dillingham;. a young Quaker from
Morrow, Ohio, who came TO Cincinnati to
teach the negroes, and whose enthusiasm
led him to Nashville on behalf of the slave.
where he was arrested and imprisoned
and died before his release.
So far as known. only one of the origi-
nails of the characters of this story is now