Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-19
THE REAL UNCLE TON
Was None other Than Josiah
..SlsOA, a maryland Slave.
HIS REMARKABLE CAREER
Born in Port Tobacco, Nd, 1851
Died in Canada in 1877.
MASTERS NAME WAS ST. CLAIR
Just ms II was In Mrs. stowe'A Fa-
nous Dook-some Other
similnrlties.
HIS REMARKABLE CAREER
MASTERS NAME WAS ST. CLAIR

Sizes points ia regard 10 the colored
race. Mr.. Douglass was a very re-
markable man. a born slave. he had
no opportunity to acquire an education,
ana yet he became good scholar, Il
vigorous writer and one Of the first
orators Of his day. But many people
have said that the "smartness' mani
Tested In Douglass came through the
white blood that flowed In his veins
transmitted from his father, who was
white man. Such people are not will
ing to admit that there is any remark
able ability in the African race. To
make their point good they have to
overlook the career OF Toussaint Lou
venture, the great patriot Of San Do
mingo, who was a pure African, and
who was born and reared n slave, re-
naming such till he was full 90 years
old. and then developed powers OF
craftsmanship and military generalship
only second TO that OF Hannibal. and to
conquer whom the wits and Profound
est baseness of the great Napoleon
were put to their severest test.
But It is not necessary 10 go back as
far as IiOuverture to find man of
pure African blood who had fully as
remarkable career as that OF Doug
lass and who oNerted remarkable in
iluence upon his race and the world -
large. l refer to Josiah Henson, Who
seems now TO have been well-nigh or
gotten, but who had career as strilz-
Ing and dramatic In many ways as any
man who ever lived
The story of Josiah Henson's life
served as the foundation for Mrs
iiaIttel .Lneenher stowe great story VI
IheIe rom Cabin. Henson was
uvih IN inIt lopatep, Ma, IN 1884,
Nhen 1 eui!td upon MN al ms home in
Dresden, ontr m lSiH he was ninety
years pld, but lie was still vigorous
and remembered all the events Of his
remarkable lie Vlyidly. He lived foui
years longer dying ia 1881, at the aEt
OF "a.
Mr.. Henson had really great powers
OF mind. lie never taltered before diff
hculues and acknowledgements no mat
tcr how great they appeared. Wien
young he became a preacher. and was
to the end Of his life "a most eloquent
and luttyrly really able speaker and
lecturer lie took the slaves OF his
master when he was still young
man, to Il relatives In Kentucky. to
prevent their passing into Inc hands
ut creditors. There they wore hired
out to the uelghborlps planters 10 food
advantage and the proceyds SOM Ia
Maryland.
Henson himself worked for an easy
going master NAMED 81 clair which
name actually appears In Nfrs So,
novel A daughter Of this riastcr ,,,Ci -
to him. especially ont OF The RIIie ~
arms We're badly crippled. las was a.
scrihcd In the ease OF Uncle Tom e
by the blow Of a brutal uyersuer when
he was young. Finally when bo "bt' e1
already paid $500 towards his freedoTn
he was suddenly taken bv bis ,, vti
tors son To New orleans 10 Ia, III
Before the sale was cons,,,n,,,t,.,i ~ t,i.
young master was taken down with tho
yellow fever and had IL NOT been fo,.
"Sis' nursing he would have dicd ~
subsequently, accompanied his master
back to Kentucky.
This narrow escape from hoyiny boon
torn from his family and being sold
Into the Red River country, noiwith-
standing the fact that he had n,sT.
so much OF payment on hi. ow, re-
dom, set 81 to thinking In seriouq
way In regard to escape. ue soon
after left the Kentucky plantation in
the night was pursued nv Mood
hounds, but he secreted himself In the
sWamps and by means of wadlng in
the water with his two children on
MS back and his wife by his sidn ha
was able to throw them off the tracl,
and finally reached Cincinnati. where
ne had colored friends who sheltered
MIN for time till he was ready To-
resume his journey North. He made
ms way clear across the state Of Ohio
on root carrying his children most Of
tne Time on his back and travelling nj
night and through the forests I'M he
reached the lake at Sandusky. Here a
klnd-hearted captain Of a schooner
conveyed him to Canada. He settled
with his family at Colchester. ont hut
subsequently removed to a tract Of
land which he took up on the Syden-
nam river, where the town of Dresden
was afterwards located.
10 prospered as farmer and the In
eating or Dresden made him wealthy
He began TO preach soon after HE
ARRIVAL IN Canada and his sImnie aIo-
luence ana piety made him an nttrac-
1--WE speaker. AT the age OF IS he began
70 lS1Ih 20 read and write and so thor
.usnly uld ne master this difficult task
mat he was able to write his auto,
niosraphy, striking story which was
given an Introduction by Mrs. stowe
ana was published in Boston in 1885
IN 1900 Henson visited England ana
occurred IN London. He attracted great
interest not only for himself but No.,
the cause OF the oppressed in Amer,co
He again visited England in 1870 and
spoke on the slavery ouestion ~" ~
1876 he went to England FOR Inc tb,r,i
time, and was invited TO Windsor Cas-
Tie BY Queen Victoria, and entortoinc5
with the highest honors. He was tbs,,
81 years old, but no was exceedlnFlv