The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1896-03-12


Cincinnati, in slavery days. was an i'm
portant alton OF the Underground
Railroad" Ths Ohio river Was easily
crossed al this paint, and numerous run
aways made Their way over from Ken
lucky and were met in Cincinnati by
friends who assisted tham in various
ways to make good tier escape. Among
those more or less active in this move
ment were the Beechers.
Surrounded by such i.Iuc7c-s, and
moving in ! MY intellectual circle
Mrs. Stoves mind gradually r:peEcd fer
the production Of her great masterpiece
of fiction, ''Jrc:e Toms Cabin" Its
characters were drawn from the people,
white and black, who surrounded her,
Ind the stories incessantly ming to her
ears furnished hsr-tha incid snts A great
mass of material is said to have come to
her from a housefui OF southern, boardars
who spent a sun rner at Walnut Hills
and became somewhat intimate with the
Stoves.
She never expected to become famous.
AS the wife of Prof. Stowe, and mother
of a large and active family the years
she spent in the west were crowded
with such cares as opprsss other wives
and mothers. Occasionally, when the
family purse grew lighter than usual,
she would vT.te a story fer sc:lle r1aga-
zine The success Of one Of these caused
her husband 10 urge that she become
a literary woman in good earnest"
Then" she said, II must have tee little
stove moved upstairs, and il must be
understood that for certain hours each
day no one shall interrupt me-"
The house in which she lived az this
time is still sianding-a modest little
L. -. y
a second time. Within its walls used to
gather the students, s;:re of a CHEEKY
welcome, for it is recorded that the pro-
fessor and his wife had an understanding
that when one Should become moody and
out of sorts ,he other should be cheerful
enough to make up the deficiency. Once,
when a fever ragged through the college,
Mrs. Stowe took several of the patients
into kCr hcrle and Eursed them with
mcther.y care.
HER INTIMATE FRIENDS.
During the young womanhood Of liar
Pet BescheT her most intimate aud lived
friend was Eliza Tyler. VINO was the
first wife Of Prof. Stowe, and whose
early death brought a mutual sorrow and
sympathy that kindled tae love that
made Prof Stowe and Harriet Beecher
man and wife.
Among her other intimate friends were
Archbishop Purcell, Dr Drake, Hon. A.
H. McGuTey, Mrs. Peters. aftsrward
founder Of the Philadelphia School OF De
signs; Mrs. Caroline Lee Hentz, the
southern novelist, and Salmon P. Chase.
With all OF these she was associated in
A literary society kno~n as the Somico-
Ion club, an aggregation of lile brightest
minds in the early history of Cincinnati.
Her first literary work was done as a
contributor 10 the entertainments of this
club. and the necessity of putting forth
her best efforts in rivalry with the bril-
liant minds il the company d.d much in
developing her excellent style.
After her marriage to Prof. Stowe they
built a home near the Beecher home
stead. 1t was while living in this house
that she gathered most of the material
for the great story. But even before her
marriage the matter OF 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 c:vl war As az instance, in com
pany with a fellow teacher she had
onca visited kentucky estate answering
closely to the description Of Colonel Shei-
by's in 'Uncie Toms Calm" Years af-
terward the friend saw in the story The
reproduction of scene after scene CT that
almost forgotten visit.
LEADING CHARACTERS oRIGI-
NAILS.
The scenes. incidents ard characters OF
the story wsre ia. n iayrc.y from her
Cincinnati experiences.
Her oy:n husband. who was IN full
symrathy with her. stands .or the char
acter 0! Senator Bird, AMI the incident
that brought h.,n into the story will be
10 further along.
An old house about len m les from she
city is known as the Eta house"
from the fact that it gave refuge 10 the
escaped Save girl, who a:terward fig
Ered in tae story as r.I.Za. The house
stands upon a nil near the village OF
Glenda !e. Looking S0rthward from its
WeaiaeI-b5atea porch, one sees a lovely |
landscape, through W. ;cf runs tic shin |
ing thread of the Man ca al and across
VIII, rush hourly the t!a.:,s of t.i1 Mar |
eta * Cinc.r~ lti rG II ad 1t WAS once
the home Cf jim Va:j Zindt, d member |
of the society of Friends, originally a
ken!uckian. is moved to Ohio before
the war. and. sJ;;.i"g upon this farm. |
made T. an uldtrgr 1und station. He
held himself in read :. : ct all times for !
service on .A1 lHai. ard asst "a in Eli |
za's rescue by si.-.jeI HG and cyf,cea! lin: !
hGT II ans OF his ample fir-places. He
fgu--t5 p -; N21 to-, = IA story.