The morning times., 1896-07-19
How Underground Railroad"
Trains Were Dispatched.
RACES WITH THE DOGS
Ante-Bellum Railway That Ran
Through the Air-Vigilance Com
mittee and Its Sympath:zers.

slavery before and during tie civil war,
while the generation that has grown up
since that struggle, hardly knows even the
words. On the other hand, few still re-
main to whom even the initials, ~. Ii. X.
r., are talismanic.
For more than Il century before the negro
was finally freed, more OF less systematic
efforts had been made to secure that end.
The raid of John Brown ut Harper's Ferry
was not such Il wild attempt To carry into
executiona madman's dream as itappcars 10
the scboul-boy.
IL was carefully planned and not alto
gether unskilifully carried out. Tie fail
ure was due largely TO a characterization of
the temper oftle slave and otthe possibility
OF reaching those who were ripe with dis
content, FOR the most desperate means To
, relieve their condition.
John brown did not reckon that there
We're hundreds OF slave families throughout
Virginia and the South who were perfectly
contented with their situation, who loved
their masters and respected their masters
wives and children, and who could not be
induced TO leave their homes except by
the hardest necessity. Every we'll in
formed Southern man knew this, AMI the
sequel proved il, for after President Lin
coin issued his proclamation there wern
scores OF families that remained at their
Old homes. saving. Free? Whats dat?
We'se got 'nufr whah we is. Yves not a,in'
TO Wash'n ncr nowerselse to starvc lax a
whole passed. o. free nisgcrS does
ESCAPE FROM BONDAGE.
The Underground Railroad was Il great
factor in deceying the poor old hero OF
OsslwotanIie and his comrades. 1t was
The means OF escape from bondage of
hundreds of slaves every year. John
Brown saw the desperate chances the
negroes We're willing to take to get free,
-.
times with success. when brought 10 bay
by their pursuers, and lie argued that il
the few lie saw Were capable OF doing
so much to secure liberation the tens OF
thousands still in their homes on the
plantations only needed the word and a
leader and their would he II mighty up
rising against which no force could stand.
The Underground Railroad for nearly ten
years before Browns attempt and the war
had been used TO carry fugitive slaves ill.,
10 the Northern States for Il time, and after
the fugitive slave laws were passed on TO
Canada, where they were safe under the
British flag There was, of course, NJ phys
fcal existence to the railroad, though
many who have only heard about it as a
tradition nave imagined at least somewhere
along the line an actual visible railroad
track underg uud and a combination OF
grapevines. By which signals could he given
by these rude appliances was supposed to
he sufficient to throw the bloodhounds off
the scent and enable the fugitive to ess
capo.
There was actually an organization Of
AbOitionistS, who had secret means IF conf
muDicating with each other, and they made
a business OF helping slaves who had the
enterprise to try to get away. They fur
nishcd tie money. in some instances, 10 carry
them across the Canadian line, and always
aided tie runaway in hiding and in securing
secret means OF transportation 10 their
destination.
THE VIGILA nee COMMITTEE.
The society was known as the Vigilance
Committee, and was formed at tie office
OF the Philadelphia Freeman, on December
., 1852. Those present were Robert Pur-
Wis, Charles II. BaStile, samuel Nickless,
Morris Hail.. Nathaniel Depee, Charles West,
Jacob c. White, Cyrus WhilsoD, j. Asher,
j. +. Burr. William Still, Passmore Will
liams on, b. y. Comes, j. W. McKin, Isaac C.
Wears, John ID. Oliver, Prof. c. L. Reason,
Henry Gordon and W. II. Riley.
Mr.. Nlcsless was made temporary chair
man. and "a permanent organization WIS
effected. with Mr. Purvis al president, Will
lam Still as secretary and Charles West
treasurer An executive committee was
named, and their names and addresses
were published in the Freeman, with Il
statement which made plain to all no We're
interested the purposes of the society.
This was Il bold thing to dooas the oh
jects of the organization were unla wfII and
with most OF their fellow-CitiZens their
work was unpopular, so that they could
count on drawing upon themselves disfavor.
ifnot criminal prosecution.
Nevertheless they were by this pulIiiti,v
much better able to aid the escaping slaves
and they were content. They ian the hearty
approval of hundreds OF good citizens and
were thus supported.
Among those whom they counted among
their synlpatliizcrs was the late John &.
Whittier the Quaker poet, who was, dur
ing a part Of their labors, living in Phila-
delphia and. writing against the wrong
OF human slavery.
William sun, the secretary Of Ike CON-
mittee, was himself negro and WIS The
most active agent of the society. One of
the cases when came uBGer Tia. c.i-, OF
the society WIS the effort TO liie!G!,r lie
family of william Stills brother, Peter who
lived in Alabama.
The two men had been born on the East
ern shore OF Maryland. Their father had
said TO his master on arriving at hood
that lie never would submit quietly TO bond
age and that it would be a constant fight
SO long as he lived. ThereupoD the master
sold him his freedom at a low figure, as
was done in scores of cases, especially in
the border States. But the wife belonged
to another man and was left behind.
She ran away later, but was reca ptured
where she took refuge in New Jersey and
returned to her master She again made
her escape and this time her two BOYS only
were recovered. She made her way TO
Canada.
BOUGHT HIS FREEDOM.
One OF the boys, William Still, was sub
Acquently liberated, but Peter was carried
into Alabama. There for forty years he
preserved the memory of his mother and
always longed TO see her again. He finally
bought his freedom for $500 and ma de his
way to Philadelphia where by accident,
while looking for his mother, he met his
brother.
But he had left a wife and children at
Florence, Ala, and he was eager TO Sc
cure their freedom and have them join
him i'm Il Jana OF liberty. He raised Some
money TO buy them and returned to Flor
ence, but had not fully enough money to
effect the purchase. He was afraid to talk
about the matter as the pro- sla very feelin;,
was growing daily more bitter, and any
thought OF freedom for the slave on any
terms was exceedingly unpopular.
He had reason TO believe that any can
siderable stir over his desire to buy his
wife and children might lead to his being
lynched. lie therefore came back with
only a few articles OF clothing and tokens
which his wife gave him to be used as sig
mails to guarantee good faith by anyone
he might send after her.
Seth Concklin, a friend OF the Stills in
Philadelphia, and an ardent Aboltionist
proposed that the family be run Off,
without aging anything to the master, B.
HcKiernon. an illiterate farmer, near Flor