Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-11-02

across without showing his papers? II he
showed them and was captured, what
would become of him and the young
man that had made them? These things
were in his mind when he approached
/ the door. He raped. A big, ugly-look
/ ing man came out, whose face made poor
father tremble with fear but he did
speak.
Can you give me some food and some
drink and set me across the river?' he
asked. The stern-looking man paused,
then looking at the colored man before
MIN, eyed him from foot to head Then
looking him fair in the face he said:
Why, don't you know that it's against
the law to set bondmsn across this
river?' Then father spoke up. But calls
myself n free man, sah.' a free man have
you got anything to show me that yen
are free MANI Yes, believe So WELL
said he, 'I'd like to see it,
NARROW ESCAPE.
Father stood silent for moment, and
said to himself: w hat will do?' fie
hesitated but at last he said 4 Will show
you my papers, sar, on conditions. on
conditions. W by, " hat do you mean by
that?' Them conditions are these. You
Will pass my papers, back TO me safe just
as pass them TO you' why, my man,
don't dare to do otherwise. I'm a sworn
man at this post. | won't destroy YOUR
papers, young fellow. ionly want to see
/ Then father began to unbutton his west
coat and put his hand inside his shirt.
Tha,, bal Id,
and passed it into the ferrymans hand.
The ferryman looked it over and then
| looked at the man before him who was
nearly starved and in the height OF fear.
Then he slowly folded it up and as he
passed it back he looked into his eyes
again. Yes said he, Il will give you
food and drink. Yes, and l will set you
across the river, too. Come inside
Then he gave him something to eat
and some drink. He never asked another
question, nor spoke again till after the
boat had been lowered and the opposite
shore reached. Young man, it is lucky
for you that it was who was here. The
paper is detected but l knew the old man.
Father got across the river and you
talk about glad! After once he was safe
on that side he fell in with some traders
who took him to Philadelphia. When
once there he was all right for he had
letter to friend OF the young lawyer
who looked after him and got him a
! chance to go to sea. He followed the sea
several years. 1t was on one OF his trips
that he. fell in with the old man Russell
who was the father of my wife. They
both came to Maine and worked for some
time at Yarmouth, where my father mar
ried Maria Avery and moved to Bangor.
MY father, after he got married. bought
one hundred acres of land from the gov
eminent at place called saltwater. 1t is
two miles back from the main river
that's where l was born. Father was
doing well; he had horses and COWS and
by his hard work was making property
fast
"One time while the old gentleman Was
blowing, several white gentlemen came
! into his field and talked and persuaded
him to leave the place, telling him that a.
there was not many colored people here
he could do better If he lived where they
were. They told him the best place for
| him would be to go TO Liberia, Africa
That's the place for good colored man.
they said, where you can raise your sons
and daughters iii wealth and splendor'
After while they said so much that he
was induced to sell the little farm and
cottage for the small sum Of 1910.
| after procuring t he money he took the
whole family and started ON the journey,
not knowing where he was going. He
! got as far as Boston and when he told
the colored people there that he was CO.
ing to Liberia they told him that he had
better bury all the children before he
started for they would all die with the
heat. At New Bedford they told him
the same thing, and he decided to go
back to Bangor.
After he got there he called upon the
man to whom he had sold his little place.
He was told that the price of real estate
was very changea BILE; that the price one
day would be less than at other DAYS;
that the little farm had changed in price
and If he could raise Il 500 he could
again hold the land and title. Fathers
money was all gone, and when he told
| mother what he had heard, she said:
| We'll, father, pretty tough, but we have
got to stand it, Then they roamed
around the streets of Bangor, children
and all, for three or four days with not a
home of any kind, and many times very
scanty share OF food for the children. At
! last they found place up at Baskerville
where old Johnny Baker sold them
piece OF land and gave them plenty OF
time to pay for it.
''This man, my father, Henry Van Me-
ter, who was so awfully abused, died at
the age OF ITO years, and is buried at Mt.
Hope in Bangor with no slab to mark his
grave. He is the very colored boy who