The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-08-20
the TRUE sroay or ELIZA.

oUG0 QO4DO0VQ0 XE088 U0O&ADs
THE TRUE STORY or ELIZA.
WAasA DosnsA ne 1aa1s ef 0as - ths In
~aAeaas oa >sunsle Ten's Caban."
The incidents which formed the basis
for the story of the escape Of Eliza.
the slave mother, with her child, aeross
the Ohio river on the ice. which il IA
miliax to yeedexs of Mrs. Stoves
'Uncle Toms Cabin," were told by
Rev. 8. g.. W.. Rankin in Hartford re-
Gently. The incidents came within the
personal knowledge Of Mr.. Rankin.
and he said that be gave them to Ars-
Stove and that she used . younger
woman, who escaped at nearly the
same time, to complete the picture and
make it more attractive and dra-
matte. k IA qsl,sis5..Js
Az Mr.. Rankin tells the story. his IA
ther's family, living on the bluf1s on
the river, were well known a. in the
business Of helping runaway slaves.
and slaves knew tlsenn % friends. 1t
was one Christmaa week that Eliza. 2
stalwart negro woman, came - tho
Rankin house In the night. having
brought her husband across the river
in . boat. He was covered with Ice
from the river. the night having been
intensely cold. and the man. who was
not % bright - Mrs. Stoves George
Harris BY any means, had fallen inse
the water In getting out OF the boat.
Eliza was very religious and very de-
termined. and had planned to send her
husband ahead to Canada, intending to
Join him with his children afterward.
The husband was. sent along and
Eliza crossed the river to Kentucky
that same night. returning to her
mother. She fixed date, two months
ahead, when she would again come to
the Rankin house.
True to the arrangement she
crossed the river one night in Fehru-
ary, when the river was in treacher-
ous condition, carrying her young
child in shawl strapped to her back.
The Ice was In broken foes, and she
carried . board with . rope attached to
it by which she passed from one cake
to another. She got across and was
sent to Canada to join her husband.
She still had Ave children in slavery
and said to the Rankins that she was
going back to Kentucky after them
the following June.
On the June day In question she
appeared in Mr.. Rankin's garden.
and she was disguised Al q man and
sent across the river. where she made
her way to her former masters planta.
ton and hid beneath the currant
bushes in his garden. Here she was dis
covered by her oldest daughter, girl
OF II. and at nightfall was hidden be-
meath the door. Of her old cabin in the
negro quarters. Sunday. after dinner.
her master and his wife went several
miles away to visit friend, and Eliza.
following the example of the Israel
ties when they despoiled the Egyp-
tians, took blankets and household
eoods TO the amount Of about 200
pounds weight, divided them into
bundles for the. Ave children. and
started ON an 11-mile walk to point
on the river which she was to reach at
two o'clock Monday morning. She
had been told to bring nothing but the
children, but she had 20 overloaded
them with the packages that the small
er ones gave out, and she was obliged
to carry one child . little way, bundle
. little way. and then 80 back after
another child and another bundle. un-
I'll she VS. % delayed that the river
was not reached until six o'clock in the
morning, and ths boat that was to
carry her over was gone. It WAS very
foggy, however, and by walking about
. mile and quarter In the shallow
water Of the Kentucky side Of the river.
to throw on the scent Of the blood
hounds, she reached an anti-slavery
mans house, whexe she remained all
day.
''That morning." said Mr.. Rankin,
when we expected TO have Eliza and
her children safe In Ohio. after the fog
lifted, we saw 81 men on horseback,
with dogs and guns. across the river,
hunting this defenseless woman with
Eve children, after . reward OF 81 200.
Communication was opened with
eliza during the day and abe was told
what to do. At nightfall Mr.. Rankin
disguised . = woman. with . party ci
young fellows, made feint on the
Kentucky shore. . few miles farthes
up the river. and gave the negro hunt
ers . lively chass. they suppos'
ipR they had track Of Eliza. The
hunters were evaded, and at the same
time trusted bcetman bad feyfied the
woman and children across to the
Rankin house, where she remained in
aiding for two weeks, being finally
taken to the Quaker settlement in
load Of -four and bran. She escaped
to Canada and lived for years thera
with her husband and nix children. -
Hartford CQurnut