Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-11-05
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
Its Operation as Seen at Amsterdam,
New York.
| After reading the article upon the
| underground railroad" says a writer
in the Springfield (Mass.) Republican
| it may perhaps be of interest to some
of your readers to recall an acquaint-
ance with the family of Ellis Clizbe,
who lived in Springfield in 1851 and
1852. Mr.. Clizbe's home was at Am
| sterdam, N. Y, where he still retained
large farm, a part of the original
| tract of a mile square settled by his
ancestors. Through this farm ran a
broo or creek, as it was called, on one
side of which were the farm house and
farm buildings, saw-mill, a grist-mill,
and the houses for the Workmen, or
neighbours" as they were always
called; and on the other side was a
residence of the family, always spoken
of as 'the house"-the whole making
a settlement somewhat resembling
in some ways a southern plantation.
Ellis Clizbe early espoused the anti
slavery cause, and in him it found no
mean champion. With natural gifts
of oratory, quick sympathy and ready
wit, he lost no time in winning an audi
ence; and after day of active work
would go to some hall or school-house
in his own or a neighbOring town,
stirring the people to sympathy with
the slave A member of the Presby
terrain church, he, with two other
members published in the local news
papers a protest against the fellow
! ship of the Presbyterian church with
slavery, and for some time went to-
| Albany 33 miles away for communion
service in a Congregational church.
Before the excitement over slavery
| reached it's climax in the bred Scott
| decision, his house had been a shelter
| for the runaway slave, and early be-
came a station of the Underground
| railroad. Those coming by this route
came by boat to New York, where by
signal from the boat to some one on
| the deck the runaways were safely
| landed and taken care of for the night,
L pOc@e
| thence to Amsterdam, and then to the
| Clizbe hosmeetead. a mile and half
| from the village; or, if the owner was
already in pursuit, they were sent
| from Albany or Amsterdam direct by
rail to Canada. One most beautiful
young woman, nearly white, crossed
the suspension bridge at Niagara one
oIoa af vyIa0 ri
! lowed, swearing vengeance upon all
who had aided her.
If there was no special haste the
"runaways" spent several days at the
Clizbe homestead to rest and to adj
! Just themselves to their new condi-
| ton, and then went on to Fond's Bush,
about ten miles away, thence on by
regular stations across the country in
| to Canada Nearly all were young
men of more than average ability. Few
complained of ill-treatment; they
wanted to be free" One young man
had been taught the carpenters trade,
and overhearing plans for selling him
down South" at high price, thought,
eff I am worth as much as that, am
worth as much to myself"
OF course they knew almost nothing
of the geography of the country. Most
of them had heard of Canada. One
young man worked on the dock at Bal
timore six weeks, supposing he We 5 in
a free state, when one day a colored
man passing him said, eco to Cana
d." He began to inquire cautiously
and found safe passage by the Under
ground railroad Those who came
through Philadelphia usually had a
$21a gold piece given them by the
Quakers, with caution not to spend it
before reaching Canada.
AS it was state-prison offense to
harbor or aid these runaways, they
were very careful not to betray those
who befriended them, nor could one of
them be induced to admit that he
came from anywhere or was going
anywhere, until he was convinced that
it was safe, by being told the route
by which he had come, and the names
of those who had aided him at each
station.
They quite often learned to write af-
ter reaching Canada, and sent letters
telling of their welfare. One man,
telling of his prosperous and happy
condition, closed his letter with the