Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-11-08
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
Its Operation as Seen at Amsterdam,
New York.

of your readers to recall an acquaint-
ance with the family of Ellis Cizbe,
who lived in Springfield in 1851 ana
1852 Mr. Clizbe's home was at Am
sterdam, n. Y, where he still retained
! large farm, part of the original
tract of a mile square settled by his
ancestors. Through this farm ran a
broo or creek, as it was callel, on one
side of which were the farm house and
farm buildings, a saw-mill, a grist-mill,
and the houses for the wOrkmen. or
"neighbors,' 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 IN audi
! once; and after a day of active work
! would 20 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 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,
going the next day by boat to Albany,
thence to Amsterdam, and then to the
| Clizbe hosmeetead. mile and a halt
| from the village; or, if the o,,ner 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
| train ahead of her owner, who fol
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 ad-
| just themselves to their new condi-
| ton, and then went on to Fonds Bush,
about ten miles away, thence on by
regular stations across the country in
| to Canada. Nearly all were young
men of moro than average ability. Few
complained of ill-trCatmcnt, 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,
IF | 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 ut Bal
timore six weeks, supposing he was in
a free state, when one day a Colored
man passing him said, Go to Cana
| da." He began to inquire cautiously
and found safe passage by the Under,
ground railroad. Those who came
through Philadelphia usually had
$215 gold piece given them by the
| Quakers, with caution not to spend il
! before reaching Canada.
As it was a state-prison oftansa to
! harbOr or aid these runaways, they
were very careful not to betray those
who bcfriended 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
sentence: Il am butchering Jacob
| BloXom." His education had not in
cluded punctuation One man had
asked permission to go fishing and
left his hat on the bank of the river
rs a blind" About a year later two
men coming from the same place We're
greatly surprised to know that this
man was a runaway and said his
owner had dragged the river and had
! a right smart hunt" for him.
About two years later a man and his
wife came from the same place, who
reported that the owner had received
letter from his runaway, telling
here he was living and IF his own
or wanted him he must come and get
him"
Sometimes these runaways would
be traced to Amsterdam, and twice
the neighbors" were armed, and
watched all night for an attack, which
did not come. After the war was over,
as the train stopped at the Amsterdam
station one day, and the name of the