The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-09

BLACK Mai TO ESCAPE W OdAdud.
Washington, Nov. 9. Should the
Chesapeake & Ohio canal, the waterway
of which George Washington was the
founder, pass into other Hands and be,
converted into roadbed for a railway,
it will. be the obliteration of one Of the
main lines of the old Underground rail
road, a mysterious organization winch
existed from 1888 until emancipation,
had no salaried officers, no meetings OF
stockholders, no public reports and de-
clared no dividends.
For but one purpose only was the I'm
derground. railroad organized-to as
sist fugitive slaves. So perfectly were
the plans and purposes carried out that I
the lines and stations extended from
into Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana,
Ohio, the New England states and into
Canada. 49,. 1920.
Quiet, easy-going ;Quakers of ;Phila-
delphia were the originators, and they
gave literally of their time and money
IN making it - success: d After the ne
the abolitionists thruout the country
there was no difficulty in securing all
the money necessary to pay every ex-
pense. Samuel Rhoades, a wealthy
Philadelphia, was" the chief fnancier,
and during a visit to England he sue
IN raising srgS s sum Of t95
delphia was the treasurer and had Of
fees at Fifth and Walnut streets: He,
too, was rapid and successful pro-
Queer and money rolled in, and when
the fugitive slave law was passed in
1850, there were sufficient funds to aid
every runaway in every section OF the
country. A regular force Of trusted
men were employed--not on salary, but
| tism-in engineering runaway
expeditions for slaves.
John HUM was the chief engineer of
the southern end; Samuel Burriss, col
ored, general conductor; Levi G1 pin
officers served without compensation
for many years. There was board Of
directors or 'vigilance committee
composed Of such men as Nathaniel
Depee, J. G. White, Henry. Gordon, Rob,
ert Purvis, William Whipper, Samuel
Rhoades, Rev. w. H. Furniss, j. M: Nc
others, not to mention number or,
wealthy and influential ladies, who.
gave freely of their money and time
Canal Boatmen Enlisted. -.
Money was spent where it was be-
lieved it would do the most good, and
when it was found that, captains or
masters of boats on the C. & O. canal
were "approachab le,' there was no
sideration. There was less danger OF
detection of fugitive slaves on vessels
than on trains or private conveyances.
They could be stored away in coal, hay
or Whatever kind Of cargo the boat
might be laden. If there was believed
to be danger Of being overtaken the
, slaves were put ashore and piloted to
'nf tho ctotinnc mot far removal
from the canal, and there were mum.
Der Of these along the line in Maryland
and West Virginia (then Virginia) -, g.
: These stations were simply the
homes of families either stockholders
in the Underground railroad or those
who had been paid literally for utiliz-
: ing their homes and premises for such
, purposes. One of these stations is still
in fair state Of preservation on the
1 outskirts of Martinsville, w. Va, while
I along the line of the canal and the
Baltimore g. Ohio railway there are a
number Of frame and log houses which
are pointed out as Underground rail
road stations.
u Levi Coffin, one of the presidents
- who was a very wealthy man, lived at
$ Fountain City, Ind, and his home was
l. the central station between the south
d and Canada. For a number Of years
Coffin was on duty at Cincinnati, Ohio
= as a, sentinel, and did effective work IL
Z aiding fugitive slaves. He left the
I management of his home-the centra
\ station-to his wife, who received ant
I cared for more than five thousand
4 slaves. Coffin g home was the meeting
Z place for Abolitionists in that section O.
the country, and today it is the on
point of historic interest in the little In
diana village. The building is brick
two stories high, with large rooms an
| several good, sized secret closets, and
basement difficult to find ones way on
Of. Then; too, the attic is so arrange
that it would not be an easy matter TO
4 one not thoroly familiar with the cor
4 struction of the house to either ente
or get. out of. The house was built i
! 1928, five years before the organizatio
of the underground railroad, but Coff
\ to which it would be put when he had
I constructed. = 7".- ~
l Aided the Eliza Of Uncle Toms.
| It is said that it was in this hous
that Eliza Harris, Of "Uncle Tom
\ Cabin' fame, was concealed and T.
manned until she was entirely restore
to health. Frederick Douglas was Sc
eral times a visitor and was slated {
one of the general supervisors. -.
Perhaps next to John Brown Set
\ Concklin, Quaker of Philadelphia, W;
\ the most ardent worker IN the cause
4 liberating slaves. Like Brown, too, /
/ exercised exceedingly bad Judgment, e
4 ing to Alabama, and spiriting away,
! negro woman and three children, ma
I ing a successful escape with them
Vincennes, Ind, where he was arreste
. and was afterward found dead, havir
been killed and placed in the water:
Another sentinel who Jared bad
| was S. A. Smith, he having boxed up
negro boy named Henry Brown
Richmond, Va; and sent him by e
press to the headquarters in Philade
phia. The Richmond authorities ga
Smith seven years in the state penite
tiary. About the same time a neg
named Jack Christian fell in with t
underground agent and left his hon
in the family Of ex-President lyle
Christian had been one; of the Viii
House servants during Tyler s admin
tration. Another negro named Villa
= iii u, "a hox 81