Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-14

| plAlIuy unQeFSIOOu. JuuBe Sdl iiiu
brought up two breaking outfits in the
spring Of 1855, and the Call brothers
broke up and fenced 100 acres of land,
a part of witch was planted in corn
| The labor involved made it necessary
| to employ a number of men. Among
the number was one Smock, Penn
| sylvania Quaker of which you have
all read in Uncle Toms Cabin" He
was picked up down at Fort DeS
Mones on his way to assist Jim Lane
and old John Brown i'm making Kan
sas free state. Mr.. Smock was a
man OF steady and correct habits. He
neither used liquor nor tobacco in any
form; read his Bible regularly on Sun
| day, and never allowed a profane word
to defile his lips, altho he drove four
yoke of oxen all summer His great
hobby was the sin of slavery, and he
was constantly wishing himself in
Kansas assisting the free state men.
Well, what should happen but one
sultry day in July Smock appeared at
Judge Calls cabin door, accompanied
by black man, haggard and hungry,
tattered and torn, hatless and bare
footed. In answer to the inquiry,
"Where did you find him." he replied:
"The good Lord sent him to me-" Our
guest was q colored boy about %
years old who had escaped from slav-
cry in southern Missouri. Fleeing for
his liberty, he had followed the north
star by night until he came to the end
of the road. He then followed the
trail across tie prairie until he found
our settlement. After weeks rest
our wayfarer was supplied with shoes.
hat and clothing sufficient to keep the
sun from blistering his naked body,
and a supply of bread and meat suffi-
cient to last until he reached the Man
kato settlement. He was then started
on his way rejoicing. One of our
number accompanied him for half a
day to the end Of Union Slough and
charged him to keep on the east bank
and on the east bank of the steam
flowing north from it until he reached
the settlement, and we heard later
that he reached Mankato safely, where
he remained. If there was politics in
it, this was our first political venture.
You will inquire what had that to do
with the claim club meeting. l will
now tell you. At our club meeting a
week or two subsequent to the depart
ure of our fugitive, as we were busily
at work, we heard loud talking outside
and ON going to the door discovered
the contention was caused by two
long haired men loaded down with
revolvers, on lank, jaded horses. The
question had been asked by one of our
party what they expected to do with
so much artillery. One of the horse
men was just replying with an oath:
I'VE can show you uns what we can do
with it II you insist upon it" but their
mood suddenly melted when they saw
some ten or fifteen men emerging
from the cabin, each with long rifle in
his hands. They refused to dismount
when invited, and made evasive an
swers when questioned in regard to
their business, and after a hurried
consultation turned their horses heads
to the south and rode away. AS they
passed out of hearing our old friend
who had been the cause Of the conten-
ton with them said: "By craps, boys.
I will bet dollar them fellers are after
the Niger that went thru the settle
ment a while ago." and his guess
proved correct, as the parties made
themselves known at Boonsboro. stat
! ing that they found their niger up
| in Calls settlement, but the settlers
had gathered with their guns to pro-
| tect him and they considered them
selves fortunate to escape with their
| lives