The Saint Paul globe., 1905-04-16

nm the early fifties, when the slavery
question was agitating the country,
III there was formed what became
famous as the underground rail-
road for the aid of fugitive slaves to
escape bondage, and st. Paul was its
most northern outpost. There are only
a few of those colored people in this
city who remember back to those days,
and the last of these will soon be gone.
st. Paul could scarcely be called
more than a "whistling station" for the
underground" so small was its busi-
ness, but it did much work in a small
way.
In the first place there was only one
method of reaching st. Paul open to
fugitives from the southern states.
This was the Mississippi river, and it
was so closely watched by the officers
that it was not able to do a heavy
traffic. But with all the restrictions
there was a small coterie of colored
people who had come here from the
eastern states who gave much comfort
and aid to the runaways. The white
people of the city were not as friendly
to the scheme as they were in Mil
Waukee and other places
There We're not so many runaway
slaves Sent mere as
there might have been had the city it
self been less Of a haven. st. Paul was
SO far north in those days of primitive
transportation that many considered
this state nearly as safe as Canada.
st. Paul was not on what the rail-
roads of today would call a short line"
by any means. The fugitives were
compelled to make detour, doubling
back to Galena, Ill, and being sent
from there to Canada by way of
Chicago and other lake towns. Fugi-
tives could not go across the country
from Galena themselves, but had to
wait for aid from other sources. It was
here that the underground railroad"
from st. Paul did some effective work.
Helped BY Fasteners
The active members of the sympa-
thizers in this city were but few, COM
prised of William Taylor, a barber;
James Highwarden David Edwards,
Joseph Farr and Eugene Berry, a stew
ard on the steamboat Nominee which
piled the river. The most of these, in
fact all of them, were from the east,
and the work they did to aid run
away slaves was prompted by senti-
ment which they had imbibed in the
east before coming here. Some of
them were steamboat men who got as
far as st. Louis by coming down the
OHIO river, anu, lnlpeueQ Dy an dQV6Il-
turous spirit, had started to work on
Mississippi river boats, and finally
landed in st. Paul.
OF this coterie who ran the under
ground" William Taylor is said to
have been the leader. Joseph Farr,
who now lives at SO East Eleventh
street, is his nephew, and was a par
ticipant in many Of the rescues effect
ed. Mr.. Farr was boy in those days
and helped in the barber shop of Tay-
lor. This shop, which stood at Third
and st. Peter street, was the place
where all of the rescues were planned.
1t was admirably situated for the
work. Just across the street stood the
house Of Taylor. A wigwag system
could be kept up if necessary.
There were two places of secretion
which the officials of the under
ground" depended on. One of these was
the First Presbyterian church at Third
and st. Peter streets. Here in the bel
fry of this church a number Of fugi-
tiVes were concealed while the officers
were searching around for them. 1t
seems that this hiding place was never
discovered, being considered so unlike
ly. The sexton of the church was in
the circle, and aided in the work. Fu-
g1tiVes were concealed here for weeks
at time. At night the sexton would
rescue the unfortunates from the
cIdunpeu quarters, take them Tor q
walk around the dark part of the city,
and return them and carry food and
drink.
Hidden in Livery Stable
Willoughby's livery stable at Fourth
and Robert streets was the other place
where runaway slaves were hidden.
Here in the capacious hayloft the ne
groes We're safe until the search had
ceased. The belfry or the livery stable
was used. as the occasion seemed to
present the least likelihood of discov-
cry.
The underground" people had an
ally in an old Frenchman who lived
some eighteen miles from ST. Paul,
near Saltwater He had an abhor-
renee for the slavery system, and
agreed to help in the work. Slaves
whose masters were chasing closely
were sometimes sent to the French
mans farm, and no case was ever de-