Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-02-15
A Conductor on the
Underground Railroad
BY JARED WILLIAMSON
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

49,
meaning Of the underground railroad.
The underground railroad comprised a
few abolitionists-1S40 to 1s6O-who
were engaged in helping runaway
slaves to reach free territory. Any
one Of these railroaders if caught at
their work, especially during the last
few years prior to the civil war. would
have been hanged instantly.
One evening in the winter of 1856
a colporteur, riding on horseback,
stopped at a country house near Nash
vile, Tenn, and, calling for the owner.
announced to him that he intended
to start a series Of religious meet
the gentleman he addressed, imbued
with true southern hospitality, asked
the stranger to dismount and be his
guest for as long a period as he liked.
"Im not what is usually called a
religious man, said Mr.. Boone, but
1 respect the cloth, and I'll do all I
can fo' yo', sub"
The colporteur, who gave his name
as David Singleton, accepted the invi-
tation, removed his saddlebags-then
used in lieu of a suit case-turned his
horse yer to a negro slave and went
into the house.
81 judge, suh," remarked Mr.. Boone,
from yo' accent that yo' a from the
moth. While yo' are welcome in my
house, 1 trust that yo' have none of
the abolition notions prevalent among
yo' people"
81 can prove, sir" replied the colpor-
teur, "from the Bible that the institu-
iioI of slavery is a divine institution"
This was perfectly satisfactory to
Mr.. Boone, who gave himself no fur
Their concern about his guests pro-
slavery proclivities. He II day caught
Mr.. Singleton talking with one of his
negroes-Bill, a young man with q
wife and child-whom he (Boone) was
expecting to sell, separating the fam
lily. But at a frightened glance from
Bill, who saw his master coming, the
colporteur drew a bundle of tracts from
his pocket, gave them to the slave, and
by the time the master came up was
enjoining the negro to repent inc be
saved. Mr.. Boone failed to suspect
that the northerner was tampering
with his slave.
One evening a party Of gentlemen
from the neighborhood gathered in Mr..
BoOne'S house for a game Of poker,
always popular in the south, and at
which Mr.. Boone considered himself
proficient. He apologiZed to Singleton
for not inviting him to take a hand.
giving as a reason that the ~latter's vo-
cation was not in accord with the
game. The colporteur sat beside the
table watching the game, occasion
ally asking a stupid question with re-
gard to it. For instance, he wished to
know if the one spot, as he called the
ace, was the lowest card in the pack
and if the knave would take the king.
Finally n of the players, winking at
the others, invited the locker on to take
a hand. Of course he declined, but the
players continued to force him to play,
and by their united efforts succeeded.
But Mr.. Singleton could not be pre-
vailed upon to take out his money, so
one of the party who had won literally
showed ten one-dollar bills before him.
The colporteur continued his stupid
questions and remarks about the game,
but from the first held very good
hands. He did not seem to know their
value. often betting most on the weak
est. But somehow he won nWe on
poor hands than the others gid on
large ones.
By midnight Mr.. Singleton, playing
on borrowed capital-or rather capital
that had been forced upon him-had
relieved all the company, except Mr..
Boone, of their cash in hand, and
they We're obliged to drop out. The
hosts pride was touched. The idea
Of a tract distributor from the north.
who didn't know the value Of an ace.
coming into Tennessee and cleaning
out a company of southern gentlemen
was preposterous. He squared him
self before Mr.. Singleton and propOs-
ed to finish the game between them,
doubling the stakes. Mr.. Singleton
tried to withdraw, begging to be per-
mitted to return his winnings, but the
proposition was secuted. He was
forced to proceed.
The hands he held were remarkable,
especially when he dealt the cards.
Within an hour he had won all Mr..
Boone's cash in hand and the balance
in his check book.
"Ill put up one O. my niggers," he
said.
(Which one?" asked Singleton.
"Bill, I've intended to sell him any
way"
Bill was considered equivalent to
$1,000 in chips and in half an hour
was owned by Mr.. Singleton. Then
Bills wife, Chloe, and her ~pickaninny
were put up together. and in another
half hour they, too, had been lost to
their master.
Singleton's manne changed.
"Gentlemen," he said, you're buck
ing against the wrong man. I'm not
afraid to declare myself a converted
gambler. I've taught you your mis-
take. Good night"
--~1 49, -~-S'