Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1912-01-12
A Conductor on the
Underground Railroad
BY JARED WILLIAMSON
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1871.

few abolitionists-1S40 to lS60-who
We're 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.
Que evening in the winter of 1856
a colporteur. ruling on horseback.
stopped at country house near Nash
vile. Tenn. and. calling for the owner.
announced to him that he intended
ings in the neighborhood Mr.. Boone.
the gentleman he addressed, imbued
with true southern hospitality. asked
the stranger to dlsmount and be his
guest for Us long u, period as he liked
I'm not what IL usually called
religious man." said Mr.. Boone, but
| respect the cloth. and I'll do all
can TO 20. sub"
The coIporteur. who gave his name
as David Singleton. accepted the invi
tation. removed his saddlebags-then
used in lieu Of IL suit case-turned his
horse over to II negro slave and went
into the house
II judge. subj" remarked Mr.. Boone,
from yo' accent that yo' a from the
moth. While yo' are welcome In my
house. | trust that yo' have none Of
the abolition notions prevalent among
yo' people" Vi ~;
II can prove. sir" replied the colpor-
teur. from the Bible that the institu-
ton Of slavery is aIdivine institution"
This was perfectly satisfactory to
Mr. Boone. who gave himself no fur
ther concern about his guests pro-
slavery proclivities. He one day caught
Mr.. Singleton talking with one Of his
negroeS-Bill. young man with
wife and child-whom he Boone, wa,
expecting to sell. separating the fam
lily. But at frightened glance from
Bill. who saw his master coming, the
colporteur drew 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 and be
saved. Mr. Boone failed to suspect
that the northerner was tamperine
with his slave
One evening 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 II hand.
! giving as reason that the Tatter's vo-
cation was not in accord with the
game. The colporteur sat beside the
table watching the game. occa sion
ally asking 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 one of the players. winking at
the others. invited the locker on to take
hand OF course he declined. but the
| players continued to force hirs 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.
poor hands than the Others did 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 MIR,
Boone. Of their cash in hand. and
they were 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 aud cleaning
out 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 remarka BILE
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
I'll 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 all 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.
| Singeton's manner changed.
/ Gentlemen" be said. you're buck
ing against the wrong man. I'm not
afraid to declare myself converted
gambler. I've taught you your mis-.
take Good night"
He went to his room and the next
morning left the place for Memphis
with his winnings. Bill. Chloe and
their baby. At Memphis he took pas
sage on boat for Cincinnati. where
II