Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-12-29
EXTRACTS FROM THE AUTO
BIOGRAPHY OF
lane GREY SWISSHELM
First Newspaper Woman Of
Minnesota.
A Remarkable Woman Of Ante
beIIum Days-1815-1865
CHI PIER TX.
HabitatiOns of HOrrid Cruelty.


On the 9Th of June, 1888, the white
frost lay on the west side of Pitts
burg roofs as we steamed away from
her wharf, bound for Louisville, where
my husband proposed going into a
business already established by his
brother Samuel.
On the boat, all the way down the
river, the general topic of conversation
was the contrast between the desOlate
slave-cursed shores of Kentucky, and
the smiling plenty of the opposite
bank; but Louisville was largely set
tied by Northern people, and was to
prove an oasis in the desert of slav-
cry.
1t lay at the head of the Falls of the
Ohio, and the general government had
lately expended large sums in build
ing a canal around them. Henry Clay
was in the zenith Of his power, slav
cry held possession of the national re
sources, Louisville might count on
favors, and she was to be Queen City
of the West There was an aspiring
little place which fancied itself riv
al, little boat-landing, without nat
ural advantages, called Cincinnati
where they killed hogs; but it was
quite absurd to think of her compel
ing with the great metropolis at the
head of the canal.
l was quite surprised to find there
| were a good many houses and folks
in Cincinnati; but our boat did no.
stop long, and we soon reached ou|
Eldorado. Before we effected land
/ I@ Id xr,1,o rf foil r.
wondering if a Pittsburg drayma1
could take a Louisville dray, it's load
it's three horses and ragged driver
pile them on his dray, and with hi
one horse take them to their destin
ation-and l thought he could.
Samuel met us, and as we went il
a hack to the boarding place he hat
engaged. l wondered what had hap
pcned that so many men were of WOrl
ir, the middle of the forenoon. VIII
or what could they be, those fellow
in shining black broadcloth, each witt
a stOve-pipe hat on the side of hi
head, his thumbs in the armholes o
a satin vest, displaying wonderful
glinmer of gold chain and diamon'
stud. balancing himself first on hi
heels and then on his toes, as n
rolled cigar from one side of hi
mouth to the other? How did the
come to be standing around on col
ners and doorsteps by the hundred
like crows on cornfield fence?
). 1t was some time before l learne
that this was the advance guard
la great army of woman-whippers
which stretched away back to the Al
lantic, and around the shores of tn
Gulf of Mexico, and that they wer
, out on duty as staring brigade
:. whose business it was to insult ever
woman who ventured on the stree
without male protector, by stare S
lascivious as could not be imagine
on American free soil. 1 learned tina
they all lived, in whole or in part, b
+ the SALE of their own children, an
the labor of the mothers extorted
the lash l came to know one hoar!
haired veteran, whose entire supper
came from the natural increase an
wages of nineteen women, one {
whom, a girl of eighteen, lived wit
him in a fashionable clearinghouse
waited on him at table, slept in hi
room, and of whose yearly wages on
hundred and seventy-five collars wer
credited on his board bill.
1 learned that none Of the SHAPED
hands displayed on the black vest:
had ever used other implement of to
than a pistol, bowie-knife or slav'
whip; that any other tool would rui
the reputation of the owner of tn
taper digits; but they did not los
caste by horse-whipping the old man
mys from whose bosoms they ha
drawn life in infancy.
Our clearinghouse was on Walnu
street, one block west of the theatre
and looked toward the river: On tn
opposite side of the street stood
two-story brick house, always close
except when a hegress opened an
+ busted the rooms. I never saw sal
ness or sorrow until saw that face
and it did not appear except abol
her work, or when she emerged fro1
a side gate to call in two mulatto Chi
dren, who sometimes came out on tn
pavement.
This house belonged to a Norther
"mudsill,' who kept grocery, an
owned the woman, who was the mott
er of five children, of whom he wa
i he father The older two he had soil
one at a time, as they became saleab]
or got in his way On the sale of tn
first, the mother took on so that h
was obliged to fog her almost to deaf
before she gave up" But he had mad
her understand that their childre
were to be sold, at his convenience
and that he would not have NOR
than three little niggers about tn
hOuSe at one time"
II After that first lesson she had bee
Reasonable"
Our hostess, Kentucky lady, use
to lament the loss of two boys-@'tw
Of the beautifulest boys"
They were the sons of her bachelC
uncle, who had had passion for Liz;
one of his fathers slaves, a tall, han'
some quadroon, who rejected his SUI
and was in love with Jo, fello'
slave. To punish both, the youn
master had 10 tied up and dashed I'll
til he tainted, while Liza was held S
that she must witness the torture, III