The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-03-09
M. e. Stone, General Manager Of the
A. p. Tells About His Early His
tory in His
Sketches.
UNDERGROUND RAILWAY
How His People Assisted Runaway
Slaves to Escape is Told in the
Articles Being
Written.

| That keOkuk, NauyOO ana mont
rose are among the earliest recollec-
tons of Melville u. Stone. general
manager of the Associated Press,
and that Nauvoo was his first real
home, sketches being written by Mr..
Stone, in the nature of an auto
biography, show. Commenting on
these, the Des Moines Register says:
| Melville e. Stone, general manager
of the Associated Press, starts what
promises to be very interesting
series of photographed sketches
in Golfers Weekly. No newspaper
man in America has participated in
more stirring events, known more
notable people in this country and
throughout the world generally, ana
taken a bigger part in developing
American journalism than Mr.. Stone.
He is bound to have much interesting
matter to write.
Mr.. Stone is not a product OF Iowa.
| but his first home was so near 10
the Iowa line that he must often, as
a boy, have visited this state. In his
| first article he narrateS that his first
real home was in Nauvoo, Ill. This
hamlet is directly across the Mlssls-
sippi from Montrose, Iowa. Having
no access with the outside world,
either then or now, except by boat
ing across the river or driving down
, to Hamilton, ILL.,, directly across from
| Keokuk, it is quite probable tnat
Mr.. Stone has some interesting mem
| cries of the Iowa of early days which
may appear in later installments- IN
his first article he has this to say of
| historic old Nauvoo:
"The first home l really remember
was at Nauvoo, little city on the
banks of the Mississippi river, estab-
lished and made famous by the Nor
mons under the prophet, Joe Smith.
Smith had secured a city charter,
which made him not merely mayor
| but practically autocrat Of the whole
neighborhood. He dominated it in
every respect, and even Mr. Lincoln
and Stephen A. Douglas found it po-
i,litio to seek his political aid. At one
! time he announced himself as can
didate for the presidency Of the
| United States, but even this did not
satisfy in full his ambition, and he
prepared to found a monarchy with
himself as king. OF course, he over
did it. and the people outside the
Mormon faith rose in WRATH muir,
dered Smith and his brother and
drove the Mormons away. AS a chlld'
I played in the ruins Of the Mormon
temple which they had built. Wnat
the surviving members OF the lalIh
did in Salt Lake City is well known.
"Nauvoo is on the east side OF the
Mississippi river. 1t was IN free
state and with only stream between
- nV1ry
il and the slave state or MlSSouli.
NV fathers house and the houses OF
nv maternal grandfather at canton
and nv uncle in Stark county, Ill,
were all stations on the underground
railway, and negroes from missouri
and other slave states were contlnu-
allv passed by night from one to the
other and pushed along to owen
Ioyeioy's house at Princeton-and
thence to Chicago and on to CANADA
and freedom. On one occasion
counle of negroes arrived at our
house at Nauvoo ON their master
horses, which they had appropriated.
These horses were put in our stable
and for safety the negroes were
hurled under the hay in the haylo1'.
Some time after, the masters came
in search Of their slaves. My mother
was too honest to tell lie about it,
and suggested that they go out 10
the stable and see if they could pick
out their animals. They were very
insulting and compelled her to get
them their dinner They went out to
look for their horses, but were too
drunk to identify them, and went
av-ay. leaving the negroes free. The
next dav nv father put the negroes
in wagon. covered them with straw
and drove them to the next station
on the underground railway"
There is splendid material FOR the
historian, the essayist and the novel.
ist in the stories of the underground
railroad as it led across Illinois and
iowa from the slave territory to the
south. Mr.. Stone could not do better
than to amplify on this subject for |
he undoubtedly has material or MS
torical value. His series promises TO
be intensely interesting and to be
full OF local color.