Norwich bulletin., 1921-06-29
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY.

The average history of the United States is more or less vague as to just what is meant by the Underground Rail road which was means of transport for giving the opportunity to escape from their masters during the exciting ngira- ton previous to the Civil war The ques- tion of slavery had found many strong opponents in the north who fornel them selves into organizations to asst such slaves, in spite of the fugitive slave jaw then in exitence, and they caused ro end Of trouble not only to the slave own CTS concerned, but to their own state and municipal gover@ents.
 The Underground Railroa1 was the popular designation given to those sys- tematc cooperative efforts which were made by the freeing slaves to aid them in eiuding the pursuit of their owners. This institution" as it was familiary called, played an important part in the great drama of slavery and anti-s!avnry.
 By the aid of the Underground Rail- way thousands weree enabled 10 escape. The practical workings of this system re- quired "statitns" at convenient distanc- es. or rather the houses or persons who held themselves in readiness to receive fugitives, singly or in numbats at any hour of the day or night, to fea1 and shelter to clothe them if necessary, 10 conceal them uEl they could he aes- patched with safety to some otner point along the route. There were others whe held themselves in readiness to take them by private or public conveyance.
 When the wide extent of territory. en- braced bw the Middle States aal aN tAe Western States. is born in mind, and it Is remembered that the whole was dot ted with these stations, and covarei with n network of imaginary routes not four | indeed In the railway guides or on the railway maps; that each station had it's faithful men and women ever on the alert 10 succor the coming fugitive a:,d equally intent on deceiving and thwart- ing his pursuers that there were always rusty conductors waiting to take thair living fretghts, often by unfreq tented, roads on dark aud stormy nightS. safely on their way; these are materials from which to estimate approximately at least. the amount of labor performed apon the Underground Railway.
 The Underground Railway system seemed to be practically along rhe en- tire border between the two opposin,y sections. It was composed of a chain of friends and houses of refuge for the fee Ing negro from Maryland throuet Parn- sylvania and New York or New Ensla nd to Canada, and from Kentucky and Vir- glnla through Ohio to Lake Erie CT the Detroit river
 If the fugitive successfully elrdei pur- suit until he reached the first gection he was reasonably SIre of reaching his goal. He was given a pass to the next station. and was so conducted until he arrived under tho protection of the British flag.
 Men of reputation were engaged In ;he work. Samuel ]. May g,oried In the fact that he was oneof the conductors of the Underground Railway. Theodore Parker was one of its managers. Thur low Weed would sometimes turn away from his P'itcal m z ouvers to give aid and comfort to a runaway slave.
 There was strong undercurrent of | sympathy with the fugitive wn;c1 when i it did not go to the length of 5reakinc | the law, wlnked at it's infract' on. Tn; | number of fugitives who escaped into tho rree states annually exceeded more thar | a thousand. The number of fnritiv,7 1 of which an account was kent. from th. ! passage of the 1850 law to the middle | or lS56, was only two hundred
 l Although the federal constitution re | qulred that all escaped slaves should bs returned this task was generally left tt the state laws and courts and was per formed slaclly if at all
 One of the most active of the north erners in the Underground Railway ser vice was Levi Coffin. who was common i ly styled the president of the concern and he claims to have been actively en sasfd in the business for thirty-thre, 1 years and to have received into hi house an average of one hundred fug ltives annually. Prof. Seibert in his ex haustive work on the subject ~. names of S,211 agents. station keeper ana conductors" He credits Daniel Gih bons of Lancaster, Pa, with having aid
 ed 1000 fusitfves to reau Canada an, other actives with almost an equal nun
 Der Many of those concerned in thi
 service were heavily fined for violatio, of the fugitive slave law Thomas Gar rett alone paying $s.ooe. but the ecca