The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-08-25

from You. IT don't seem Ms Ii we could
stand 1t unless we hear from you or
some OF the folks once in q while.
We are not dead just because We are
4 thousand miles away. We want to
hear from you. Please write and let
us know how father and mother r
and all the news. We have all been
sick with the fever and ague. It is q
beautiful country and the soil Is very
rich, but there is some sickness. Sam
son and I were both sick at the same
time. I never knew Samson to give
up before. He couldn't 60 on, his head
ached SO. Little Joe helped me get
the IRE started and brought some wa
ter and waited On us. Harry Needles
had gone away to Springfield for Mr..
Onut with q drove Of hogs. Two 9TH
er boys are with him. He is going to
buy Z new suit. He Is 4 very proud
boy. Joe and Betsey got back with
the doctor ut nine. That night Abe
Lincoln came and sat up with us and
gave us u medicine and kept the
ire going. It was comical to 9 him
lying beside Joe in his trundle bed,
with his long legs sticking over the
end Of it and his feet standing on the
floor about q yard from the bed. He
was spread Ill over the place. He
talked about religion and his views
would shock most Of our friends in the
East. He doesn't believe in the kind
Of Heaven that the ministers talk
about or any eternal hell. He says
that nobody knows anything about the
hereafter, except that God Is q kind
and forgiving father and that all men
r His children. He says that we
can only serve God by serving each
other. He seems to think that every
man, good or bad, black or white, rich
or poor, is his brother. He thinks
that Henry Clay, next to Daniel Web
ster, IL the greatest man In the coun-
try. He is studying hard. Expects to
90 out and make speeches for Clay
next summer. He Is quite severe in
his talk against General Jackson. He
and Samson agree in politics and re-
hgion. They are q good deal alike.
He 10 very fond of Samson and Har-
ry-calls them his partners. We love.
this big awkward giant. His feet are
set in the straight way and we think
that he Is going to make his mark In
the world. '1f '@3'T
you said you wonld come out next
spring to look about. Please don't
disappoint us. l think it would almost
break my heart. l am counting the
days. Don't be afraid Of fever and
ague. S~apington's pills cure it in three
Or four days. l would take the steam
boat at Pittsburg, the roads in Ohio
and Indiana are so bad. You Ear get
q steamer up the Illinois river at Al
ton and get of at Beardstown and
drive across country. If we knew
when you were coming Samson or Abe
would meet you. Give leve to all
the folks and friends. sso
% yours affectienately,
Sarah and Samson"
It had been a cold winter and not
easy to keep comfortable in the little
house. In the worst weather Sam
Q had used to get up at night to
keep the fire going. Late in January
a wind from the southeast melted the
snow and warmed the air Of the mid
lands 50 that, for q week OF 20, it
seemed a. IL spring were come. One
night Of this week Sambo awoke the
family with his barking. A strong
wind vas rushing across the plains
and roaring over the cabin apd wall
ing in its chimney. Suddenly there
was a rap on it's door. When Samson
opened it he saw in the moonlight 4
young colored man and woman stand
ing a the doorstep
''Is dis Mistah Traylor7" the young
nan asked.
ut Isl said Samson. What an l
do for your"
"Masr, de good Lord done fetched
us here to ask you TO- help" said the
negro. 1--WE be nigh wone out with cold
an hungah, sub, deed we be-"
Samson asked them in and put wood
on the fire, and Sarah got up and made
some hot tea and brought food from
the cupboard and gave it to the stran-
gers, who sat shivering in the freight.
They were q g~ood-looking pair, the
young woman being almost white.
They were man and wife. The latter
stepped eating and moaned and shook
with emotion as her husband told
their story. Their master had died
the year before and they had been
brought to St. Louis to be sold In the
slave market. There they had es-
caped by night and gone to the house
Of IN old friend Of their former owner
who lived north OF the city on the
rtr.r shore. he. had taken pity on
them and brought them across the
Mississippi and started them on the
north road with q letter to Elijah
Lovejoy or Alton and q supply Of food.
Since then they had been hiding days
In the swamps and thickets and had
travelled BY night. Mr.. L0vejoy had
sent them Il Erastus Wright OF
Springfield, and MI. Wright had given
them the name OF Samson Traylor and
the location OF his cabin. From there
they were bound for the house Of John
Peasley, IA Hopedale, Tazewel county.
Lovejoy had asked them to keep the
letter with which they had begun
their travels. The letter stated that
their late master had often expressed
his purpose Of leaving them their free
dom when he should pass away. He
had left no will and since his death the