he sent word to

Columbia the day before it was expected to arrive. Cato Jourdon, colored, who drove a team which hauled cars over the bridge, brought all "baggage" safely across, where the agents had another trusty colored man to receive it. The fugitives were then taken through Black's hotel yard to another portion of the town, and concealed over night; when Wm. Wright, of that place, generally took them in charge and sent some to Daniel Gibbons, and some direct to Philadelphia, in the false end of a box car, owned by Stephen Smith and William Whipper, colored men and lumber merchants of Columbia. They got off at the head of the "plane," near Philadelphia, where an agent was in waiting to receive them.

After his removal to Lancaster Thaddeus Stevens gave money, and also assisted those who came to Columbia. Mrs. Smith, who kept house for him for more than twenty years, and nursed him at the close of his life, was one of the slaves he helped to freedom.

An old man named Wallace, living at York, was an ardent abolitionist and rendered efficient aid. Many threats were made to kill him, and his life was often in danger.

The agents at York had pass-words, which they used on occasions when required for the purpose for which they were intended. One was 'William Penn." This name they frequently signed when addressing notes to each other.

William Yokum, constable at York, was favorable to fugitives, and instrumental on various occasions in securing their protection. He had the "pass-words," and made good use of them. When called upon by

slave-catchers to hunt or arrest fugitives, and he could ascertain through the agents where they were, he led the hunters in a different direction, or managed to have the slaves removed before he reached the place.

Many and curious devices were resorted to by the active abolitionists to conceal fugitives, or to rescue them from the hands of their captors. When the slave catchers were taking John Jones, a "runaway slave, by the residence of Robert Barber, some one tripped the officer, and Jones darted into an open cellar-way under Barber's house, and out the back door and escaped.

Thomas Bessick, a colored man, who ran cars in Columbia, was one of the boldest and most useful agents there. On one occasion when the slave-hunters were in town, he took two fugitives they were in search of boldly to the station, purchased tickets, and put them in a passenger car while their pursuers were in a hotel close by.

When slave-hunters heard of slaves being on the York route they hastened to Columbia to intercept them. A party of seven were on the way from York station when their masters hearing of it, rode with all possible speed, arrived in Columbia in advance of them. Not expecting their chattels for a few hours they stepped into a hotel to "take a drink." The agents there heard of this and went to the Wrightsville end of the bridge just in time to meet the slaves as they were approaching it. They were quite happy and jocund, singing songs, and exultant in the thought that as soon as they crossed that bridge they would be free.

"Their footsteps moved to joyous measure; Their hearts were tuned to notes of pleasure."

The idea prevailed to a considerable extent among the slaves that when they crossed the Susquehanna they were on free ground, and were safe. But when told how near they were to where their masters were lying in wait for them they were struck with amazement and fear.

They soon, however, became wild with consternation, and began running like frightened sheep in every direction. By skillful effort and the assurance of protection, the agents succeeded in gathering them together again, and they were conducted to a place of safety.

A base practice connected with the slave-hunting business was that of unprincipled men sending South the description of free colored persons, and having these descriptions printed in hand-bills, then capturing and carrying into slavery such as were thus described. This aroused the sympathies and fired the hearts of abolitionists to more determined efforts to protect the rights and liberties of the colored people.

Samuel Willis, of York, was also one of the active agents at that place.

SAMUEL W. MIFFLIN.

Samuel W. Mifflin, son of Jonathan and Susan Mifflin, of Columbia, Pa., was an abolitionist by birth and education. His mother's family never owned a slave, and his grandfather, John Mifflin, of Philadelphia, was the first to respond to the demand of the Yearly Meeting that Friends should liberate their slaves. His mother was the sister of that early and earnest abolitionist, William Wright, of Columbia, an agent on the Underground Railroad from the days of its earliest travel. As far back in his boyhood as he

can remember Samuel was accustomed to seeing fugitives passed along by different members of their family. When he saw the tall fugitive stride across the yard in women's habiliments that reached but to his knees he wondered that any one could think him disguised in such short garments. But when he saw him seated by the side of his aunt on the back seat of a dearborn, with all the appearance of a woman, it excited no suspicion or remark other than that "Mrs. Wright was too much of a Quaker to mind riding alongside of a nigger."

On another occasion, when a boy, a fugitive was hid in a corn-field and fed day after day by a cousin who went out with his gun, and his game bag filled with provisions. The spot where he lay is now occupied by Supplee's machine shops on Fourth and Manor streets, Columbia.

In early life Samuel engaged in civil engineering, which required him to be from home the greater part of the time until after his father's death which occurred in 1840.

On one of his visits home, just before his father's last illness, he found the parlor occupied by thirteen fugitives. They comprised two families of men, women and children whom his elder brother found wandering in the neighborhood. The windows were closed to prevent discovery, and a lamp kept burning all day. They were thus guarded during two days and nights of stormy weather and high water in the Susquehanna which prevented their crossing the river. On the third night they were transferred to the care of Robert Loney who ferried them over to the Columbia shore.

C

A woman with her daughter and grandson were sent there one time from York, and remained a night and a day until means were found to forward them to Philadelphia. The claimant of this family was a woman from Baltimore who was then on a visit to Philadelphia, and while there boasted that her slaves would never run away from home. At that same moment this family of her slaves was safe in the Mifflins' house. They were sent over to Columbia, thence forwarded to Philadelphia where members of the Vigilance Committee met them outside the city.

A party of five came one summer night, who, instead of stopping at Mifflin's, went directly to the bridge. Four of these were slaves until they should arrive at the age of 28. The other was a slave for life. He stood back while the others knocked at the toll-gate. Immediately the kidnappers rushed out and seized the four, but the fifth man jumped over the parapet and disappeared. The place from which he leaped was thirty feet high, but a lot of coal had been piled up there to within ten feet of the top, down which he rolled uninjured. Then climbing up at another point he reached the towing path of the canal bridge, and on that made his way to Columbia, where Stephen Smith took charge of him.

A slave named Perry Wilkinson, a Baptist preacher, was brought by a guide from York to Samuel Mifflin's, arriving there and arousing the family about 10 o'clock at night. They went down stairs and prepared a bed for him. He would not accept anything to eat. After retiring again they heard him pacing the floor as long as they remained awake. He said in the morning he had not