Charleston (SC) Mercury, "Depot of the Underground Railroad in Detroit," May 2, 1860

    Source citation
    "Depot of the Underground Railroad in Detroit," Charleston (SC) Mercury, May 2, 1860, p. 4: 1.
    Original source
    Detroit (MI) Free Press
    Newspaper: Publication
    Charleston Mercury
    Newspaper: Headline
    Depot of the Underground Railroad in Detroit
    Newspaper: Page(s)
    4
    Newspaper: Column
    1
    Type
    Newspaper
    Date Certainty
    Exact
    Transcriber
    Michael Blake, Dickinson College
    Transcription date
    The following text is presented here in complete form, as it originally appeared in print. Spelling and typographical errors have been preserved as in the original.

    DEPOT OF THE UNDERGROUNG RAILROAD IN DETROIT - Mr. C. J. Brown, an enterprising Southerner who has been sojourning for some weeks in Canada on a special mission, has opened an office in Desnoyers’ block with the charitable view of rendering material assistance to the colored race in assisting those who are so disposed to return to their masters at the South.  He says that he has made such investigation in Canada, especially at Chatham and other places where Africans most congregate, to satisfy him that large numbers of them are ready and anxious to return to their masters at the South, if they only had the means, and he proposed to furnish them with transportation tickets and to send them.  In company with an agent, looking to their owners fro remuneration for his benevolence.  He is evidently a man of nerve and determination, and is possessed of the means to carry out his project.

    The following is his circular addressed to the colored population,


    "The undersigned, having made arrangements at the South to furnish means to those of the colored population who are desirous of retuning, has taken an office at No. 2 Desnoyers' block, entrances on Jefferson Avenue and Bates Street, where he can be found from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Arrangements entered into with partners will be guaranteed beyond question as to the strict fulfillment of all obligations.  Parties desirous of returning can communicate with the undersigned, wither personally or by letter."

    "O.J. Brown, Agent."

     

    There are numbers of the poor creatures who are starving to death.  In consequence of their inability to support themselves, and we have no doubt that the new enterprise will have a successful run of business.  We have always made the welfare of the race an object of our special solicitude and now advise every one of them to go directly to Mr. Brown and get their return tickets.  It is very obvious that they will have to give up while wives and such little luxuries, yet the fact remains that, while they have not a second shirt, to their backs here, the will not need any at all when they get home to the warm climate.  We predict that the through return route will entirely eclipse the underground railroad. - Detroit Free Press, Feb. 25.

    How to Cite This Page: "Charleston (SC) Mercury, "Depot of the Underground Railroad in Detroit," May 2, 1860," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/index.php/node/1360.