her Alfred's wife's sister; that
she is well, and living in St. Catharine, C.W., near Niagara
Palls. H.W.

* * * * *

HENRY BOX BROWN.

ARRIVED BY ADAMS' EXPRESS.

Although the name of Henry Box Brown has been echoed over the land for a
number of years, and the simple facts connected with his marvelous
escape from slavery in a box published widely through the medium of
anti-slavery papers, nevertheless it is not unreasonable to suppose that
very little is generally known in relation to this case.

Briefly, the facts are these, which doubtless have never before been
fully published--

Brown was a man of invention as well as a hero. In point of interest,
however, his case is no more remarkable than many others. Indeed,
neither before nor after escaping did he suffer one-half what many
others have experienced.

He was decidedly an unhappy piece of property in the city of Richmond,
Va. In the condition of a slave he felt that it would be impossible for
him to remain. Full well did he know, however, that it was no holiday
task to escape the vigilance of Virginia slave-hunters, or the wrath of
an enraged master for committing the unpardonable sin of attempting to
escape to a land of liberty. So Brown counted well the cost before
venturing upon this hazardous undertaking. Ordinary modes of travel he
concluded might prove disastrous to his hopes; he, therefore, hit upon a
new invention altogether, which was to have himself boxed up and
forwarded to Philadelphia direct by express. The size of the box and how
it was to be made to fit him most comfortably, was of his own ordering.
Two feet eight inches deep, two feet wide, and three feet long were the
exact dimensions of the box, lined with baize. His resources with regard
to food and water consisted of the following: One bladder of water and a
few small biscuits. His mechanical implement to meet the death-struggle
for fresh air, all told, was one large gimlet. Satisfied that it would
be far better to peril his life for freedom in this way than to remain
under the galling yoke of Slavery, he entered his box, which was safely
nailed up and hooped with five hickory hoops, and was then addressed by
his next friend, James A. Smith, a shoe dealer, to Wm. H. Johnson, Arch
street, Philadelphia, marked, "This side up with care." In this
condition he was sent to Adams' Express office in a dray, and thence by
overland express