Death of "Uncle Tom."

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 223, 23 August 1883, Page 2

Death of "Uncle Tom."

The Evening Standard of 24th VTay announces ; — The ft. Josiah Henson, the original of 'Uncle Tom' of tfirs Beeche? Stowes story is dead. The ragged, kindly, humorous negro was a man of good parts, although ho was indebted for his education, as he used to say himself, to the University of Adversity, He was born of slave parents m Maryland, 1789, so that he attained the rige age of 93 before he was summoned to another world. In his time the deceased was sold over and oyer again, was flogged, and had to suffer all the horrors of the fugitive's wanderings by night m the woods of Indiana. In 1830 Honson reached the Canadian shore, and be felt that he was a free man. His first impulse was to throw himself on the grontid, roll m the sand, and behave generally like a lunatic. In our territory he acquired property, became a Methodist preacher, and de« voted himself to the liberation of those he had left behind m captivity. He afterwards went into the lumber trade, and was successful; and it is to his credit that he was free with his profits m helping on the cause of pbilanthrophy. Twice he visited England, and had no cause to complain of his reception. On the last occasion he had the honour of a friendly audience, or interview rather, with her Majesty, ' It is not every man who has the double privilege ol being a. hero of v romance and agreeable to royalty."