Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/288



cheerfully endured all the privations of frontier life and looked hopefully to the future for realization of their visions of coming good fortune.

These first settlers in and about the new Capital are described, by one who was among them, as

One of the most important and notable of the early decisions of the Territorial Supreme Court was the case of Ralph, a colored man, who had been a slave in Missouri, belonging to a man by the name of Montgomery. His master had made a written contract with Ralph to sell him his freedom for $550 and to permit him to go to the Dubuque lead mines to earn the money. Ralph worked industriously for several years, but was not able to save enough to pay Montgomery the price of his freedom. Two Virginians at Dubuque who knew of the agreement, volunteered to deliver Ralph to his former owner in Missouri for $100.

Montgomery accepted the offer. Ralph was seized at