ipper’s "handle" points to the north star, which they could use to find their way north. The song gave landmarks along the way to follow and a verse from it says " the dead trees will show you the way." This was put in the song for a reason. The writer of this song, refered to as Peg-leg Joe, drew a picture of a peg legg on the dead trees along the track with charcoal. The following verse is "Left foot, peg foot traveling on," accordingly. The tracks for the railroad weren’t exactly laid. A slave had many possible directions to run in, but the main idea here was safty over quickness. The slaves often zigzaged in their paths to avoid being caught. There were different forms of fleeing as well as different paths. Slaves could travel by water on boats. Often in one of the many clever disguises fabricated by the people of the North willing to lend a hand. Men were dressed as women, women were dressed as men, slave’s clothes were exchanged for those of a rich free person of color’s to confuse the true identity of the slave when seen by curious eyes. There were also some slaves that traveled the road, by foot, in a caridge, or in a wagon often containing a fake bottom making a tiny space where slaves could safely journey to freedom.Some traveled on "surface linesthe actual railroads of this time. Lightly colored slaves were dressed as whites, and others were put in with the luggage and frieght. And yet dareing others traveled as baggage. Such a person was Henry "Box" Brown who recieved his nickname by making the long trip in a box marked "this side up," and "fragile." There are, however, reports from Henry, after he "reached the end of the line", where he testified being turned upside down and was thrown about, which makes us all wonder what goes on with our mail service. In the end, slaves had to find a way to blend with the people of the North so that they might live their lives free. Some of the escaped fugitves met...
