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An Appeal for Abolition of Slavery On Nantucket by Elihu Coleman BY THE LATE CLARENCE KING
Introduction The following is a fictional account of a most inter esting chapter in Nantucket history. Clarence King, the author, has also written The Half-Share Man, a biog raphy of Peter Foulger, the grandfather of Benjamin Franklin, which is on sale at the Museum named for that remarkable founder of the Folger clan in Nantucket. Mr. King was a close friend of Dr. William E. Gardner and was an advocate of "Dr. Will's" policy of making our island ancestors live again by following historical facts in their lives as revitalized in fiction. ON A SEPTEMBER day in 1716, a house-raising was in prog ress on the hill above the main harbor. As usual, every ablebodied man was helping and the women were arranging a com munity picnic at noon. Elihu Coleman's partner in the work that morning was a dark-complexioned man called "Mark." He spoke with a peculiar accent and Elihu had never met him be fore. There is no better nor quicker way for two men to learn to like and respect each other than for them to work together on a task in which they are both interested and equally skilled. Elihu, at this time, was only in his sixteenth year but he was already a skilled carpenter, quite as competent as many an older man. When the signal was given to stop work at noon, Elihu no ticed the Coleman and Starbuck families gathered about a snowy cloth spread on grass for the noon meal. Impulsively, he turned to Mark and invited him to join them. Mark seemed pleased but embarrassed. He turned his head but said nothing. Just then Sylvanus Hussey rushed up and gave Mark a curt order which sent him off on a run. Sylvanus turned to Elihu: "What were thee saying to Mark just now?" "I was inviting him to lunch with us. What did thee say to him which sent him off in such a hurry?"' "I ordered him to do something." "What right had thee to give orders to Mark?" "I guess thee didn't know that he is my slave.'" "Your slave!" said Elihu in astonishment.
