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Oral history, rumors, myths and urban legends all have their role to play in
local history. Okay, so 9 out of 10 such tales prove to be wrong. The problem
we are having here is that the test methodology requires agreeing on a line
of evidence that would satisfy the skeptics. Several people have reported
rooms with quilts, broken pottery, and architectural tunnels. The real question
is what would make these items distinctive of the underground railroad? I had
the same skepticism about the story ten years ago that quilt patterns like
the "Drunkard's Path" could be proven to say anything about escaping slaves,
as the pattern can be found in trunks just about anywhere in America. So, here
is the challenge. How to establish a testable hypothesis with a line of
convincing evidence pro or con on the subject?
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.
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