Slave-Trade Cells Found in Philadelphia
A relic of the slave trade has just been unearthed in Philadelphia. Workmen excavating under the house once occupied by the noted millionaire merchant, Stephen A. Girard, have found a series of cells which were evidently used for detaining negro slaves. The place is near the bank of the Delaware River, and therefore convenient for the traffic. The traction company had recently bought the place from the Girard estate, and excavation was being made for a station. There are three tiers of cells, each tier containing six cells, and each cell capable of holding six persons. It is said to be a tradition that Girard made considerable of his great fortune in the slave trade. He also owned a sugar plantation in Louisiana, which was cultivated by slave labor. Girard College was given to Philadelphia by the man whose fortune as a merchant rolled up into the millions in the days when a millionaire was a curiosity.