Jane – 1 Cent Reward

Jane – 1 Cent Reward

Note the use of the term, “bound girl” in the advertisement. This could have several meanings during this era. Sometimes it refers to taking in an orphan or someone to serve as an apprentice to learn some type of skill, or a servant “bound to” service for a period of time. Or, the subscriber might have simply used it to infer “Jane” was a slave. The reward of “1 Cent” is also unusual when compared to other notices.

1 CENT REWARD
Negro Jane, a bound girl to the subscriber, left his house, on Sunday the 29th September last past, and took all her clothes and her infant with her – whomsoever will return her safe to my house, shall receive the above reward.

JOHN DEFFERBAUGH.
Allegany county Md
Oct. 22d, 1833