New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-22
UNCLE TOMS CABIN.
TIM ORIGINAL, GEORGE HARRIS.


ESCAPE FEuT RENTJCKl-RETURN FOR HIS
BROrGTC, AND SECOND ESCAPE-YERBATIA
COMBINATION ~ MRS. STOVES NOVEL
c1s~EE ~ THE ANTI-sLAVEEY LECTURE
FILLD-C'-1 TWO ORIGINALS or UNCLE TON
-TLI-A r'E..IS.5 PASSAGE OF THE ONO
-EyHrr-EE--OTuEB ClIARACTERS-LATrER
DAYS OF GEORGE HAERIs.
Demon. Jaly 5-TAe story Of "Uncle
Toms Cabin" was published in 1852, and found its
vaviou,ey every household Of tie country, creating
tsnsa o i,a LEI, scarcely euNsidcl oycaCt this day,
T. years u..waj Reasons which tended 10 this result
were numerous; a2ouS thcu may be noted the Violence
VIA whh is s5 -..Ons We're mot By the shareholders
and their synratlizsIs the affecting incidents with
which il aboaU led and which its readers understood to
be founded on lact; and the least, perhaps the vivid
IrescltaGou5 Of TIE story on the mimic stage.
Among Ui,r.ry Efforts which have been followed by
marvellous popularity and forrcachrg results Uncle
Toms Cal' i5 entitled TO take first rank It'll az great
work i'm both these respects Is the writings Of Rous
s.Au which oNeltl-cw the Gaccn regime, and which
acted as thrust into the combustble elements
that exploded m the French Revolution 1t lad greater
moral influence than Tom Paine's writings before
Revolution, than the pamphlets Of DefOe, which
made the Commons of England feel that there
iesty in popular opinion, and initiated that system Of
outside political agitation which Sir Robert Peel declared
70 tie naIsh0ng of the conecioncos Of nation to
oycrawe its political action"
TIE rLoNnNrNT CHARACTERS OF THE STORY.
There was never such Jrore known in theatrical
"Cncle Toms Cabin" In New-YOTk the old National
Thcaer Of Clothamst put the play upon its stage, and
ran il lightly iOr than year. with Little Cordeha
EOwgrJ' as LrI. IS place Of entertainment, the Ma
toua Lad ranked first class by any means. 1t had
been patron.zed by the audiences which have since
transferred their patronage to the Bowery. "Uncle
Toms Cabin" not wholly to their liking; but as fast
a. they vacated their seats respectable people filed
tlcin ua it became quite fashionable to attend the
Great Moral Drama" at the National and the best citi-
1of Il fha afr1ior Whit p0Xylpd
to s1fo.at7u for months before the play with
drawn. Nucn tEc withdrawal finally announced,
to audiences Zen away, and Col Purdy, the manager,
Having cur. ned himself Ia lis year Of Uncle Tom," re-
r and gave lis catcr over TO the uses Of commerce.
This experience Of NcwYork theater was the expert
81 thca'ers everywhere at the North. Everybody
was weeping the book contributing tear TO the
pa,hos Of tie play, except The sympathzers Of slavery
Tie prominent characters Of the work are Uncle Tom
the pous negro uayred at last Little Eva the angelic
friend o. Uncle Tom; George Harris, the defiant Tuna
way; the mlschieyOus TOpsy; Eliza, who crossed the
Ohio on the broken with her child Lugree, the brutal
planter and Emmeinc, the beautiful slave whom he
would make his victim. There were also the st. Glars
the sLcbys the Marks, the Lockers and sundry other
minor characters. Ibaye read the book and seen the
play many tines you may imagine the interest felt
when day few months since, a friend came to my
Office IN Detroit and said that he had been the
to Windsor where the Canadian farmers Of Essex
County were holding fair, and had found among the
character OfGeOrge Harris in "Uncle Toms Cabin"
dispatched messenger Windsor next day to seek out
tits George Harris and say to him that wished to see
him in Detroit TIE messenger reported that he had Wis
ted the groups OF cOOred people in tie assembly, and
could traces Of him. At last he went among the
Uhtcr coorcd visitors gathered the Secretary tent
10 hear tie premiums read. About every alternate pre-
MUM was awarded TO Lewis Clarke. Among his products
found the most exaggerated cucumbers over
grown cabbagcs, and pretentous potatoes. He was in
f4tf no or1y oylt and
was the lion Of the day. Here my messenger found him
and submitted my proposition for interview 1t was
readily agreed to, and the meeting was brought about
few months ago George Harris in real life in Detroit
IN March 1870 not the George Harris OF the stage
from 1852 htherward. The theaters always selected their
best looking youth, and made handsome quadroon OF
him. George Harris in life, March 1870, is old, his hair
streaked with white. and wearing heavy, gray and
grizzly beard His complexion Is not the lemoncolored
complexion which the stage George Harris wears. His
brow is as white as that Of most Of his age his
lower face dark the sunburnt face Of any who
tbs the earth for livelihood His eyes black, and his
features regular He is not negro with mixture OF
white blood his veins he is white man with tinge
OF Africa I'm blood In his speech and manner there
Is no trace OF African adulteraton; there is in his
features i'm his complexion OF his hair He says thar"
for there and whar" for where +" that is a custom
he brought Kentucky. There of the bolster
ous Guckly -Aited laughter Of the negro about him
and there is Of the subservience commonly shown
bv tie llaclsbnned man toward the white He treats
body with respect but he calls master"
TIE story his escape and certain incidents thereof
poryed both by the book and IN the play represent
him ms brave determined, and defiant The book, the
Play and the reality ali correspond in this regard From
what have seen Of him, can readily understand that
uc might have been what Kentuckian would have
called in slave times mighty troublesome niger" II
HAD been STAKEHOLDER in those days should not have
cared to own him. ] spent several hours with Lewis
Clarke talking the story of his life, and questioned
lin particularly in relation to the part he is given in
the novel, and his acquaintance with the other promn
ent characters Those who under 80 years OF age
this D. 1876 were but children when the "Uncle Tom"
excitement was at its hgth, and to them the books
tradition rather than recollection Believing that these
as well as those VINO participated in tho excitement of
viii be interested in the story Of the original George
Harris have recorded it, and give it to the pupc, as
follows:
LEWIS GEORGE CLARKE.
Lewis George Clarke was born in Madison County,
Kentucky, seven miles from Richmond, on the planta-
ton OF his grandfather Samuel Campbell in 1915. Bis
grandmother was half white slave, and his mother
Quadroon. His father scotchman who married
this quadroon daughter OF Samuel Campbell condition
that he made free in his will; but when he died
such will could be found and she and her children Of
whom LOWS was one were retained in bondage as the
property Of the heirs Lewis fell to the portion of VIII
liam Campbell. The days Of the "patrarchal nstitu-
ton are ended therefore omit from this letter all
mention OF the experience Of my subject in Slavery
what he saw and heard and suffredexcept such Incl
dents as may useful in illustrating the reality Of the
characters Of Uncle Toms Cabin. He met with his fun
share Of the peculiar benefits Of the aforesaid insu
ton at the bands Of the superior race. In common
with his clss he enjoyed the bludgeon and the lash
aud a the varying fortunes u his made neces
sary he mOTgaged 70 secure debt or given in pay
uept OF claim. In such he passed "A years Of
his life when he became the property Of "Young Tom