The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-04-21
Hrs. Stoves George Harris.


Pfttsburg beader.i
. Inkyiew of the late success of Uncle
Toms Cabin, at the Opera-house, a reel
objection revived in conversation with
1 dr.sG. r. Arnstroug, Whit he and a
.Lee8egAs representative we're nearing
Steubenville in the coaches of the PAM
Fhandle, the other day, will bear reWrit-
ing. The conversation ran upon the
| amusenent season. and, Fo1ehing the
revival Mr. HArnstrong remarl4 ed !:
v odd Eoq know lthAta nan who Has
/ supposed to have been the original of
the character Of GsaSge Harris, in Mrs
! StSsQess novel lived inLBlessburg for a
long timep'
~ The Leddeysman stated that he did
not know of the circumstances.
h9 swell tAsfe wsssYnFAid NiissSkp-
strong I" HIS case was Witch up IN
the papers at the time. DR.. J. H.
White, Of Federal street Il Allegheny,
knew him well, and can tell you all
| about him."
eyes," said DR.. J. II. White, "about
the year 1885 there gassa man yhO had
become pretty well kBpwn TO some loflus
taken back to Georgia IS a SLAYER His
case attracted no little attention at the
time. Those who knew him were Very
MUCH surprise when the thing came out,
for it was never supposed he was other
than white man. came to sknow-hiTn
through the associations Of a musical
quartet, of which l was OnelIT We met
in the rear of the store of William Cos
ingss Whon Wassengaged ia the dry goods
busin esso On Market street. Mr.. GOsing
2beesh1e aeqHaihted WITH the man, who
gave the name OF George Ferris. He
used to comeback in the, store liRg The
|. evenings, sne sing vita dssahdD play the
banjo He was man Of about q years
of age, feet inches in height, smooth
/. faced and as. eleae complexion as nine
tenths of the men you meet. His hair
vas straight a probahlya ittlgWRvy, but
not more SO than that of many eau
casians you meet. We never had the
slightest suspicion that he had negro
blood in his Veins, but, after dis
covery was. Tnade,-We4 could recollect a
slight accent-Of the aHegro--glfa4ect no
ticeable when he sang and that he had
the negro nannerisps in Kidding tie
; ban DO. vAtahe time Move YER we tho Il gftB
this was acquired with the art of banjo
Fplayipga lie was a bricklayer by trade,
and became well known among that
relass. -Heswas engaged ongmany. bui+ds
mgs in the CITY. He Hlarried a white
lady in Lawrenceville, and, l believe,
had two children by her. The intelli-
genee reached his former owner that he
was in this city, and several men came
here with view of recovering him.
The fugitive slave law in this State was
such as to prevent their claiming him,
and a scheme WIS gotten Jp IN which
several Pittsburgers,. it was asserted,
tOOkPart. Among, others, the name of
one Shaw, who had ajeWeiry store then,
was mentioned. They secured a place
for Ferris on one of the public build
ings IN some place ia Virginia. He took
the job innocently and in good faith,
went to Virginia, and there his follow
ers sWooped down on him and took him
back to Georgia" .a~E
What became of Ferris wife, the Doc
tor did not know. The whole transac-
ton created quite a sensation, and did
no good for those who had a hand in it.
Tt vas asserted on good authority that
Ferris was the man from whom Mrs.
Stowe had drawn the story of George |
Harris. The incident of his escape !
from the South, were stated to be iden- |
teal with those of the story in many
respects The chief difference lay in !
the fact that Ferris came alone, being |
unmarried, while Harris is represented
sSbringing fanny. Ferris was-a
skilled laborer in the South, being a
good bricklayer, which made him |
doubly valuable. After his return to |
Georgia nothing was heard of him.