The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-13
GEORGE HARRIS"
The Original of the Famous Character in
"UncIe Tom" Tells His Story.

Cleveland Leader.
Lewis George Clark, of Oberlin, who is the
original George Harris Of Mrs Stoves Uncle
Toms Cabin" addressed large audience, last
night, at the Franklin Avenue NJ e. Church.
Within tine past few years Mr.. Clark has deliv-
cred many lectures in Kentucky his former
home, and the of many of the incidents
narrated in Mrs.. Stoves work Rev. DIR. Leak.
pastor of the church. introducing the speaker,
said that he had first become acquainted with
Mr. Clark in reading the Romance of Uncle Toms
Cabin many years ago, and that he felt great
pleasure in again meeting him. Mr. Clark pre-
faced his address with the statement that many
people had been taught to believe that Mrs
Stoves book was largely fiction, and he pro-
posed to show them that the story true.
He had known the characters, and he
had been an eyewitness to many of the thrilling
incidents it contained Going back to his early
life he said that he, with his brothers and sis
ters, ten in number. lived on plantation near
Lexington, Ky. They were all held in slavery
by large planter named Campbell. who had in
tended to give them their freedom. but he met
with reverses and the entire lot were sold under
a mortgage. Prior to this time, however when
but five years of age, himself and the rest of the
children were made to pass In review before
Miss Phillips, virago of the most pronounced
temper, who selected him as her choice His
departure was to take place on the following
morn ing His mother, foreseeing. perhaps, "a
final separation from her child walked the floor
in mortal agony all the long night, and prayed
that this should not be- 1t was of no avail, and
at dawn of day he was torn shrieking from her
arms hurried into carriage, and driven away.
What he endured during the ten years that fol-
lowed in the way of kicks cuffs, and whippings,
Mr.. Clark said, would fill a volume
His mistress never had a word of kindness
for him, and her greatest delight APP
peared to be in inficting the most brutal
punishment One of her favorite amusements.
he continued. was to whip a child almost to
death, and then shut him mp in dark room
without food or drink until he was well nigh
starved After ten years of this sort of an ex-
istence, he and the rest of the SO called ''chat
tells" including horses, mules and plantation
utensils, were sold. He was sold for $25 over
and above the mortgage that was on him. He
was next sold in the slave mart at Stamford
for $3.50, and some time afterward, when
about to be sold the fourth time he gave them
the slip and sought home among the freemen
in the North. The fugitive slave law compelled
him to continue his travels into Canada, where
he remained some years Afterward he became
lecturer, and while in Cambridgeport, Mass,
the guest of Mr.. Stafford, he met Mrs. Stowe,
and in series of interviews impaired the data
from which she wove the thrilling story. He
related the whipping and subsequent death of
Sam Uncle Toni the selling of his sister Eme-
line at the slave mart in New Orleans, little Eva
and her death. Aunt Chloe. Legree and many
of the other characters he said he knew person
ally, The address was listened to with marked
attention throughout.