Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-06
"UNCLE TONI STARVING.
Original of Mrs. Stoves Famous Ne
gro Character in Want.

Original of Mrs. Stoves Famous Ne.
gro Character in Want.
From the New York World
Lewis George Harris, or Clark, as he is
known, the original Uncle Tom of Mrs. Har
riet Beecher Stoves Uncle Toms Cabin"
who is now on the verge of starvation, was
visited at his humble home in Lexington.
KY, by a reporter for the Sunday World
last week.
At the Pnenix Hotel in Lexington the
clerks did not know that Uncle Tom Har-
ris was a resident of the town. Old Ben
Brannan. negro hackman, who has car
ried many Kentucky colcnels from the de-
pots to the hotels and from the hotels to see
the sights, was standing outside waiting for
fare.
Yes, boss, ole Tom lives down at No. 81
Race street. 1 ken dribe you dar quick as
Nancy Hanks ken go mile" was old Ben's
reply.
The historic character of Uncle Tom,
known to almost every child in the United
States through Mrs. Stoves ante-be1lum
roVei, which was dramatized and has been
presented by greater number of barn
storming companies than any other play in
the English language was found in abso-
lutely destitute circumstances He is now
e'shty-four years of age and is quite feeble.
When asked to talk for the readers of the
Sunday World he brushed back his gray,
kinky hair, his face frightened and he be-
shaky voice:
Il have not been able to get about much
for the last two years on account of very
bad spell of grip, which came upon me just
after moved to Lexington. / am all alone
in the world, and 1 came to Kentucky to
spend the last days of my life, because feel
. more OF home here.
But it does seem that the world is using
me badly. Sometimes l am very deSpond-
ent. / bought cottage here in Lexington
with what little money 1 have saved and
thought 1 could rent it for enough to exist
on. My tenant ran away and never paid ME
d cent. and about year ago the house burn
ed and the little insurance was not sufficient
to rebuild it. 1t was rebuilt, but had to go
in debt considerably, and here 1 am living
today, alone, with nothing in view of the
long, cold winter
The interior of Uncle Toms cabin is dis
nal. rude bed and three cheap chairs and
a few cooking utensils are the furnishings.
When he has anything to eat he prepares
his own meals. He was asked how he lived.
Some days l have Lothing to eat Other
days live on what can buy for five cents.
In my day I handled thousands of dollars,
Travelled all over the United States in good
style, and never knew what it was to want
for anything. 1t is killing now, at my old
age, to find myself without means of exist
ence.'
Uncle Tom was asked what he did with
the large sums of money he made lecturing
and in other ways.
Il used every dollar of it to forward the
cause eSpOuSeu Hity-IOuf years ago. was
a slave down the Ohio river on the Kentucky
shore in 1871. When learned that was to
be sold made my escape from this state at
right and went to Canada.
From the day reached the dominion I'M
til the present time my work has been the
freeing and lettering of the condition of the
negro race. 1 have lectured In almost every
city in the United States. l had tremendous
audiences in New York at Cooper Union and
other places. My last work on the lecture
platform was in the blue grass region of
Kentucky in 1SS1-2. when begged my peo-
pie to remain in this state and not go to
Kansas l was quite successful in my eff
forts at that time
A greasy cid copy of Mrs Stoves novel is
the only literature in Uncle Toms home. 1t
was fourd high up on shelf over door.
Did Mrs. Stowe get many facts used in
this work frcm You?"
she certainly did. When she came down
to Kentucky and began teaching school she
knew nothing of the slave question. One
day she saw an auction sale of negroes at
the Mason county court house Then she
began studying the negro dialect but never
begun work upon her book until she went
to Cambridge, Mass / was living there.
and she called at my house and talked with
me, ard made notes for three whole days.
Nearly every fact in her story was given to
her by me at that time"