The news & observer., 1896-12-27
Drank L. Carpenter, in st. Louis
Republic)

ehiidrel,'g lives as Santa Claus, and
cannot give a better Christmas letter
thnn the story Of my visit TO him at his
home III Atlanta, Ga, few days ago.
Joel Chandler Harris, for that you
know is the real name of the writer OF the
.IJncle Renus'' stories, is even more de-
lightful than his books. He is not
handsome man, but his manners are so
gentle and his talk so simple and whole
some that you fall in love with him AT
once. His hair is of fiery red. After you
know him it seems to turn to gold. His
homcly features. which l venture would
stop the traditional clock, become trans
figured by his healthy, happy soul shin
ing out through them when he talks, and
makes him almost beautiful. / wish you
could hear Uncle Remus'' laugh. He is,
you know, short and rather fat, and when
anything aInuses him his rotund form
shakes like q bowl OF jelly, and his "Ha.
Hal Ha'' rings forth In as clear tones
ms those OF the boy to whom the "Brer
Rabbit and Tar Baby" story was told
for the first time he is, however, pain
fully modest He is always deprecating
himself. and during q chat he told me
he could not realize why people thought
so much Of his stories. He is especially
backward in the presence of women. He
is more bashful now at forty-fve than
he was as boy.
He is, you know, a newspaper man as
> well as an author He is connected with
the Atlanta Constitution, and for years
he did his editorial work at the office Of
the paper. Now he does it all at home.
Since he became famous the female
curiosity seekers from the North, in
passing through Atlanta. have attempted
L. II .~<xA
his room his tongue seemed TO cling to
the roof OF his mouth, and at last, TO get
rid Of them. he transferred his work to
his home. He never goes into society,
seldom attends the theater. and his de-
light is in his work and IN his home.
WHERE UNCLE REkUS'' LIVES.
The house or Uncle RemusH is an ideal
one. 1t is a rambling Queen Anne cot
tage, containing about nine rooms. all Of
which are on one floor. Below this there
is q basement and above it an attic, and
about runs q yine-covered porch big
enough to hold "Brier Rabbit and all
his friends, should they happen to call.
1t is in one of the prettiest suburbs of
Atlanta, and still it has a big enough
yard to make ii a sort Of q country estate,
as well as city home. Ii contains more
than five acres Of land, and It's surround
ings are those of q farm. We walked
/ back through the fields before we enter
ed the house, TO look at the donkcys
which the young Harris children ride,
and to pat the two beautiful Jersey cows,
which are among Mrs. Harris's pets
There is big chicken yard just back
OF the house, and lot OF brother and
sister chickens were running to and fro
as we looked through the netting. I'm
Gle Remus' took an almost childish de-
light in showing me his possessions. He
pointed out his big strawberry bed where
he raises the most luscious fruit. and
told me how his asparagus was ready
Tor the table at the first OF the season.
We walked among the flowers and spent
some time in admiring his roses, which,
though it is now almost winter, are still
blooming. He has. l venture, more than
100 rose bushes, and he told me that he
had in his garden sixty-seven different
varieties. He said he would have a
thousand il he were rich enough, and as
saw him handle the flowers / could see
that he loved them.
We sat a moment on the porch and
then entered the wide hall. which runs
through the house and into which the
living rooms open. At the front is the
parlor and at the left the sitting room and
workshop. There is nothing Of the ma
chlnery OF newspaper editor or OF a liter
ary man TO be seen. ssUncle Remus"
uses but few books in his work A pencil
and few strips Of blank printing paper
are all that are needed to make the
"Uncle Remus' stories
Mr.. Harris handles these and with his
short stub pencil touches the hearts and
tickles the sides of millions. He does
his writing with his family about him.
and his best stories have been written
with baby at his elbow.
HOW UNCLE REMUs' WAS WRIT
TEN.
Mr.. Harris is fond OF children. He has
been told thousands of times how fond
the children are of him, but when / told
him my boy Jack knew his Uncle Ru-
mus" by heart, am that my little, girl
was in love with 'Brer Rabbit" and
Brer Fox" be seemed pleased, and said:
1t must be great pleasure to write
for children
Indeed it is,'' replied Mr.. Harris. 'T
enjoyed the writing Of the Uncle Remus'
stories 1t was not hard work, and be-
lieye got as much fun out Of their con-
!. versation as the children seemed to get
from hearing them read. / could see how
tne children liked them, but it has always
been wonder to me how grown-up peo-
pie read them with interest. In fact,
to-day ! rather question the yeracity or
sanity Of the man who tells me he is
fond Of Uncle Remus.'"
"BRER RABBITS" FIRST APPEAR
ANCE.
"When did you tell your first sJTncle
Remus' story Mr. Harris 2' 7 asL>d
- ut was in 1875" was the reply: "iust
about eighteen years ago. / was writing
for the Atlanta Constitution / had be-
gun by newspaper work, you know, as
boy Of twelve, when I left home to learn
to set type for rich planter, who was
publishing little paper of his own near
our country town in Georgia / had risen
from the typesetting case to the editorial
desk and had had some experience in
connection with the newspapers of Sa-
yannah and other places and now | was