Evening star., 1896-12-19

also quoted. and within short time Uncle
Remus' and his tales became regular fea-
ture of my work.
His First Book.
When We're the Uncle Remus' stories
first published in book form?''
1T was in 1880. The Appletons then pub
lished the book entitled Uncle Remus, his
songs end his sayings The book was well
reviewed by the press, and the Saturday
Review of London gave it page. This
started 1t well in America The Boston
papers followed with good reviews, and
was surprised to see that it was every
where fairly well spoken Of
You must have been Delighted said
'1 was replied ''Uncie Remus." nd
] was little scared, too. The surprise wsD
of it.
How did the book sell?"
1T had quite "a large circulation" replied
Mr. Harris Il wrote. ynu know, several
mere along the same lines. and they all
have steady sale, both in England and
the United States
Origin of "Uncle Remus."'
Where did Uncle Remus' come from,
Mr.. Harris?" said l.
He was born, I think, at my home in
Putnam county, Ca was the reply.
But Mr.. Harris, tell me, did he ever
really exist in the flesh, or IS he simply the
creation Of your fancy?''
Both replied Mr.. Harris. The Uncle
Remus of my stories is composite Of
three or four old negroes, whom l knew as
BOY. / have combined them and pernaps
have added something TO them. But the
Uncle Itemus' of fiction is chiefly made up
from them
II suppose he really exists as an indi-
vduality in your mind said l.
Yes, indeed, replied Mr.. Harris. Il can
see him before my eyes as plainly as l see
l n 1 nln
and his voice rings in my ears as write.
They Are Genuine Negro Tales.
Put. Mr.. Harris. are the stories
those which are really told on the planta-
tions by the darkies, or are they made up
Of whole cloth?'
They are in most cases the stories of
plantations, replied Mr.. Harris. They
are the folklore of the negro. 1 suppose
many of them have come down through the
ages from Africa l am told that some OF
them are almost the same as the stories of
the folklore of India
why is it. Mr.. Harris, that 'Brer Rab-
bit is generally the hero of these tales?
Why do the negroes pick him out as the
most intelligent and cunning of the ami
mals?
Il don't know was the reply. THE fact
is, the rabbit has low. rather than high,
degree of animal intelligence. The hero of
many of the folklore stories of the orien-
meanest of beasts
"Uncle Remus'' Dead.
But you have not written any Uncle
Remus' stories for some years, Mr. Har-
ris.''
No. 1 am done writing them. Uncle
Remus' has finished his story telling He
has posed before the public for more than
fifteen years, and it is time now that he
stepped down and out. You may say, in
short. that Uncle Remus' is dead
But you do not intend to stop writing,
Mr.. Harris?''
NO. indeed. was the reply. Il shall write
L suppose, as long as l live
Why '.Brer Tarrypin" Failed to Fly.
Here I asked Uncle Remus' to write me
little story for the child readers of this
article. He thought for moment
and then taking his pencil he rapidly wrote
the following. which l give you verbatim
as he per ned it:
Mr. Carpenter has asked me to write
some SORT of a sentimental piece of my
mind for the children.
Well, j remember the story where Brer
Tarrypin wanted to learn to fly. He had
seen BTer BuZZard sailing in the air and
ne thought he could sail. too. So he per-
suaded Brother Buzzard to take MIN on
his back and give him d start. This was
done. Brother Buzzard carried Brother
Tarrypin i'll the air and dropped him. He
fell, of course, and nearly killed himself.
He was very angry with Brother BuZZara
not because he failed to fly but because
Brother Buzzard failed to show him how
to light. Says he: FLYNN is easy as fallin',
but don't 'speck kin larn how to light
IF you don't know what this means ask
some srown-up person. Before you begin
to fly, be sure and learn how to light.
tSigreO JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS
How .UncIe Remus, Writes.
As l looked over the story Of Brer Tarry-
pin and Brer BuzZard / asked Mr. Harris
If he found writing very hard work
No. replied Uncle Renus. Il write
you see, about two thousand words of edl-
torial every day. This I have been doing
so long that it goes very easily. You take
a good subject, put your pen on the pa
per and the editorial writes itself. This is
my work IN the day time. My story writ
ing Is done at night. l usually begin it
after tea when the children have gone to
bed. then pick up the story where 1
have left off and write away until bed
time
How much Of this do you consider a
good evenings work?'
About one thousand words" replied Mr..
Harris. Such writing is easy for me. |
like it, ard when / am tired from my
other work / take it up and soon feel rest
ed. 1t is rather amusing work, you know.
and does not require much care"
Il should think you would have to re-
wise 1t over and over again.
mo, on the contrary" was the reply
Il revise very little. l have not the time.
and the work is such that it does not re-
quire 1t. 1t is l think. work for the day.
don't suppose it will last"
rs not dialect writing an invention of
recent yesrs?'
Yes" replied the great dialect writer of
the south. 1T seems so. Walter Scott was
among the first of our authors who used
II largely. BurIs wrote many of his poems
in dialect, and Tennyson, you know wrote
much dialect verse. Chaucer was written
in the language of his time and it is Gu
rious that in some respects the dialect
used then was somewhat the same as that
of the plantations today
"Unclc Remus'" Book Loves.
Mr.. Harris has always been fond of the
old English classics. The simplicity of
his style was largely cultivated through
his study of the great English authors
during his boyhcod. AS he talked thus
of Chaucer and other writer's L wondered
as to what books had most Influenced him.
and / asked him to tell me someihIn of
his book loves, saying 1 supposed that he
read much.
Il read somewhat" was the reply .Rut
1T Is hard for me to say what books have
had much effect upon my work. When !
began to set type on the plantation /
found that my employer had a large Ii
brary. He kindly allowed me to borrow
-anR1, hrr