The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-06
ATLANTIS LITERARY LION.
The Home of the Historian Of "Bre'r
Rabbit''-A Modest, Harmonious Life.

Joel Chandler Harris lives in Atlanta, Ca,
the Gate City of the South. His home,
a gray, gabled-roofed cottage with broad
verandas dropping with ivy and wistaria,
surrounded by five acres of terraced lawn,
rose gardens and farm land" was built
seventeen years ago in Gordon street. out
in the suburb of West End. one of the de-
lightful resident portions of the busting
Southern town.
Mr.. Harris has lived here quietly, unos-
tentatously, his family about him. all these
years writing "Br'er Rabbit and the
rest" and here he viii probably remain,
for he is essentially a home man--in fact,
here he will have to remain, for his wife has
given him the keys to the pantry, and
neither his children nor the children of the
neighborhood could possibly live without
him.
He is very shy and timid, Uncle Remus
is-"He runs away whenever he sees a
lady" said one of the youngsters of West
End, IAN he never even speaks to a man.
But he plays with us spoke up sturdy
little fellow, playmate of young j. c.,
AN we have lots of fun with him, too
Every hour that is not spent in writing,
Mr. Harris devotes to children and to his
garden. Unlike Carlyle, he writes in room
| off the porch-library, study and bedroom
| folks of his family have free access, come
and go, laugh and talk as they will.
| Not travelled man. he has not gathered
| about him curios and interesting mementos
of foreign countries. Half a dozen toy rab-
| bits and tar babies" tributes from Uncle
Remus's friends, stand on pedestals or peep
| out of dark corners in every room. Riley's
| Poems of Childhood" Kipling's Jungle
Stories" Thackeray, Scott, Stevenson, lie
Il have no library" says Mr. Harris,
those are the only books / ever read"
There is nothing unique or eccentric
| about the furnishing of his home; it is
| quiet, comfortable, unpretentons-cOmfort
able abov~ al else
Remus y, nothing else What is a
| Georgia -er? Why, just a plain COM
In binary; everyday person, and
Mr.. Hsrlss life is not fired with events"
nor tlnged IN slightest degree with the ro-
mantle or adventurous; iii other words. he
is newspaper man who has 81 own used to
| newspaper life. He is on The editorial staff
Oh the Atlahta constitution, 2nd does ms
writing altogether at home, coming into the
city once or twice a day, for few mo-
ments only. attending strictly to business"
never stopping, nail fellow well met with
any mortal except a child. At present he is
also writing another book.
Just plain, old-fashioned story OF
Southern life. Georgia people, during the
war" said he, "a novel? No not that ex-
actly. Yes, J. bring in some of the old
i
Mr.. Harris has not set hours for work.
he does not write long on a stretch. He
does not explore much, neither walking
or riding about the country, but finds all
of his material in the four walls of his own
home, or rather the five acres of it, for
there are darkies, and rabbits, and children,
and guinea pigs, donkeys and chickens ga
| lore in those five wonderful acres. They
grow apples and strawberries, too, as the
children know, besides the useful things
to eat"
Mr.. Harris is not extensively acquainted
with the people of Atlanta; The isn't one
bit social said neighbor. He wouldn't
go to the silver wedding of his best friend.
and scarcely to his own. but all the same
everyone who knows him likes him; he IS
so jolly and full of fun, and the chill
dren? My, the children think the world of
Uncle Remus."
When asked if there were literary clubs
or Uncle Remus Reading Circles in At
lanta yet, his blue eyes flashed.
IF there was I'd get out he muttered.
He never cares to meet literary "celebri-
ties, in fact celebrities of any sort.
James Whitcomb Riley and Eugene Field
are the only literary men of distinction who
have ever visited Mr. Harris.
II like Riley's poems very much, re-
marked Uncle Remus. yes we write to
one another occasionally. also Kipling and
/ have written once twice. But / don't
know anybody and don't care to. don't
thing. l talker and l never will be"
To tell the. truth, Uncle Remus is no talk
or. interviewing him involves one grad
ually into huge dentist with still huger
pincers " Uncle Remus is the long-suffer-
ing recipient Of thousands Of letters from
autograph and photograph tiends.
II throw 'em all away" ha said jerkiy,
unless" his face softened perceptibly. "un-
less they are from children he thought a
Whenever / get a letter beginning. My
Dear Mr. Harris: I am a little girl or
J am little boy. going on ten or some
thing. save that letter and / answer 1t at
once"
Mr. Harris has a family to be proud OF.
His three eldest sons are all well estab-
lished, two in newspaper work IL Atlanta.
Julian Harris holds the desk OF city editor
on the Constitution, and brighter. stead
Ter more capable FELLOW would be hard to
find There are two younger daughters.
and then little ]. c., who is the baby OF
the family But everybody says ]. c. is
going to be a black sheep, for the reason
that he is the only one in the family left
uD already "all white" Mrs. Harris is one
e the sweetest happiest kindest little
women in the wide world. She has been
one of the great good mothers of the South
for twenty-five years. and she is now lone
of the grandmothers. She turns over her
big blue apron and her keys every now and
then to Uncle Remus. because ''she knows
she can trust him to make the children be-
have"
Mr. Harris has been known to take flying
trips to New York and Chicago in a sort
of invisible flying trunk apparatus. but he
disclaims al knowledge of 1t himself. Il
stay at home all the time. / am opposed to
travel. never go outside the fence here"
am afraid Mr.. Harris could never stand
''ionzing" Even when admirers of Uncle
Remus used to wend their weary way up
the steps of the Constitution building and
Mr.. Grady would jokingly Invite 'em in to
take a chair" Mr.. Harris would run and
hide under his big desk and use Uncle Re
mus swear words at his edtor-in-chief
The only lady in West End whom he was
ever known to talk to was one whom he
happened to hear did not like his books be-
cause they were written in dialect. II like
her. he said to his wife.
Mr.. Harris has three Names" remarked
a pretty little Southern maid named Robin
'Uncle Remus. Mr. Harris and Joel Chand-
Ter Harris. He tells US stories sometimes
about rabbits an tar babies, but he plays
with us most of ALL"
Uncle Remus's colleagues at the Constitu-
tion Office pay him the highest tributes of
love and esteem.
"I tell you there is no better man living
to-day than Joel Chandler Harris" said
Mr.. T. ]. Kelly; 'he makes everybody about
him contented and happy His home is a
paradise. / have never heard him complain
in my life. He is a philosophers thor
ough. genuine, honest man. He hates any
thing like sham-never catch Uncle Remus
anything else except Uncle Remus and
some day that big heart Of his viii be
known and loved by the whole world"
Jean De RezISe.