Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-18

newsnapers in Macon, New Orleans,
Savannah, and for number or years
he was a member of the star or tne
Atlanta Constitution. His dialect stor-
les first appeared there. His hrst pooh
was published in $780, In addition 10
the Uncle Remus stories, Harris pub
lished twenty other volumes
"On the personal side" said Clark
Howell, present editor of the Constl-
tuition, and personal friend of Harris
| "ITncle RemuS was one of those pecu-
| liar individuals almost defylng the de-
lineation of cold type. sure OF ms
ground on the printed page, ne was
shy. halting, abnornally modest, with
! self effacement the dominant note III
| his personality"
Physically, Mr.. Harris was not d
handsome man 1t is said that he was
proud of boasting an aggressive home
| lfness" His face was freckled, MS
hair red and rebellious, and his head,
though finely shaped, ducked down pc
tween shoulders that were signify
rounded. He was as shy as the wild
creatures of which he wrote. T1mld-
ity," said Mrs. Harris, was constltu-
tional with him and amounted to an
affliction.' He could never be induced
to make a public speech. At one tlme'
when he was in New York with Henry
Grady. the Southern orator planned
dinner in his honor Mr.. Harris heard
of the festive preparations, and, fear
inc he would be called on for a speech,
he fled to Atlanta. The dinner was
abandoned.
With the rich and the great he was
dumb-as dumb as ole Brer Terrapln
but with the loVly and the chlldreh
he was a good fellow.
Mr.. Harris was very charitable. me
following incident, as related by his
n
ness. ''I was away from home, SAID
Mrs Harris, "and one of my husband
coats was hanging in the hail. one
dav as he sat on the Veranda writing
a tramp came UP the walk in his shlrt
sleeves and told his tale of woe, end
ing with a request for a coat. why,
yes.' said Mr.. Harris rising and going
into the hall for the coat, Here Is one
1 have been saving for you.
The man who created Brer RABBIT
and Brer Mudturtle was nature Wor-
shipper. On the big plantation in Put-
nam county, Ca, where he was reared
he learned the lessons of the great out
of-doors. He observed the habits or the
| animals and was intimately in touch
with the antebellum type of negro to
which the southern white refers with
! instructive affection as an "old darky.'
Before leaving his plantation home ne
had smoked many pipe OF sun-cured
| tobacco with prototypes of uncle Ike
mus, and had imbibed unerringly the
philosophy and accent of the negroes OF
| the old regime. -
MIR Harris had a simplicity, a purity
of outlook on life that was remarkable
| q sense of humor that was whimsical
! and that never faltered, and prevail
! ing sweetness of disposition and kndll-
ness of heart that expressed itself IN
many deeds known only to his intl-
| mates.
The fact that Theodore Roosevelt has
accepted an invitation given him by
| Mrs. A, Med. Wilson, president of the
Uncle Remus Memorial association, To
visit Atlanta next October and make an
address for the benefit of the associa-
tion proves the interest that the
former president and the general public
| take in the work. of purchasing the
Harris home. OF the many invitations
for addresses received, and necessarily
refused by Mr.. Roosevelt, this one was
| accented by him while in Paris re-
Gently. While in Atlanta next fall Mr.
| Roosevelt will be the guest or tho
| Memorial association, not of the city Oh
Atlanta. .--,...4-
| Mr. Harris has no child that inherlts
! his fathers unique and fanclLul genus
| However, one of his sons mas taken 70
| NAV writing, and another, Julian Har-
| ris is editing the Uncle Remus Maya
zine, which Mr.. Harris launched before
his death. Mr.. Harris left little in the
way of wealth. His legacy was one oil
kindly philosophy and love. But many
| a vagrant newsboy knew his cryptic
philanthropy, many needy co-Worker
| had been tided over the occaslonal
cotarac+ Of life by him, and many an
old Georgia negro revered the name Of
"Marse Harris" So long as there are
little children to hear of Br'er Rabbit,
SO long will Uncle Remus be remem-
bered and loved.
| ,,,. a. sasv 10 secure a bargain in used
| .,,tomohiJe through want advertising. as II