The Washington times., 1913-07-12
PIONEER FAMILY IS
SETTLED IN CAPITAL
Dexter. Horse, Aged Twenty, to
Be Provided for BY Mistress
He Hauled $50 Miles.

Driven out Of their home In Danville,
Vt. by a fire in early june. Mrs. John
E. Harris and her two pretty children
Janet and John Caleb Harris-have set
tied in Washington.
They made their trip here like rio-
neers. Dexter. their horse, and an old
fashioned buggy. were the means Of
Conveyance for these pilgrims. and to-
day Mrs. Harris wouldn't swap Dexter
for a half dozen imported automobiles.
The little family has taken a hoTse at
- Fifth street northeast, but they plan
6, move out IN the subrbs before long.
so tina, three-yesr-old John and his ten
year-old sister may have country sur
roundlngs.
We've got to be out in the open, and
we've got TO have a place for Dexter.
you see." explained Mrs. Harris today.
Explains Cause Of Trip.
Then she went on TO tell about Dexter
and the 5so-mile trip from the hills of
Vermont. She didn't think 1t was any,
thing unusual or sensational
I'VE had to move out, and why
shouldn't We take a pleasant way" she
said.
Then she explained that the house had
burned down, destroying a quantity of
family heiriooms. Mrs. Harris Is a
Georgia woman with all the charm OF
the South. She Is descended from the
Georgia .Cotbs. and from Elizabeth
Washington, sister of George Washing
ton.
After the fire, Mr.. Harris, a former
doorkeeper of the Senate, was obliged
to make a business trip to California,
and then he planned to come down to
Washington to live, SO that his children
could have a Southern education.
Then Mrs. Harris decided that sse'd
hitch up the old family horse. pack UP
the few worldly goods that escaped the
fire, bundle her hcildren into the old
fashioned covered buggy and come down
to the Nations Capital.
The worldly goods were packed in two
suit cases. Little Johnny, plump,
good-natured. well-tanned baby. was de-
lighted. and so was his older sister.
No Accident On Road.
The pilgrimage started from Danville
on June 9. Ii proceeded down through
the Green mountains of Vermont into
Massachusetts, Connecticut, across New
York city, down in New Jersey, Penn
sylvania. Delaware, Maryland, and into
the District
Not an ACCIDENT marre0 tnls Ideal
trip; l.. mora finn than running
an automobile" said Mrs. Harris today.
81 used TO run one, but I've quit that
since I've had the care of John and
Janet. Our good old horse is all right
for us.
And. incidentally. it's a lot cheaper
than touring in an automobile. The
hotels don't charge a lone woman and
two children as heavily If they're travel
ing our way.
The only difficulty of touring New
England in a buggy, says Mrs Harris
Is that Of automobiles. The city tourists
aren't as bad as the natives. They at
least keep to their own side of the
road, but some of the Vermonters-once
obstinate about the rights of horse
drawn vehicles-are now budding forth
with machines. and incidentally they
can't see that a woman and two babies
and an old horse have any right to be
travelling over the Vermont roads.
Spent Nights In Taverns.
Mrs. Harris and her children spent
their nights generally at country
taverns, but occasionally were forced
to seek shelter in a city hostelry. They
made II a point, however. to take their
lunch out to eat by the wayside.
Mr.. Harris will come here soon He
has been associated with Senator Dill
lingham of Vermont in years past.
and his two children are favorites with
the Vermont delegation, and others in
Congress. President Roosevelt, Vice
inent men have known both of the
children and liked them. They gave
the babes autograph pictures, but these
were DESTROYED in the dre.