The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-06-21
Richmond Has Had One Paul Dunbar,
Will Young Negro Poet be Another?

world war were published by him in
Portsmouth, O., in 1918 It contains
among others Our Star, Tom Primm."
There's certain star on a Service
Flag that's nailed to wall in the
mill,
And it looks just like all the other
stars you see on that f1ag-but still
want you to look at that certain star
and get introduced to him.
To that jolly, big-booned, mill-made
man, his name, Tom Primm."
The life of this negro writer is one
of novel interest He was born in the
town of Cambridge, O., the son of a
mother who died when he was still a
baby, and of a father who was row
ing musician. and who took not the
slightest interest in his little son.
Raised in Kentucky"
My father wandered about the
country, playing and, with me forgot
ten and left in an orphan asylum back
in Cambridge" said Harris, who is
very reluctant to say anything the
least flattering about himself When
was six years old the asylum placed
me in the Cambridge public schools.
i was in the fourth grade there
when the asylum gave me away to a
family down in Kentucky This fam
/ lily took me presumably to raise, but
in truth to work, and work I had to
all the time / was in sight Of the
house. At night, however, I did a lot
OF moon light reading, as I didn't dare
waste too much kerosene. Then when
II went to sleep on the job the next
day l was beaten for it. I didn't mind
that, however, for I always had beer
a book-fool and reading even with
/ beating was better than no readins
at all.
| After a time I ceased to enio,
this program and ran away. In'Cin
cinnati worked awhile, slipping bacl
to sleep at night into the barn wher,
worked in the day time | did Thu
until the barn burned down an other
a policeman caught me just as I wa
climbing out of the window. I wa
pretty little, however, and I slipped i,
between his feet to his own confusion
! Soon afterwards l met a drumme
who took me with him to Louisville
and later became able to work m,
way through Berea college, after which
went to Tuskegee institute, where
Tuskegee when I was seventeen year
old and went to Iowa. There I wa
married, and after teaching school Il
North Carolina. returned to Ohio
moving to Portsmouth" In Ports
mouth Harris was employed, as he i
now in Richmond, on steel construc
ton work
He feels it is a pleasure and a priv
ilege to work with men of his color
gaining a conception of their outlool
on life, and enjoying their joys. Th
only way to understand the workin
man is to work with him, in his opir
ion, and when you do work with him
he pointed out. you find out a 10
about the good that is in him. To tn
steel makers with whom he has bee
associated, the colored poet wrote
Filled with the vigor such jobs. d.
mand,
Strong of muscle and steady of hand
Before the flaming furnaces stand
The men who make the steel
Midst the sudden sounds of fallin
bars,
Midst the clang and bang of crane
and cars,
Where the earth beneath them jerk
and jars,
They work with willing zeal"
Again, to the men who had to sta
behind and be the man behind tn
man behind the gun Harris wrot,
Il am thinkin' there's some gumptio
In that saying old and trite;
That the man who backs the fighte
Is the man who wins the fight
That the soldier with his rifle,
Going off to do and dare,
Has no odds against the workman,
Stayin' home to do and bear.
They both are patriotic, that's cinch