The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-07-01

OuC Tic HlOSI HOI4SSdDIe IHIi4S aOo'o
''Mr. Harris was his clothes and their
fit, or rather their misft. They were
of homespun jeans, the wool spun
just as sheared from black-greyish
sheep. | should judge from their fit
that the tailor spread out the cloth on
the floor, laid Harris on it and then
proceeded to cut out the garments
with dull knife. The pants ended
just above the shoe tops, and it is
needless to add that the pressing club
was an unknown institution where the
gentleman came from. And let me
lust here add that after Harris began
to wear "store clothes" they always
looked as if they were thrown on him
with a pitchfork. l never knew a
man further removed from a dude
or Beau Brummell than Joe Harris.
After shaking hands around and
Mr.. Estill had escorted Harris down.
stairs l turned to Colonel Thompson
and asked:
What species of critter was that
Mr.. Estill brought up?'
"Why, CAN'T" was the reply,
that's our new news editor and his
name is Harris
How did the boss catch him, in a
fsh-trap or net. Can it talk?" was
my next query.
"He certainly has an ungainly ap-
pearance, remarked the Colonel,
'but we have been watching his ar
ticles and he will surprise you. Es-
till got him from paper at Forsyth.
His work will be to paragraph the
state news
The next night, when Harris copy
came up, l knew that our paper had
a rare genius in its paragrapher. Ev-
cry line was bristling with humor and
as pointed as a needle. Harris wrote
a hand almost like copperplate, pune
tuated and every dotted and t
crossed.
Harris and l worked together for
some seven years on the Savannah
News and our friendship was unbrok-
en- to his death.
Joe Harris was the most unassum-
ing, yea, modest man I ever knew
This characteristic made him appear
unsocial to strangers, but with congo
nial friends he would unlimber HIM
self and it was indeed rare treat to
spend an evening in his company.
Harris was never much of a talker,
preferring to sit back and leave that
to others; but occasionally he would
put in a word or witticism, and what
ever he said was always german to
the point or brimful of humor. And
Joe Harris never penned line or
spoke a word but it was worth read
ing or hearing. He was loyalty it
self to his friends and they We're
bound to him with links of steel.
No famous man ever cared so little
for public applause as Joel Chandler
Harris. He would hide from admir-
ers hunting him up and Harris never
made a public speech in his life. We
have been together at public gather
ings and banquets when the room
would be ringing with calls for "Har-
ris! Harris! Harrisp' But Joe would
smile end shake his head and if the
calls were too persistent he would
slip away and disappear.
While in Savannah he met and mar
ried a Canadian lady, daughter of a
sea captain, and his family life was
as beautiful as his social life. A cen-
derer or more devoted husband and
father could not be.
AS the years rolled by Grady en-
ployed Harris as editorial writer on
the Atlanta Constitution and I be-
came owner of the Athens Daily Ban
ner. 1t was at this time that Harris
began to win fame as literary writ
er. | do not think Joe Harris realized
his talent until the world began to
applaud his productions and clamored
for more.
When Harris started on his "Uncle
Remus" stories he wrote me enclos-
ing copies of several he had prepared,
and, knowing my family had always
been slave-o owners, asked that | re-
fresh my memory and send him all
the old negro folk lore stories that l
could call to mind. My old black
nurse Tilda was pregnant with super
stition and, being of pure African de-
scent, loaded my young mind with
such narratives as recited by Uncle
Remus, and which we both firmly