Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-07-08

just here add that after Harris began
to wear "store clothes" they always
looked as if they were thrown on him
with pitchfork. I never knew a man
further removed from a dude or Beau
Brummel than Joe Harris.
After shaking hands around and Mr..
Estill had escorted Harris downstairs.
I 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
fish 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 articles
and he will surprise you. Estill got
him from paper at Forsyth. His
work will be to paragraph the state
news"
The next night, when Harris copy
came up, I knew that our paper had
rare genius in its paragrapher. Every
line was bristling with humor and as
pointed as needle. Harris wrote a
hand almost like copperplate, punctu-
ated and every dotted and crossed.
Harris and 1 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 ever knew. Tols
characteristic made him appear un-
social to strangers, but with congo
NAL friends he would unliniber himself
and it was indeed rare treat to spend
an evening In his company. Harris
was never much Of talker, prefer
ring to sit back and leave that to 9TH
ers; but occasionally he would put
in word or witticism and whatever
he said was always german to the
point or brimful Of humor. And Joe
Harris never penned a line or spoke
word but it was worth reading or
hearing. He was loyalty itself to his
friends and they were bound to him
1;p1c nP Stoa1
No famous man ever cared so little
for public applause as Joel Chandler
Harris. He would hide from admirers
hunting him up and Harris never made
a public speech In his life. We have
been together at public gatherings and
banuuets when the room would be
ringing with calls for Harris! Harris!
Harris!" But Joe would smile and
shake his head and. If the calls were
too persistent he would slip away and
disappear.
While In Savannah he met and mar
ried q Canadian lady, daughter Of q
sea captain and his family life was
as beautiful as his social life. A ten
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 / be-
came owner of the Athens Daily Ban
ner. It was at this time that Harris
began to win fame as a literary writer.
T do not think Joe Harris realized his
talent until the world began to ap-
p!aud his productions and clamored
for more.
When Harris started on his "Uncle
Remus" stories he wrote me enclosing
copies of several he had prepared ana
knowing my family had always been
laye-owners, asked that refresh my
memory and send him all the old ne
gro folk lore stories that I could call
to mind. My old black nurse Tilda
was pregnant with superstition ana
being of pure African descent, load
ed my young mind with such narra-
tiyes as recited by Uncle Remus and
which we both firmly believed l sent
Harris several pages Of these stories
which he rewrote and published. 1t
was thus that Harris collected mate
rial for his Uncle Remus," and put
for his work, one Of the most interest
ing recollections Of slavery days IN
the Old South would have perisheo
with emancipation. And furthermore
these Uncle Remus stories truly depict
the kindly relations existing between
the Southern slave-owner and his 10y
al and dependent blacks.
When Joe Harris died there passed
away a pure minded, golden hearted
gentleman, whose mission in life was
to brighten and cheer the world
Peace to his ashes.
Vice President Coolidge Says: Large