Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 35

TOint THE DETROIT REE TRJSSS: SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23 1900 JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS How the Popular Southern Author Began the Work That Brought Him ame and ortune SINCE the retirement of Joel Chandler from the staff of the Atlanta Constitution on September 1 after hav ing served the paper for nearly twenty five Tears as its leading editorial writer many interesting anecdotes concerning him have leen called forth Perhaps the one which tells how ho began to write negro dialect stories will be read with special Interest by jis friends and admirers throughout the north Hr Harris began to write the Constitu Hon's leading editorials in 1876 and when a undertook this work he hud no idea of doing anything else But Samuel Small a widely known throughout the country ty the prefix of "Rev" had been very suc cessful the predecessor of Mr Harris in writing negro lialect stories over the nom de plurao of and Capt Evan Howell who was then the editor in chief Howell You know you can Granting that you have never tried your hand at It I am nevertheless satisfied that you can write as good dialect stories as Sam Small You have an acute sense of humor and you Can sit down and tell plantation stories bj the hour give us something in negro dialect for to paper" When Mr Harris was left alone after this brief Interview he began to knit his eyebrows in profound study over Capt Howell suggestion On trying to revive his recollections of plantation days in old Putnarn county here he was born he found that he was in possession of an abun dance of material for dialect stories But could he write them in such a style as to catch the popular car? This was what troubled him Kinally he decided to make an attempt and after selecting the story which pleased him best he began to tell it WCL JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS the paper approached him on the sub fret of writing similar contributions "Harris" said Howell one day When the former had been writing editorials tome two weeks or more you try Just as he had heard It first from the lips of one of the old negroes on the plantation He found that his Idea of negro dialect dif fered in some material respects from Sam but he preferred to be original and the editorial page everybody was captivat ed with it and wanted to know who Uncle Remus was They found the humor of the story delicious and the dialect correct Even those who raved over Uncle SI were frank enough to admit that Uncle Remus was still better Capt Howell was be sieged with inquiries from people in every part of the city wanting to know some thing about this new writer of dialect sto ries who called himself and soon letters of inquiry began to pour in from every part of the State Uncle Remus was a success from the start He was genuine He was an em bodiment of the humor the pathos the philosophy and the superstition of the ante bellum negro and every one that the subject recognized the fidelity of the portraiture On the morning of this eventful day In the life of Mr Harris when his first ne grostory appeared Howell went into his room and greeted him with smiles which even more warmly than words be spoke his congratulations Harris" said he a trump you just keep up that lick your for tune Is made Everybody Is talking about Uncle Remus so give us another story" Without abandoning his editorial duties JIr Harris continued to furnish negro dia i lect stories to the paper almost daily 'and as an evidence of the popularity which they speedily they ere no soon er published than they were copied exten sively by newspapers all over the United States Soon Mr Harris found himself in receipt of numerous letters from magazines and other periodicals asking for dialect con tributions He filled most of the orders that he received but he continued steadily to toil away at his editorial work on the paper and as an evidence of his industrious habits and his systematic methods of work he was enabled during his twenty five years of laborious service on the paper to produce not less than eighteen or twenty books in addition to his regular work Though Mr Harris is best known to the world of literature as the creator of cie he has lately acquired ad ditional laurels as the creator of "Aunt Minervy whom many regard as su perior to Uncle Remus Mr Harris has given up editorial work on the Constitution in response to the de mands of his outside literary work which during the past few years has been steadi ly Increasing He retires from paper not only with the good will but with the warm affection of every member of the staff and he will no doubt continue to en rich Its columns from time 'to time with frequent contributions But being no long er fettered by the exactions of irksome routine work It Is more than llkelv that American literature will richly profit bv his retirement from journalism He is now in the meridian of physical and intellectual powers and many years of usefulness He in prospect before him May he long con tinue to charm the public with his delight ful stories of southern lite and to bind his brow with fresh laurels KNIGHT Polar Reeorili of Moted Explorers In attaining the latitude of 86 degrees 33 minutes the sledge party of the Duke of Abruzzi of Ttalv advanced to within about 239 statute miles of the North Pole The sledging party under command of rapt Cagni attained a point 2185 statute miles nearer the pole than that reached by Nan sen on April 7 1895 who surpassed Lock record of May 1882 hv 19550 statute miles The four highest records all made within the past eighteen years are: The Duke of Abruzzi 19no 239 i5 statute miles from the pole Nansen 1895 261 miles: the ram 1895 (during her drift after Nansen Our Entire Stock at Less Thau Wholesale Cost Broughams Surreys '5 Traps etc Sulkies etc ITY GOOD Second Hand Vehicles AT st Robes tt Blankets a Columbia Buggy Co ttl a tt tt tt a a 8 tt and Whips Delivery Wagons Bike Buggies Bike Surreys Carts 3 a 243 245 Jefferson Ave CALL AND SEE WE CLA1H BOTH QUALITY AND REPUTATION The Leading Vehicle Emporium of nichigan for twelve years A few Cutters and Sleighs left from last winter Buy now for next year We are bound to sell everything in this building in 4 weeks Lease expires October 28th Office and store fixtures for sale Owing to Change in Business WE WILL CLOSE OUT AT PRIVATE SALE pine Harness Only 4 weeks to close out this big stock Our building is full of the highest quality of goods BIG STOCK 1 BH bUHmm IL li It mMmEf'It pl RggSO HgMg jr JBat HM your hand at writing dialect stories like thos at Sim Small They are good things for th a paper and everybody is talking about them Can't you get up one for to morrow's paper In addition to your edi torial work?" Mr Harris looked up at Capt Howell in astonishment and then replied with some hesitation: "Why Captain I never undertook to write dialect stories In my life I believe I can do it You will have to let me "You don't mean to tell me yon write dialect stories Harris" replied Capt without imitating "Uncle mannerisms he set about the task of producing his first dialect story according to his own notion When he had finished it he began to cast about for an appropriate name to give the old negro into whose mouth he had put the story and finally decided upon the name of Remus" fiir Harris was better sat isfied with his work than he thought he would be but still he was not easy in mind because he could not foresee how the storv would be received But his anxieties were soon dispelled When the paper came out the next morn ing with his story occupying a corner on left her) 28055 miles Rockwood 1882 45650 miles Army and Navy Journal Hops Grow XVlld In English Counties It is a somewhat remarkable fact that the hop although only cultivated in a few districts in a few English counties yet grows freely in a jwild condition in very many places It is a perennial flowering in July and August and to be found in hedges and thickets The plant is only cultivated for instance in the northeastern portions of Hampshire and about Peters field and even there It does not cover 3000 acres in all It grows and flourishes how ever in a wild state all over the county including the Isle of London Ex press THE UNKINDEST CUT ALL BARBERS MUST TELL ALL A ITO CT THEIR PERSONAL HJkBXTS A5Y SHARP QUESTIONS MO' ASKED THE RAZOR ARTISTS The Good Accomplished by the Michi gan Board of Examiners remarked Charles Rieger of the commission "some of the questions asked appli cants for a license before the board of ex aminers may sound very simple but they are Important nevertheless and must be answered intelligently before the coveted license is granted or instance the bar ter is apt to smile at the apparent sim plicity of the question kind of a lather brush do you use? How are the bristles fastened on the he says to himself but the answers are not always satisfactory There are certain kinds of handles that I gather verdigris and oth unhealthful ac cumulations and the up to date barber will Vse only those that have proved the besthd the most cleanly "Another simple question' is 'What do you use tor washing lather from a custo face? The barber (and we occasion ally find one) that writes in the answer blank is advised to cut it out right away as a most reprehensible practice i and to provide a clean towel for each cus tomer "The question 'what do you use for ap plying powder to a customer's face? some lms elicits the answer This practice is also condemned by the commission There is no surer method of communicating skin diseases than by the application of the same powder puff to each customer's face The last examination form consisted of sixteen questions upon which th applicant must secure a percentage of He must be a citizen of the United Etatea tell how long he has worked at the business whether he served as an appren tice under a regular barber or just picked up hla trade whether he ever worked in barbers college which institutions are hot recognized by the profession on whaC kind of a hone he prepares his razors for hse what kind of a solution he uses fordisinfecting his razors clippers and shearshat he uses for cleaning hair brushes combs ant shaving brushes how to stop the tow of blood In cu a customer is cut: and give his On the best remedies for of skin and scalp diseases for with eruptions caused principally by close shaving for dandruff and for loss of hair continued Mr Rieger expect a barber to be a physician but it does expect him to be familiar with the best methods of preventing skin diseases by sterilizing his tools the use of proper an tiseptics etc The most Important section of the law reads as follows: applicant shall be examined con cerning his ability to prepare anil fit for use the ordinary tools and utensils used by barbers including the proper antiseptic treatment of razors shears clippers brush es combs shaving cups and towels the nature and effect of eruptive and other dis eases of the skin and scalp and whether the same are infectious or communicable No person so examined shall receive the iT CHARLES RIEGER certificate of said board unless he shall ap pear to be skilled in the use of tools and possessed of knowledge sufficient to prevent the spread by means of tools and appliances of truptlve and other diseases of tho skin and scalp No person so examined shall receive such certificate who is at the time of such examination an alien: Provided That no barber shall re elve a certificate who is in the habit of using Intoxicating liquors to excess' "It would surprise said Mr Rieger with an expression of mock gravity "to know how many absolute teetotaler there are In the tonsorlal "profession In the li cense blanks the question reads as follows: 'Are you addicted to the daily use of splr itous liquors narcotics or Almost invariably a decided traced in the deepest shade of ink is written after the question One man got around it smoothly by writing medical purposes have had a few unlicensed barbers up in the Police Court not many I had a very amusing experience with Rev Joshua Axtell of Royal Oak tirement from been conducting place Numerous the who since his re the ministry has a shop at that complaints having come in that he was running an unlicensed es tablishment I took a trip to Royal Oak and casually dropped into his place In conversation with him he told me that he understood Secretary Rieger of the commission was going to get after him for not having obtained a li cense Nc ding no further testimony I had the reverend barber yanked before a justice of the peace and fined S5 Then he came to Detroit underwent the examina tion and cheerfully invested in a license When he met me here and recognized me as the man that had conversed with him in his shop at Royal Oak he laughingly admitted that he had been the victim of a good joke "The commission has accomplished a world of good since the passage of the law in June continued Mr Rieger "Bar bers of indifferent ability and unreliable habits are gradually being weeded out through stringent regulations and it is to be hoped that the itinerant bum barber will eventually become a The first fiscal year of the State board for registration of barbers was completed Wednesday the office of secretary being turned over by Charles Rieger to Van Horn of Benton Harbor Mr Rieger becoming treasurer The law for the registration of barbers has proved a beneficial thing in years past in several states notably Minnesota and Missouri Michigan has succeeded in mak ing an excellent record for he first year and barbers generally all over the state are pleased with the law and its workings and are organizing to enforce it It has caused an increase in the wages of journeymen barbers and has given the proprietors a better class of workmen The movement was started in this state about two years ago by the circulation of petitions and by the time the legislature convened last year the number of barbers petitioning for the legislation had reached up into the thousands Over $5(ro has been turned in to the state treasury and In tho neighbcrhooi of 38m) barbers have been registered about 6f by examination There are still in the neighborhood of a thousand barbers in the state who are unregistered hut th number is decreasing every day and by th end of the next fiscal year it is expected that the enforcement of the law wlll improv materially with a proportion ate increase in benefit to the barber busi ness in this state Cs i TL JSU1I IS TT The Iceman Was Hurt The Iceman drove dreamily down an in clining street where the electric cars go at a dizzy rate of speed He was thinking over what a nice hot summer had been provided for his trade and speculating as to the probable ice crop during the winter He heard not the clang of the motorman's bell The car struck the ponderous wagon Just forward of the rear wheel threw one of the horses emptied cakes of ice into the street and sent the musing driver high into the He landed on the roof of the wagon and rolled off into the street like a bag of old clothes He was picked up groaning and dazed "Wha what happened?" he moaned looking around in a bewildered way Several people hurried in different direc tions to summon ambulances Every sort of vehicle came but no ambulance There were vari culored wagons express carts moving vans bicycles and automo biles ye like to be the Iceman?" sang a small boy as a neighboring doctor led him to his office "Let's see where you're hurt said the doctor feeling the patient's bumps replied John: "I vhant mein horse Is he "No not dead yet but there's little hope for replied the doctor "Has he had anything to sail! the sympathetic wife Then realizing that a heavy aroma of liquor hung about the iceman's clothing she hastened to correct herself "I mean" she added you he ought to have something The iceman groaned again and showed symptoms of an on coming fainting spell is something stimulating my poor observed the wife bringing in a fragrant cup of tea The iceman looked hurt he exclaimed "vhould you gif tea to a vhounded Then contrary to the diagnosis he declared that he was not injured at all and he abruptly left the office and made for the nearest saloon A House Politically Divided His is a strong minded woman and a pronounced Prohibitionist He is laden with equally strong Republican principles and has an incorrigible Bacchanalian pro ceased to argue politics long ago that domestic harmony might be preserved? So they live alorj quietly sup pressing their opinions In each com pany But an incident occurred the other day that revived the old time friction and almost made an irreconcilable breach in their otherwise happy relations Shortly after McKinley's nomination he hung a portrait of the president in the big front window as a wide advertisement of his political leanings When he returned borne that evening be was surprised to find the McKinley portrait displaced by an equally handsome one of the Prohibition candidate Protests were of no avail and th wife's favorite smiles from the window while the Republican finds consolation in with hisfeliow clubmen who are never done chaffing him about his political domination Humiliated "I have a young professional said tlie veteran lawyer Is very bright mentally but tn abominably poor story teller In fact I believe it Is his men tal activity that makes him a bore in that regard "The other morning I met him on the way down town He greeted me cordially and with the air of a man that had something good on his mind thatrhe must share with someone else he said going to tell you the best story you ever heard" "Of course I inwardly resented this state ment though said nothing He started with his story but he had not gone very far before he made a lengthy and tiresome discursion from the subject He jumped the track two or hree times In this way until finally his story as far as he had pro gressed was a mere jumble of words Sud denly as we reached Grand Gircus Park he stopped and began to smooth his knees and rub his hands in the most peculiar fashion What in the world are you doing that I asked trying to express my he replied meekly if I haven for gotten the rest of that Old Time Campaign Argument Here Is a story that has been handed down about a pair of old time Detroiters who were prominent in politics and public affairs tn their day The name of Sheldon McKnight will be recalled as one of the early postmasters and also as a for mer proprietor of the Detroit ree Press Mr McKnight was a loyal Democrat while George McDougall another well known De troiter was equally assertive as a Whig One day during an excitlngcampaign they hnra involved in a heated political ar gumentZwJtich terminated in McKnight so far forget ting himself as to twist McDou aristocratic nose The dignified Mr McDougall wes sorely offended and the next day McKnight re ceived the following curt letter Hon Sheldon McKnight Esq Dear How dare you lay your pol luted hands upon my sacred Republican body yu! Your obedient servant GEORGE MCDOUGALL Everyone expected a duel but the two old friends afterward became reconciled reaky Chicks for Sale Though the freak department some time ego ceased to be an important feature of varied list of attractions Manager Moore continues to receive letters from the owners of home raised and bona fide freaks who wish to dispese of them at al! sorts of fancy figures He had just chucked into a pigeon hole a communication from a man who had for sale a mule wltB pigs feet when the mail came In the bunch of letters was an oddly writ ten one from a fanner in tho Interior of the state It read as follows: Mister More Deer klne I have a chicken weighing about 3 pound that has Toes on one of her eet and 6 on the Other they are good ize if you can make use of same please Let me here from you at once as i have a chance to sell them at a side Show I also have a ber drinking rooster named Dick just sot a pan of beer down in front of him and never stop till its empty after each drink he crows and if theres any other Roosters around all on the fight 1 am sure he would be a great card fer your theayter Yours cordial HIRAM Nir Moore Is thinking of engaging bibul ous Dick for a stunt on the vaudeville stage Loadna a Good for What to do with our boys? Make them bakers According to the official organ of the trad" the way to honorable compet ency not to say wealth lie through a sack of flour Thre is no calling (it says) which offers such grod opportunities to the opera tive as the A persevering steady saving ltd can In a very few years make position for hlmiw lf It does not require a large capital tn start tn business and It is safe to say that 90 per cent of the London master bakers have worked their way up to a cnmfortible position if not one of afflu ence from the tanks of the Ixtndon Telegraph i A COW ON HER HANDS IT A' 4 sex MRS ELIZABETH BONNER AND HER PRIZE WON IN ORESTRY COMPETITION MRS ELIZABETH BONNER ofSKort street east bears the distinction In theIndependent Order of oresters of having won two successive prizes for having induced the greatest number of people in the state of Michigan to join that flourishing order The accompanying picture shows Mrs Bonner and her latest prize gentle Jersey heifer The premium was offered by William Brown of Lapeer the high chief ranger of the order In this state and there were many contestants and ac tive competition Nirs Bonner won the cow by the small margin of one having se cured just that majority over James Elliott of Saginaw The field was distanced Th time of the competition was limited to the months of October November and Decem ber last and the cow having reached th ilk producing age Mrs Bonner was notified to go to Lapeer and claim her property She found enjoying herself in a rich pasture where Mr Brown took a enap shot of the prize winner and her animal Now that she has a pnre stralned Jersey cow Mrs Bonner is at a loss just what to do with it as the investigations of the food commission offer little encouragement for entering the dairy business So remains on the pasture at present content edly browsing and indifferently chewing her cud Nirs Bonner lives In a flat' and she doesn't know wh it a rx rxon situated can do with a hungry and growing cow This is not the first prize she has won in th same line of endeavor In ISM she was presented with a silver tea eet In the same kind of a competition She says she will not enter the next contest having decided to give oth ambitious solicitors a chance The ordr with which she is connected has a large representation in Michigan and has members cv in bcnighte4 Africa and India Mrs Bonner Is deputy auprem ohltf ranger In this state i iarwl xec x' 1 I I.