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Show "UNCLE REHUS" MP THE PHESlDETfT j Atthe luncheon to President Room-. velt in Atlanta, one of the most notable .ruests'wa Joel Chandler ; Harris, of "Uncle Remus" fame. The celebrated author Is the most, bashful man In. the South, and" never. If he can help It, mixes in society. . When the President first decided to visit Atlanta he wrote a letter to Clark Howell, editor of the Atlanta Constitution. Constitu-tion. teUlnr him that both he and Mrs. Roosevelt were - very anxious to meet Harris. Howell replied, promising to have Harris at the executive mansion when Mrs. Roosevelt made her brief visit to the city. As soon as Harris learned of this programme he at once vetoed it "I'll not go." he exclaimed. "Til train north. Besides that, I'm threatened with typhoid fever and don't dare venture ven-ture out See my tongue? Doesn't it show you I am far from wen 7" "Tour tongue is all right." retorted Howell, "and so are you; you must go, because President Roosevelt has made the request A request from the President Presi-dent is aq order that no one can disobey." dis-obey." "Well, if I do go. I'll go In and out of the house by the kitchen door." answered an-swered yUncle Remus,'" and he kept his word. ' He made his way into the Governor's mansion by the rear, and Insisted upon meeting Mrs. Roosevelt in a room far from the social throng, with Mrs. Howell How-ell as the only-witness. Later in the day Howell sent word for Harris to come out to Piedmont driving park, in the fair grounds, to meet President Roosevelt. Very reluctantly, and with quaking knees, the. old man obeyed, and was Introduced out on the porch. Just about the time luncheon was announced. "But I can't go in and leave my friend out here," said the President, with a laugh. "He'll come, too," said one of the gentlemen present "Indeed I'll not I never sat down at a banquet in my. life, and I'm not going to do so at my age," said Harris, making mak-ing a wild dash for the steps. But the President caught him by the arm and another of the party stripped the unhappy un-happy author of his hat and overcoat, and by main force Harris was dragged Into the banquet hall by the President and was placed at a table directly facing fac-ing the Executive. |
