LANCASTER OOUNTT> IST,' 



" An incident in the life of John Harris, the elder, has 

 excited considerable interest, and been the subject of 

 much inquiry. On one occasion, a band of Indians, who 

 had been down the river, or, as is said, to the east, on a 

 trading excursion, came to his house — some, or most of 

 them, were intoxicated — they asked for lum, meaning 

 West India rum, as the modern whiskey was not then 

 manufactured m Pennsylvania. Seeing they were 

 already intoxicated, he feared mischief, if he gave them 

 more, and he refused. They became enraged, and 

 seized and tied him to the JNIulberry tree to burn him. — 

 Whilst they were proceeding to execute their purpose,, 

 he was released, after a struggle, by other Indians of the 

 neighborhood, who generally came across, the river. — 

 How tlie alarm was given to them, whether by firing a 

 gun or otherwise, or by whom, is not certainly known. — 

 In remembrance of this event, he afterwards directed 

 that on his death he should be buried under the Mul- 

 berry tree, which had been the scene of this adventure. 

 Part of the trunk of this tree, is still standing. It is ten 

 feet high, up to the lowest limbs,, and the stump is eleven 

 feet six inches in circumference.^' 



John Harris, died about 1748-^probably in December,* 

 and was biu:ied v/here he had directed-— under the shade of 

 his own memorable tree — and there his remaiiis still 

 repose, with those of some of his children. The title to 

 the grave yard, to the extent of fifteen feet square, is 

 secured by conveyance from the commissioners who 

 laid out the town. In the words of Parson Elder, 

 who knew John Harris, well, ^'He was as honest a 

 man,as ever broke bread.^' 



A settlement was commenced in 1726, on the Susque- 

 hanna, south of the Chiques Hill, by Robert Barber, 



*EsQ. Geo. W. Harris' letter, dated August 10, 1843. 



