Life History of Philip Harris

31. Did your family have a favorite saying? What was it, and how did you feel about it?

We didn't have a lot of sayings that I remember, but we had some songs my father sang to us, and I sang to my kids. Now for posterity I will recite a couple.

Chinger ranga

Chinger ranga chinger ranga chinger ranga dogchops

Johnny was a Chinese man

With his head upon a butcher boy,and boy upon his birth

I can tell you he was oil from the can

John he loved Fenny Foot Too

Johnny was a big cycoon

His face was the color of a lemon peel

And he looked like a table spoon

Atalow

Twas off the coast of China

On the good ship Atalow

When off the coast we sprang a leak

With a load of Ivory Snow

It was off the coast a hundred miles

And maybe a little more

We lost all hope and took the soap

And washed ourselves to shore

Mo zee show

Mo zee show boy and girl by the brook e low

Rada dada dee and a shing dy low

Bare foot boy

A barefoot boy with boots on

Came running down the street

His pants were full of pockets

And his shoes were full of feet

Born when he was a baby

His mothers pride and joy

His only sister was a girl

And brother was a boy

He was born from being triplets

And far from being twins

And when he put his boots on

He wore them to his shins

32. Did your family have a favorite meal or recipe? Could you share the recipe with us?

We had a lot of favorite recipes. My favorite is green bean soup. Pick beans out of garden. They have to be fresh. Wash and cut off ends of beans. Cut up several potatoes in small pieces. Cut up two or more hot sausages (salt pork can also be used) cook the potatoes and sausage in water until mostly done . Add fresh green beans to the potatoes and sausage and cook another 20 minutes. Add milk to the water at end and cook again until hot. Our green beans from the garden just ran out but I have another planting that we will enjoy in September.

Another favorite in our house is 1-2-3 pickles. The recipe has been handed down. I made my first batch last week and will make more today.

1 cup salt, 2 cups dry mustard, 3 cups sugar, add one gal of vinegar. Put cucumbers in canning jar and poor above vinegar mixture over pickles. Put on jar lids. Let set for about 3 months and you have a favorite family pickle recipe. It can be divided into halves or quarters.

33. Do you have a family heirloom? What is it and what will you do with it?

I have some old account books that belonged to Henry Harris, son of Moses Harris Jr. I will use some of this information in a book I am writing. He has receipts for pulling teeth, selling vegetables, hay, oats, stage coach rides. He was also a preacher I also have a trunk full of letters between Job Beadleston and his son. The material should go into the Historical Society. The Chapman museum, where Jim and I gave the Moses Harris Grant, never displayed the Grant. For this reason I think the material I have should go into the Warren County Historical Society. I want my children to review this material to make sure that is what I should do,

34. Do you have a funny family story you can share?

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35. What is your favorite color? Do you prefer silver or gold?

My favorite color is white. Is that a color? It makes you feel cool and clean. I think that is why we dress in white in the Temple, why a bride has a white gown which is a sign of purity. Jesus is always depicted in white, the devil in black. I guess I would prefer gold over silver although I like both. Wanda's favorite color is blue. I like blue also. She preferes gold over silver..

36. Who gave you your name and why? Did you have a nickname? How did you get it?

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37. Tell us a memory of your childhood.

I have a lot of memories from childhood. I recall eating green apples and rhubarb as soon as it arrived. It didn't get a chance to grow. We chewed the hot tar from the road. We slid downhill at the Harrisena Country School on a old piece of old roofing tin. I brought milk from the spring where it was cooled. I had to drive the cow to the barn from the field every night. I had to bucksaw wood for the stove every night when my father was in the Army. We spotted planes at a lookout on the Curtis Harris property,during WW two.I also remember the blackouts.The only pare of shoes we received each year were a gift from the Church each Christmas.The Church was part of the Larger Parish of the Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls. The money for the shoes came from a wealthy member.

38. Tell us a memory of your teenage years.

I had to work very hard in my teen age years. I worked at Branches General Store. There was a time when Puzzy Coon and I decided to run away from home. We were going to his relatives in Middlebury, Vermont. We hitchhiked and got rides all the way to the top of Mendon Mouintain. We walked all night and were freezing because all we had on was tee shirts. It was in July but the nights were cold. We saw a home with a nice tree. We decided we needed to sleep so we cradled under the tree. All at once a vicious dog arrived and drove us down the road. We got a ride the next morning. We couldn't find jobs in Vermont so after about a week we came home and faced our parents. They questioned us but didn't express a lot of anger. We were about 13 or 14 years old. We thought if we went to VT. and got jobs we wouldn't have to go to school. Not a bright move.

I do recall one time walking home from Lake George School after showing a movie. I was President of the Projector Club. It was very cold and no cars passed me on Route 9l. I walked down Bay Road and over Pickle Hill road that was not plowed. I walked through a foot of fresh snow and my feet were frozen. I was totally exhausted when I got home around midnight. My father would never pick us up after school. We either had to take the bus or find a way home.

39. Tell us an experience you had as a parent.

I have some interesting experiences as a parent with five children. I will tell of two experiences with my wonderful daughter Renee. She loved horses and always wanted me to buy one for her. One night she talked me into going to a horse auction. Guess what we bought, a horse. Renee took good care of the horse and would sing and read to the horse. We bought hay from Stan Harris. The horse had a problem. It liked to find a place in the fence to get out. The horse would go over onto the golf course. Horses on a golf course are not good. We had to find a good home for the horse and we did.

I always took my kids driving and gave them instructions as they learned to drive. The boys used to drive tractor at Stan Harris' and we always had a field car, I think Brenda also learned on the field car. I took Renee for her first drive on the road after she got her permit. When I got home I was as white as a ghost and Alice said my hair was standing up on my head, I don't think I ever took her driving again. Her mother had to take her. She did become a good driver. She had two different cars while at home. After the driving experience with Renee my hair all fell out. Now when you see me with not much hair you can blame Renee. I still love her very much.

40. What advice or words of wisdom would you leave your family, friends and others?

Words of wisdom from St. Francis of Assisi 1181-1226

" Lord make me an instrument of Your peace

Where there is hatred let me sow love

Whjere there is injury , pardon

Where there is doubt,faith

Where there is despair,hope

Where there is darkness, light,and where there is sadness .joy

O Devine Master

grant that I may so much seek to be concoled ,as to console;

To be understood as to understand:

Tho be loved,as to love,

For it is in giving that we recieve-

It is pardoning that we are pardoned

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life".

Listen to the still small voice and do what is right

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