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DAN  HARRIS  TIES  THE  KNOT


The Harris's Relocation to Los Angeles and Bertha Harris' Death
    The Harris's relocation to Los Angeles was apparently due to a chain of circumstances rather than to a plan made collaboratively in advance. Bertha may have decided not only to file a divorce suit but to leave Dan as well. As disclosed in the preceding section, Bertha signed her complaint against Dan in King County on October 5, 1886. She must have carried the document prepared by Attorney George A. Kellogg with her and had it notarized as she traveled south, perhaps on her way to Los Angeles.

    Court action began on October 21st and continued at least until March 16th, 1887. In the meantime, the Whatcom Reveille reported on February 11th that Dan Harris had "gone to San Francisco to confer with railroad magnates." Apparently, Dan continued on to Los Angeles and affected a reconciliation with Bertha and the two decided to remain in Los Angeles for the winter months. Consequently, on February 28th, Dan purchased a home on Girard Street. (See the companion booklet "Dan Harris Invades Southern California for location and details.) Somehow this news reached Attorney Kellogg as indicated by his statement to the court on March 15th that he had been informed that the couple were living together in the State of California.

    On June 10, 1887, the Reveille reported that the Dan and Bertha had returned from Los Angeles and they spent five months in Fairhaven. On November 9th, the Whatcom County Democrat announced that the couple had gone to Los Angeles for the winter. This notice was repeated by the Reveille on the following day. On May 2, 1888, the Democrat reported that Dan Harris had returned from "lower California" where he spent the winter in deference for his wife's health. (See the companion booklet, Dan Harris Meets the Press for reproductions of these newspaper articles.) This time Dan returned alone to pursue the sale of his remaining Fairhaven property, leaving Bertha behind apparently due to her delicate health. By mid October, Dan reached an agreement to sell his Fairhaven property to Nelson Bennett. However, on November 14th the Democrat reported that Dan had departed for Los Angeles on Friday, November 11th after receiving a telegram that Bertha was gravely ill. Consequently, he did not consumate his agreement with Bennett until several months later.

    The Harrises' trips between Fairhaven and Los Angeles would have been made by boat as the railroads did not reach either area until the early 1890's. This means that Dan may not have reached Los Angeles until after Bertha's death. No record of her death has yet been found. However, according to the files of the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery, Bertha Harris was buried on November 21st in the Rosedale Cemetery, the first in Los Angeles, located on Washington Boulevard not far from the Harris' Girard Street home. The fact that the $100 price for two, adjoining burial plots and the $6 interment fee were not paid until November 24th may indicate that Dan was not present when Bertha died and when she was buried.

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