DAN HARRIS MEETS PRESS

Newspaper Notices on Dan Harris's Years
Before Founding Fairhaven


October 24, 1890: George W. Harris, brother to the late Dan Harris, is in the city. Mr. Harris is one of the five heirs of the late Fairhaven Pioneer. There are two brothers, a sister, a nephew and a niece. He leaves about $100,000. Dan Harris was born in Southampton on Long Island. His father was a farmer. Dan left home when about 15 years old. He shipped with his uncle at that age on a whaling voyage to the arctic seas and on his return home staid a month and reshipped with a skipper named McKator Cooper, a Yankee skipper; went to the Japanese seas whaling; found a Japanese junk with fourteen Jap sailors. This was the first European vessel that was permitted to land at Japan. Then they went to China after a load of Chinese coolies. This was in 1850. At Hong Kong, Dan, with a companion, deserted the ship, and reshipped to the Sandwich islands, thence Dan came to Bellingham Bay. Dan's companion, a man named Ira Briggs, returned to Southampton town. Dan was born in 1831. He occasionally wrote to the old folks, used to draw the long bow on them some times, said he had bought 160 of land from the government on which was coal which he shipped around the Sound on his vessel, the Bounding Ball; vessel got wrecked, etc. George W. Harris is a downeaster 49 years of age and a carriage maker by trade. He lives at Norwich, Conn. ¹ (Note A)

July 13, 1883: Tom Sheldon who was worsted in a prize fight at Harris' place, in '62, called to view the old spot last week. ²

April 4, 1864: A letter from W. T. Collinson, a miner in the Cariboo gold rush, published in the Victoria, B.C. newspaper, The British Colonist, stated that he had seen the notorious criminal, Boone Helm, at Sumas in the spring of 1863 traveling "along with a pack train owned by Dan Harris (alias 'Dirty Harris'"). ³ (Note B)

Reprint of Diary Entries by County Sheriff, James Kavanaugh: ⁴

July 7, 1867: Just learned today that Eldridge nipped Dan Harris, alias "Dirty Dan" with a load of smuggled goods from Victoria. Can't say that I am sorry for his trouble; (Note C)

July 8, 1867: Dirty Dan stole $60 from Billy Nichols for which he was put in jail, and finding no one to go his bonds, he will have to remain there until the meeting of the District Court.

August 4, 1867: Dirty Dan is baled out of prison by John Davis and Capt Roeder. He is blowing and swelling around and drinking in a most shameful manner. He is a hardened thief.

September 22, 1867: Sam Brown gave "dirty Dan" Harris a beating night before last. I treated him for doing it.