The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-23
The Sunday Journal has the largest and
best circulation of any Sunday paper in In
diana. Price five cents.
INDIANA LITERATURE.

possesses some literary as we'll as military
and political merit and with the exception Of
o possible half-dozen, her authors are almost
unknown, even among her own people. Mrs.
Bolton, Mr. Dillon, General Wallace Maurice
Thompson, Mr.. Riley, we may suppose, are
too we'll known to miss a place in the pro-
posed Hoosier library, though Of these only
Mr. Thompson and General Wallace are men
toned in the statement referred to, and their
works are rot complete. 1t can't be difficult
to get them, we should think, as General
Wallace has published nothing il book form
Int the "Fair God" "Ben Hur" and the trag
edy of "Commodus, and Mr.. Thompson only
two or three small works that are certainly not
ont of print. General Darlington military his
tories are also said to be lacking, and Eggles-
tons novels. IF the "Hoosier Schoolmaster"
is entitled to place in this library, the "New
Purchase certainly is, for it is a better work,
Of far more historical value, and at least as
accurate delneaticn of the people and condi-
tons of its time. It's author, Mr.. Hall, was
one Of the early professors Of the State Uni
versitv, when Dr. Andrew Wiley was presi
dent, and we are not sure that it
10 not the first book ever published
especially concerning the State and people.
It must be now nearly half century old.
Among the characters introduced under a
thin disguise of names is Dr. Wiley, the most
prominent of early Indiana teachers, and ex
Governor and ex-senator James Whitcomb,
with other noted men of that time pot at the
moment recalled The various writings of
Gil Pierce Of our Legislature, from Porter
county, are spoken of, but as well entitled to
such place as they may be, they have not
SO strong a claim as the poems of Mrs. Julia
Dumont, mother of the late Gen. Ebenezer
Dumont, the earliest poetess in the State, and
one of the most gifted; and certainly not a
stronger claim than some of the society novels
of Mrs. Laselle, of Logansport afterwards
Of Washington. Mr.. Howe-we suppose him
TO be Hon. John B. Howe of Lagrange
who was member of the constitutional con-
vention of So and in 49, one Of the Wing
candidates for the supreme bench-is men
toned as the author Of several works on
financial subjects, which have already been
secured as well as those of Prof. Larrabee,
once of Asbury University later superintend-
ent Of the Blind Asylum, and still later one of
the proprietors and editors of the Sentinel, of
this city, on John Wesley and Bishop AS
bury and Their Associates" "The Book
Lover" by DIR. Baldwin, of Nashville, is in
the collection, very little-known work made
up Of selections from and sketches Of eminent
literary men of England and this country
also a series of school readers prepared by Dr.
Town, of Greencastle, that never came
into any considerable use or notice;
also translation Of Virgil by Mr.
Wilstach, Of Lafayette, a work
rs little known as Professor Ross Latin life of
Washington. Professor Ridpaths history and
the works Of the late Professor Hoshour are
named among those already secured. We
know of nothing of Mr. Hoshour's but his
amusing "-Altisonant Letters" and these, we
presume are referred to. There are other
works Of Indiana authors not named at ALL
besides those we have mentioned as Professor
Kirkwood's excellent little treatise OH "Mete-
DrS, Hon. John Laws history of Vincennes
Summer Expedition" on one of the unfre-
quented rivers of the North, by John
Lyle King, an eminent lawyer of
Chicago lately deceased, but mem
Der of the Legislature of this State from
Jefferson county in 1852. The works of John
Finley, of Richmond, author of the 'Hoosier's
Nest, Bachelors HALF and other poems, we
believe, have appeared in book form, and those
of John S. Reed, of Connersville we
know have, and at one time his "Gulzar, or
Rose Bower after the manner Of "Lallah
Rookh" was quite popular in the last genera
lion. Captain George W. Cutter, author of
the once noted poems, Song of Steam" and
''E Pluribus Unum," published an Indian
epic called ''Elskatamah, or the Moving
Fires" based on an Indian legend Of Indiana,
as early as 1910 or lS4l, when he was distin-
guished leader of the Wing party here, and
member of the Legislature from Terre Haute
Judge Horace p. Biddle, late of the supreme
bench, has published several volumes of
poetry more IN number probably than any
other State author. DIR. Orpheus Everts,
late OF the Insane Asylum, published vol
ume of poems moro than twenty. five years
ago. A young man named Waldo published
small pamphlet of poems thirty years ago in
this city. Rev. VIM. C. Smith has published
l.. L Il