The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-28
An Answer to Riley's ssDeer Crick."

IL ID coming to be pretty generally conceded
that Indiana people are capable of excellent
work in all kinds of literature, and particularly
in poetry 1t is not to be denied that there is
very much poetry written by Indiana writer's
that is not good; indeed. some of it is very bad.
But that is true of the literary people of all.
parts of the world. Out of the mass that is
constantly tumbling into the hopper of the daily
and weekly press there is much that is worthy
of preservation. Writing verse seems to come
as natural to many Indanians as to write any
thing, and to do it we'll. It is so easy, some
think. 1t is too easy for some. But, altogether,
the people of the Hoosier State have no reason
to be ashamed of the productions of their favor
ties. An incident happened, recently,
illustrative of the facility with which the
average native of Indiana turns to
poetry Mr.. James Whtcomb Riley
had been to lecture at some town in the Kanka-
kee region, probably at Kentland, and after his
departure his auditors got to discussing the mer
its of his productions. excerpts from which he
had read to make up his entertainment. There
were those who regarded him as genius, while
others were firmly persuaded that his work
was 'sjust as easy" and any one could make the
same kind of verse ad lib. His dialect, while it
stirred up good deal of admiration, was re-
garded as something that any properly .consti-
tuted man could duplicate on order. To put it to
the test one of his auditors set himself about
doing little, "just for a joke" going home and
finishing the poam before he retired for the
night. That he did not make failure of it alto
gether may be seen from the following, which is
the poem ne produced:
Talkabout yer Deer creek that will do to tell;
That there Hoosier poet likes it purity we'll:
Sees his shadder in it, thinks he's purity too
That there kind lookin glass can't be very true;
Tells us bout his hshin, mile or two from town
Where half the little town chaps aus oan roun;
Had to go ON Sunday, way off the creek
Jes' to taste O. pleasures we have all the week
But takin bout yer Deer creek an where yer rather
Think if was choosin I'd say the Kankakee.
Long about September when the leaves are colorin'
fine,
Some aturnin yaer and some as red as wine
Bayous full o lilies, ferns a.growin' rank,
Golden rods abloomin' all along the bank:
River full O salmon. black haws gittin good;
Crows a-holdin meetin' over in the wood;
Squirrels a-playin hide and seek 'mong the jackoak
trees;
Black birds an blue jays a-holdin' matinses;
Water clear as crystal, movin' kind O slow
As though it had ter leave ye but didn't want ter co.
Jss' take yer boat and paddle to some secluded
place.
Where the shadder of the brches, with the SUM- is
weavin' lace:
Then if yer bent fshin, jes bait yer hook an fish,
An if yer not too graspin yell soon get all We wish;
But if yer only recreatn jes' arunn way from care;
If yer mind is full trouble it'll surely suit YOU there
For We kind O. git to musn, kind O. loose yersef it
seems,
An yer mind it goes a.wand rim sort like t does IN
dreams,
Till the sunlight fades to twilight an ye paddle back
to camp.
With the moonlight on the warter in tho evenin cool
and damp,
Then take it after supper when everything is still
'Ceptn little tree toads an the lonesome whipperwi;
An ye lounge. an smoke, an ponder till way long in
the night
Within the magic circle O. the camp FIRE blazing bright
While feelin' contentment steals on We unawares
Lifts from yer tired shoulders the napsack of yer
cares;
Snoothes from yer brow the wrinkles. the crowfeet
from yer eyes,
An ye sleep the sleep O. childhood beneath the au-
tumn skies
Talk about yer Deer creek, it kind o seems to mo
That the Hooser poet never the land O. Kanakee.
There are cruditss in It, as might have been
expected; but on the whole it is a production of
which the author has no reason to be ashamed
He is evidently laborng under deusion, if he
thinks any one can write such articles ''of-
hand" II he does, let him try it himself again,
or, better, get some of his neighbors to try it.
He will discover that the machine won't work in