The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-09-07
rAE HcoslER POET.
Jnmes Whltconib RI-y's ERrIy struggles
and Later succcsscs.


and Later succ.sscs.
James Whitcomb Riley Is n native of
Hancock County. Ind. and about thir-
tlon was somewhat defective. for though
Rney's opportunities were good
enough. his father being comfortably
of in this worlds goods. he preferred
pursuit less dry than pouring over
books. Before his school days were
over he abandoned his studies and took
up the trade of sign painter, and soon
began travelling from place 10 place,
apparently contentcd If his days work
brought him enough 10 pay for his
nights lodging. He would II, qucntly
enter town as blind sign writer
and solicit work while being guided
from house to house by a boy. When
his ability Ia do the work was qucs-
toned. he demanded trial. Running
his hand over the surface IA
II 10 take the dimens ons.
the .blind sign writer would
write the sign while the people would
gather around him and express the
greatest aston shmcnt ut the accuracy
nf the work, On one of these tramps
Riley fell In with vender Of patent
medicines. mi for time the two
Travelled together. Riley amusing the
crowd with his banjo an comic songs
and sayings. as ''the medicine man eN-
tolled the virtues Of his wonderful
cntholicon and sold II 10 the people.
As a sgn painter Riley became per-
fcctly familiar W tn the language of the
,trect, the ignorant and unsophisti-
Gated. and thus laid the foundation for
his future success as a writer of dialect
prose and poetry The signs he paint
.d have on them such peculiar eN-
eressions aud characters us indicate
.ha odd genius of the author.
The first verse | ever remember
writing" said AIR Riley. recently
''was little four line valentine.
MAS just big enough 10 reach the top
If table. and | was painting a comic
sketch on II p ece of peper. Below the
sketch wrote four comic lines-my
first. | believe" Speaking Of lhis ear
iv experience IA "A writer OF verse for
publication. Mr.. Riley said: Fur
long time pWblished in local journals
and received the Communications of
my friends. Al last | sent some verses
to Long fellow. and he was kind enough
Ia send me m encouraging letter.
Arm ell with this attacked the metro
politan press and have since been paid
for my productions. His first pre-
iuctions app AIRED in print between
1879 and 1876. To bring him
self the earlier into public notice. with
the consent of a country editor, Riley
published a short poem which was an
imitation OF Edgar A Pue's style. In
Producing II " th the statement that
he poem had been found written on
he blank leaf Of IA hook once belong
NJ In Poe and found by a relative OF the
deceased poet, who moved to Indiana
from the East many Years ago. The
rick was discovered. but IL seems to
aave answered the purpose it was m
ended for. as the merits of Riley pen
we're r, ,cngnizeL lie prncured en-
ployment on newspaper published in
Indi tnapolis. and while thus engaged
wrote the most cf his dialect verse
Within the last few years he has con.
trihuted a number If pieces for Eastern
periodicals, and has published book
# selections. in which. however. the
piece in imitation Of Poe's style does
not appear. Riley's appearances as a
reader of his poems before distin-
,uished literary people and their ad
mirers in New York last year were Il
great success He was the lion of the
occasion. cap iis Tribune.