The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-11-27
INDIANA'S LITERATURE.
THE STETR
e1IN The REPUBLIC OF LETTERSDe
FIRST PAPER.

Although small in area, yet Indiana is a
great state. She is great in the fertility OF
her soil, the beauty of her scenery, the
abundance and superiority of her mineral
wealth. But the source of her glory is
not confined entirely or chiefly to her
natural resources, but is TO be found in the
character Of her people, in the comfort of
her homes the enterprise of her business
men, the culture anu industry of her citi-
zens, in the number and excellence Of her
schools and in the virtue and intelligence
OF her people. In all of these, Indiana
ranks high, yes very high. Indiana
muscle has converted the forest into
dwellings churches and school houses
Indiana enterprise has dotted the state
with prosperous cities and joined them to-
gether by railroads; Indiana valor has
won renown on many battlefield. Indi-
ana eloquence has been heard wherever
there have been wrongs to redress or
rights to defend. Indiana statesmen have
filled with honor the most exalted positions
that great country can confer upon It's
citizens. 1t would be strange, then, if
luulaud genius, WHICH Illus pldNtu buCn Il
prominent part in other things, should
make no lasting contributions to the great
literature of the English race.
We do not claim that Indiana surpasses
all her sister states in the number of her
authors or the excellence OF their writings,
for the average HoOsier, especially OF the
earlier days, had much else to cultivate
other than elegance of expression. He
had to establish the esse ntials OF civiliZa-
tion-tO clear away the forest and make a
home But along with the ax-man came
the scholar, the man of culture, and often
OF genius, who not only established schools
and colleges, but who sang the wild songs
of frontier life. The names OF these pioneer
bards are almost totally forgotten, likewise
their verses. 1t was not so much what
they did as the inspiration of their lives
that counted Their feeble strains have
been caught up and swelled into anthems
In reviewing Indiana's achievements in
literature, we must also remember that the
real progressive history of the state COM
prises but few years. New England had
begun her literature and produced her
Mathers and her Edwards before
Indiana was settled by the French.
When Jefferson wrote the Declaration of
Independence and Franklin his biography,
the English language was probably not
spoken by single individual within what
is now the limits OF the state. 1t was not
until the year 1900 that congress thought
it necessary to appoint governor for the
territory of Indiana. So the real develop
ment of the state has been within the last
| three-quarters of a century. How short
time in which to uproOt savagery and
plant civilization in which to produce a
literaturel Such progress is wonderful.
II it had occurred in ancient times it
might properly have been called the
eighth and greatest wonder of antiquity,
but occurring in the nineteenth century
it is only part of the last and greatest
wonder of the world-the development of
great American state.
Although the history of the state covers
but short period, yet Indiana has liter
ature peculiarly her own. 1t is not dis
tinct from the literature OF her sister
states in that it is written in different
dialect, or represents different civiliza-
ton, or prOmulgates new doctrine, but
hers in the sense that it is the creation
of the genius of her own sons and daughters.
Lew Wallace, James Whitcomb Riley,
Sarah I. Bolton and the many other
HoOsier writer's are Indianians by birth or
adoption. If they win glory, they bring
honor to Indiana. But few of Indiana's
| authors have become famous, yet she has
more than 200 writers who have achieved
at least a local reputation in the republic
| of letters. Every city, and almost every
| town and village has its poets or prose
writers, who would be noted if they did
not live in a country and age in which
genius is the rule and not the exception
where their productions are measured by
| the writings, not of their contemporaries
only, but of their illustrious predecessors
as well. Indiana authorship is not con-
fined to one department of literature, but
among her authors are found poets, his
torians, novelists, journalists, writers upon
legal, philosophical and scientific subjects.
In fact, every department of literature is
represented.
In writing this series of sketches on In
diana writers. the question naturally
arises, whom shall we include among In
| diana authors? Certainly the Wallaces,
Riley, Parker, Bolton, Ridpath and many
other writers who have spent all or most
of their lives in Indiana. But there are
! several eminent writers, as Beecher,
| Egglestone Joaquin Miller, etc, who have
lived only small part of their lives in In
| diana. Shall we include them, also, in
the roster of Indiana authors? We do not
wish to claim for Indiana that which does
not properly belong to her, yet we believe
| that Beecher, Eggleston, Robert Dale
Owen, joaquin Miller and several others
who have resided within the state may
| properly be regarded as quasi-Indiana
authors.
|
In the following sketches we shall en-
deavor to classify the authors to a certain
extent, and shall begin with the poets.
| Since the settlement of the state, there
have always been verse-makers in most Of
the different localities. Some of the early
rhymers were poets of no mean abilities.
One of the earliest writers of Indiana
was Julia l.. Dumont of Vevay.
She was born in Ohio, educated
in New York, but lived and wrote chiefly
in Indiana. She was a poet OF considera-
bic ability but she is chiefly remembered
as the preceptress of Edward Eggleston.
AS teacher, she was almost incompara-
ble-gentle gifted, powerful for good-a
genius in the school-room. "She knew"
says Eggleston. in substance, how to get
out of boy all that was in him, how to
inspire him with noble ambitions. She
was the princess Of early western teach
ers." That she has been remembered for
half a century as poet is no small tribute
TO her ability as writer. The following
1 IN u III