The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-24

tree upon the hills or IN the glen but
was famed throughout the countryside in
quaint legends told by him. He was the
only one who could point out the exact
spot, not more than a mile from Mace
chez. where Simon Kenton, the intrepid
pioneer. was tied by Indians to the stake
for torture and was saved by the timely
arrival and recognition of Girty, the rem
egade, who had been visited often by
Piatt when bOv in company with Ken
ton himself, VINO lived out his ripe old
age within a few miles Of Piatt's boyhood
home. It was Piatt alone who knew the
tree beneath which in the Logan expedi-
ton the fiery Hugh McGary slew the
captive Moluntha. chief of the Mac-o-
chees, splitting his head with an ak
grasped from the hands Of the Grenadier
squaw. II was he who gave TO song and
story the beautiful legend of 'Squaw's
Rock" wherein a young Indian mother
with her babe upon her breast, crouch
ing beside the stone. awaiting her lover
husbands return from the battle, is shot
through the heart by the white invaders,
he- body rolling into the creek, where
ever since the waters have run red and
the lightning Scared rock when the wind
Is blowing gives forth a sound as OF
weeping child
Col. Piatt and Riley took long walks
together in the woods and along the
stream Under the inspiration of nature
Riley became his true poetical self and
stimulated by sympathy of his companion,
talked without reserve Of his hopes and
ambition Once he said: IF 1 could but
catch and reproduce bubbles from the
lips Of childhood / should have rhythm
sweeter than that of any bird and a
philosophy of content truer than any
creed"
Music and Philosophy.
You would have the music sweet
enough, undoubtedly" Piatt replied, but
the philosophy would be sadly at fault.
Content born of carelessness and ignorance
OF childhood is like wild flowers that
spring into life in the shade Of the forest.
When the sunshine filters through they
wither Youth is intoxicated with hope
and its future Is a bright world of the
ideal Later on the ideal is crowded out
by the commonplace, the hopes become a
hollow mOckery, and manhood is apt to
feed on the poison of DESPAIR. Seek that
philosophy, my boy, which helps men IN
be content with life as ii actually Is an
existence in which toll and poverty and
disappointment blend with the pleasures,
a campaign that has its defects as well as
its victories"
Again. when Riley complained of the
meager pay received for his work, Piatt
said: Nothing pays 50 poorly as the pen
i'm this country. To attempt to make a
living by il is to brelk ones heart before
dying of starvation. But one able to
write anything that will benefit mankind
must also be capable Of higher motive
than mere gain. stick to it till you starve,
then the thousands of dollars that would
have made you comfortable in life will
be chaarfully contributed by A grateful
people for a mighty monument over your
poor body. That is fame
Now that Riley's books are selling at
the rate OF $4,000 a year he may possibly
take q different view Of this matter. No
one rejoced mora in his steady attain
ment of success than Dom Piatt. In
1887 he wrote II Miss Ream: Il am graf
flied to see that Whltcomb is getting his
recognition from the dudes of literature
They turned up their noses at him for a
long time. Tell him for me to deal less
with that Indiana dialect. A little is
good, but he has too much genius for
that. He Is superior to Dickens in prose,
for his patEJs is general, and his humor
IS quite as good. He has written more
touchingly beautiful things than Burns
from the same standpoint, but, bless the
boy. he must not permit himself to think
Of either the one or the other"