The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-06-15
RILEY AS A SIGN PAINTER.
The Famous Poet Relates an Experiences
of His Youthful DAYS.

OF Ills outuIul DAyt-
"well, now, want TO know about that
patent medicine peddling, l said TO James
Whitcomb Riley.
Something In my tone made him reply
quickly:
"That has been distorted. IL was really
a very simple matter and followed the
sign painting naturally. After the trade
episode had tried 10 read law with my
father, but didn't seem 70 get anywhere.
Forgot as diligently as l read. So far as
school equipment was concerned, / was an
advertised idiot, 30 whit was the usef
had trade, but IL was hardly what /
wanted to do always, and my health was
bad-very bad-bad as / was
"A doctor here in Greenfield advised me
Ia travel. But how the suffering Moses
was to travel without money! IL was
just at this time that the patent medicine
man came along. He needed man, and
argued In this way, This man is doctor,
and II | must travel better travel with
doctor He had a fine team and a nice
looking lot OF fellows with him, so pluck
ed up courage 20 ask II couldn't go along
and paint his advertisements for him"
Riley smiled with retrospective amuse-
ment. 81 rode out OF town behind those
horses without saying goodby TO any one.
And though my patron wasn't n diplo-
maed doctor, as l found out, he was
mighty fine man and kind to his horses,
which was n recommendation. He was a
man OF good habits, and the whole compa-
ny was made up of good. straight boys"
"How long were you with himi"
About year. Went home with him
and was made same as one OF his own fam
lily. He lived at Lima, o. My experience
with him put an idea into my head-a
business idea for n wonderland the next
year | went down TO Anderson and went
into partnership with young fellow to
travel, organizing scheme OF advertising
with paint, which we called The Graphic
company We had five or six young fell
lows, all musicians as well as handy paint
ers and we used TO capture the towns with
our music. One fellow could whistle like
"A nightingale, another sang like an angel,
and another played the banjo. / scuflled
with the violin and guitar.
"Our only dissipation was clothes We
dressed loud. You could hear our clothes
an incalculable distance. We had an idea
II helped business. Our plan was to take
one firm OF each business in town, paint
ing its advertisements on every road lead
ing into the town, go 10 Moneys and
thlnBH ike thhti you unuerhthnu. we
made n good thing at IL.
"How long did you do business'"
"Three or four years, and we had more
fun than anybody" He turned another
comical look on me over his pinch nose
eyeglasses. "You've heard this story about
my travelling all over the states IA blind
sign painter. Well that started this way;
One day we were In small town some
where, and great crowd watching us in
breathless wonder and curiosity, and one
OF our party said, Riley let me introduce
you as n blind sign painter So just for
dovilment put on crazy look In the eyes
and pretended TO be blind. They led me
carefully to the ladder and handed me my
brush and paints. Il was great fun. I'd
hear them saying az | worked, That feller
amt blind. Yes, he Is. See his eyes.
NO, he ain't, tell you-he's playin OIL.
Il tell you he is blind. Didn't you see him
fall over box there and spill all his
paintsy'
Riley rose here and laughingly re-enact.
ed the scene, and don't wonder that the
villagers were deceived so perfect was his
assumption OF the patient, weary look OF q
blind person.-Hamlin Garland in Nc.
Cures Magazine.