The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-05
MIR. RILEY's ESTIMATE.
He Speaks of Field, the Dead Poet
Mr.. Dunn's Acquaintance.


Mr.. Dunn's Acquaintance.
ut was here in Indianapolis, about eight
years ago." said James Whitcomb Riley.
that my acquaintance with Eugene Field
began. He appeared on the stage at the
Grand Opera House with Bill Nye and my
self. Mr.. Field made a great success be-
fore the Indianapolis audience, and he has
since been n great favorite here. After
ward Bill Nye told me how much he
thought of his ability. and 1 considered the
compliment, coming from one so we'll quail
flied to judge; as about as good as could
be given. Before i ever met Mr.. Field j
heard a great deal of him through A.
j.. Halford, who had known him in st.
Louis, and so L was we'll prepared to meet
him, knowing, as 1 did, so many points of
his personality. In character Mr.. Field was
entirely isolated. He was a great admirer
of Sol smith Russell, and followed Mr..
Russelrs mannerisms on the stage; but in
every other way he was all alone. He
covered his field well, and had no competi-
tors. No matter how well you might know
him., he was always turning out something
that was unexpected. He seemed TO take
just the opposite turn every time from
that his friends would expect of him. He
seemed to have no definite line of work;
in the same issue of a paper would be
found a delicate and pleasing little story
in which one could almost see the fairies
wings, and on another page would be a
paragraph savoring very much OF the
slang OF the day, portraying accurately
some feature of the politics of the day in
a sarcastic vein that could not faii to
slang would appear poems entitled TO rank
among the classics. His nature was very
jocular, and no doubt he found great de-
light in the exercise of this great versatile
ity of talent"
Il frst met Mr.. Field in Denver, in 1880"
I'D InAnh ID InTnn III Wa h IN "A
time managing editor of the Tribune, and
| was the newest addition to the repor-
torial force. L think Field had been edu-
Gated for a preacher, but he did not take
TO that line of work, and drifted into a
newspaper office. He had had experience
in St. Louis ana Kansas city, but IL was
i'm Denver that he first began TO attract
attention. His primer series was the first
Of his work 10 be copied extensively. Ihis
consisted of humorous articles in one and
two-syllahle. words. They were COPIED IN
all partS of this country, and MADE MIN
known from ocean TO ocean. he treated
ticularly local news, He would axe up
| the most trivial little matter and make IL
| the talk of the town by his little squibs.
AT one time he began a series of para
| graphs on a pair OF ponies mat were
owned and driven by a Denver man. He
would follow the antics OF the ponies ana
place them in all kinds of ludicrous posi-
tions. No one seemed 10 take offense az
what he did. The wife Of the owner OF
the ponies, however, finally got SO angry
about il that she threatened 10 cowhide
Field If he did not stop writing about
them.
I'm Denver Field was associated m
| what with a number OF very bright minds
in the newspaper. world. There was Brick
Pomeroy and Bill Nye, who were both in
their prime. and were often in Denver.
In 1888 Field left Denver and went TO Chi
cago. where he began work with the Chi
caSo News. His column OF 'SharpS and
Flats is known TO all newspaper men. he
was Just beginning 10 take som pains and
make an effort "a a poet when he left
| Denver. This effort finally developed in
/ Chfpa gON