The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-25
THE POET FROM GEORGIA
FRANK L. STANTON is THE GUEST OF
JAMES WHITCoMB RILEY.
He Details Some Experiences of News
paper Men in Trying to Reach
Spanish Prisoners.

Frank L. Stanton, the Georgia poet" Is
the guest of James Whitcomb Riley for a
few days While there has been much de-
mand throughout the South for his serv-
ices as a reader of his own poems he has
not had much opportunity of visiting the
North In fact, he is essentially Georgian
and confines his time and study as much
as possible to his own State. He is man
in the prime of life, with a kindly and in
tellectual face, which appeals at once to
one The air of the student is also strongly
apparent. In talking with Journal re-
porter yesterday he insisted that the most
popular poet in the State of Georgia is none
other than his friend Riley, who on the
occasion of his last visit there packed the
Grand Opera House, in Atlanta, to its ca
pacity for two nights in succession. His
coming to that city is always in the nature
of an ovation
Mr. Stanton is connected with the Atlanta
Constitution in editorial capacity, and
chief among his journalistic duties is the
writing of a column in that paper daily
under the heading of Just from Georgia"
which contains not only fresh state news
and anecdotes, but always one or more
poems fresh from his pen When asked what
his greatest success had been he stated that
modesty forbade an opinion on that point
from him. his work being almost entirely
of a local character, dealing with Southern
and Georgian life. His visit to Mr.. Riley is
purely of a social and fraternal character
and it s his purpose to stay in this city
for a. few days and then accompany his
host to the convention of Western writer's
which is to be held at Winona lake next
week. After this he will visit H. H. Kohl
saat, of the Chicago Times-Herald, for
while before going home
Atlanta. according to Mr.. Stanton, is just
now the hot-bed of military enthusiasm and
everywhere throughout the South the pa
triotism is up to fever heat Georgia fur
nished her quota of troops in few days
and then had to organize several compa-
MES of volunteers outside of the militia to
accommodate the rush for service. AT the
present time the cream of the youth of
Georgia is III the army and only small
percentage of the troops are colored In AT
lanta the martial spirit is kept up to white
heat continually by the fact that a rendez-
vous, Fort Mcpherson, is located within the
city Here there are at all times from 4,UO
to 5000 soldiers in camp awaiting orders
Here also is the prison in which the Span
ish prisoners to the number of sixteen are
confined. These men when first confined
were sullen and defiant, continually alles-
ing that they were being ill-treated, but
to-day there is a very friendly feeling ex-
listing between the prisoners on one hand
and the citizens and soldiers on the other.
They receive the best of treatment and are
allowed to amuse themselves in nearly any
way that seems good to them. When they
first came to the fort they were under the
impression that the Americans were a
species of ogres and that they would be
tortured by having their ears cut Off and
their ewes bored out for the paStlme or the
Yankees Now they are much at home and
every few days they indulge their ruling
spirit in sham bull fights in which one OF
the prisoners takes the part of the bull,
dressing himself in imitation of the beast.
and is Then baited and goaded by his COM
panions in the capacities OF picadores and
matadores, all in very reallstlc manner.
Tho ubiouitous reporter however, has
hard row to hoe at Fort Mcpherson. The
most stringent rules are in force for the
purpose of keeping him out of the camp. AS
a consequence there are many ingenious
schemes evolved for the clfcumvention OF
the rules. In the early stages OF the war,
when the Spaniards were hrst ncarcerated,
a Northern reporter walked up 10 the gate
Of the fort and of course was stopped by
the guard The literary Ananias without
changing color said he desired to enlist and
already had an appointment with the COM
handing officer for that purpose. On this
pretext he was allowed TO enter and as a
consequence a lengthy article appeared in
several of the papers of the country on the
subject of the doings within the camp Aft
er that none succeeded in running the block
ade although a local reporter tried the
same trick, but failed principally because
he carried kodak under his arm. The diff
ficulties IN the way of a visit to the fort
seem TO add TO the desire of all the news
paper men from far and near to get in
side and as result the gates are continual
~ bombarded by the news-hunters. This is
the second war that Mr.. Stanton has seer.
ton of both atlanta and his own home in
Savannah, by the armies OF Sherman But
he states that never during his life has he
seen so great enthusiasm in the South as
can be Witnessed any day now among old
and young.