The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-02
INDIANA in LITERATURE
INTELLECTUAL PRODUCT CREDIT
ABLE IN QUANTITY AND QUALITY.
Literary History of the State Shows
that 1t Has Always Been N Lead
er-List of Writers.

Maurice Thompson, in the Independent.
When the sunshine is too hot for walking
and the country roads are too dusty for
wheeling or driving, what must one do who
regards daily weathering as large part
OF life? August often presents this prob
lem. especially In our Middle Western
country, where a short drought crisps
everything and fills the air with yellow
ssh mist which is natures manifold sub
stances reduced to a powder.
II was toward the close-altho' / did not
know it-of a fortnight's unvarying heat.
sitting dust and breathless air that I
CHANGED 70 be looking over some old letters
and came upon one from a critical friend
IN London. Where is Indiana, and what
right has a Hoosier' to be setting up for
q poet?" So ran the curt, and OF course,
chatting paragraph The reference was to
James Whitcomb Riley, whose name has
since then gone to all corners of the read
ing world, and whose simple songs and
rustic rhymes have touched more hearts
to the core than any other poet since
Burns.
Turning from the letter fell to thinking
over Indiana's history and the preposterous
legend which has linked her name with
everything that accompanies illiteracy and
nl-breeding. 1t is a legend and nothing
more; for the fact is that Indiana has al
ways been a leader in literature among the
Middle Western States. just as she now is
not implying ungracious comparison-and
her literary people have won recognition
strictly on the merits of their work.
"IIoosier'' is a nickname suggesting i'm
mense ignorance and ample rusticity well
laden with contempt for book larnin'.'
The word originated, we are told, in early
backwoods days. a traveller plodding along
the thinly populated wilderness. eighty or
ninety years ago, would knock at the door
OF a cabin. If ii was after nightfall one OF
the inmates would cautiously approach the
door. and. before opening 1t. call out:
Who's yer?" (the pioneer pronunciation
OF who's here?O, and IL was the unlver-
salty OF this response that gave TO Indian
ians the nickname ''HooSfer, which mas
has stuck 10 them ever since as II glued on
Moreover. for some unacccuntable reason
the slanderous implication-the defama-
tory innuendo-still dyes the word, ana tne
people far and near expect citizen or IN
diana 20 eat with his knife and meanume
10 hang his napkin by one corner from MS
shirt collar. What right, indeed, has
Hoosier'' 10 set himself UP for poet OF
an artist?
CENTER OF LIGHT.
Most people have forgotten. If they eve'
anew, tnaI nttle post Oh the w aS@S-
was the first settlement in the Middle
West that exerted any great influence
toward fixing our civilization permanently
west OF Pennsylvania and north or Ken
lucky. Vincennes, in Indiana. was the mrs
capital OF the great Northwest Territory
There the first laws for its government
were promulgated. there its first Influential
church. old St. Xavier, was built, there IL
first college was founded. Indiana begar
early TO set the pace for the whole IVES
II both science and literature AT NsN
Harmony the study Of American geoios,
was organized. That quaint ana attractIs'
OH town on the lower Wabash stun mas ~
fragrance Of botany as it was before u.
and biology had a common nest there ~
Industrial school. free lectures ana Worn
tngmen's library existed there long peLor
the era or common schools indeed, NSs
harmony was a Mecca toward Wnlcn III
worlds most distinguished investigators ~ y
natural science made ptlgrirnages-
cnange the figure. IL was hive OF h1iha 81
bees singing the new worlds song OF Sc
ence, industry. culture Still the Wnol
swarm We're 'Ho0siers." and could not es
cape the snirch of their habitat.
The old letter having turned my tnousn
Upon the literary history or Indiana, 1 Ia
over the list OF writer's. as | remembers
tnem. who have gained more OF less olS
JUNCTION for themselves and the state SIM
the capture OF vincennes by George Roger
Clark 1 might have begun with wilma !, !
Aaciure and Thomas Say, out mere - "a