The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-27
STORIES OF THE TOWN.


Riley and a reporter.
If one started to write something about a
good many poets or writer's it would be nee
essary to say. for example, THE bard of
Alamo who wrote, etc, etc. But when you
speak of the man who wrote THAT Old
Sweetheart of Mine" all you need to say is
just James Whitcomb Riley.
Poets are made of the same kind of stuff
and are a good deal the same as persons
who are not poets-that is. poets are like
the rest of us in many things-but the re-
porter in question had never seen really
true poet. He had ever so little knowledge
Of people and things and he thought
with much awe, that it would be a very
hard task to talk to a poet But just the
same he wished he could talk to James
Whitcomb Riley.
One Thanksgiving morning, about the
time 1t was o'clock in the city editors Of
fee. this reporter got the Assignment" to
find Lockerbie street, and then find the
Holstein residence, where Mr. Riley makes
his home. His mission was to awaken Mr..
Riley and get a poem he had read the night
before at banquet.
AS the reporter hurried toward Lockerbie
street.-the paper would go to press in one
hour, and the city editor had said hustle
he busted himself framing up little
speech he would make when he met Mr..
Riley.
'Mr. Riley will be angry to be awakened
at this time OF night" thought the re-
porter, as he walked rapidly up East street
Maybe he won't get up at all. Somebody
will come to the door and tell me Mr.. Riley
never sees reporters except in the daytime,
and then not often. Oh, yes, / mustn't for
get what I'm going to say to him: Mr.
Riley, If you will pardon my waking you up
at this unseemly hour C'unseemly" sounded
like very good word to the reporter with
which to address poeD I would like to
ask you whether you would mind If the
- publishes the poem you read at
the banquet last night
But here was Lockerbie street and the re-
ing where Mr.. Riley lived A policeman
happened along and took him to the Hol-
stein residence.
'Pulling himself together for the big
effort he gave the door bell a lusty pull
He stood still, painting from excitement for
just half minute. I'll bet 1 can't wake
them up. Five minutes and no answer"
Another half minute and no answer. The
reporter gave the bell another pull. Just
then a light appeared in the hallway. Slow
ly the door opened and the reporter saw.
standing before him in luxurious house
robe-James Whitcomb Riley.
"Why-a-er-why-Mr. Riley, I want to
get the poem you read at the banquet for
the. 1 hope you will not be dis
pleased"
"The poem is only drafted and couldn't
let it be published until it is completed"
He wasn't "displeased" at being reused
up at a. m and he spoke very pleasantly.
"Oh, no, we wOulQnt want to your
poem until it is completed Mr. Riley
Mr.. Riley said good night" cordially and
the reporter stepped out into Lockerbie
street.
1t is easy enough to write articles and
stories and things for the papers-that
is, if you do 1t for a living and do it every
day and keep right on doing it just the
same as you would go down to breakfast.
At any rate an Indianapolis newspaper
woman has a sister who remarked one day,
when the newspaper woman was strug-
Cling with a story
You act as though it is hard to write.
Why. I'm sure / could sit down right now
and not work half so hard to write an ar
ticle as you are working, after all your ex-
perience."
"All right" answered the newspaper
woman; l tell you what you do. write me
something.
What shall / writer asked the sister,
She'll write about three lines" thought
the newspaper woman.
Write something about spring."
The sister sat down with a pad of paper
and a well-sharpened pencil and began.
This is what she wrote:
Spring has again turned everything in
indianapolis green.
She never got any farther than green"
She never said anything more about "how
easy IL is to write.
"wanted-Good. convincing talker etc."
THAT reminds me of an old lawyer of
this city and book agent" said one of the
well-known lawyers OF Indianapolis. This
agent sold law books. and OF all the con-
vincing takers the law-book agent is the
king bee. The agent in question had an ex-
ira amount of stickativeness also Ii he
had been one Of those fellows one can get
rid Of easily / wouldn't be telling you this
story. Now. a little something about the
lawyer. He was impossible TO most agents
He always used damn and a few other
choice word on them. II was a tradition
that he never bought anything of agents.
But this agent smashed that tradition
He got past the law clerk in the outer
office and opened the door OF the lawyers
private office. The lawyer was very busy
and he cidn't even take time to ask what
the agert wanted He didn't know his