Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-12

er, the years only solidify my regard
for him. Often, as l have steered him
to and from tralusS and hotels. or count
ed out his linen ,yor the laundry or
tucked him into Ms little bed at night
and heard him say his prayers, I still
welcome him and re. ioice at his COM
ing to my home with ever-increasing
Joy. III | were to get 4 telegram to-
morrow stating that he was coming to
New York and asking me to meet him
at Buffalo, | would try to do it. In
dlanapolis is as lear home to me as
o III place on earth, | believe and
vel sometimes it seems to me as
though L was about the only man in
Americafwho hasn't been able to- get
there this summer. / unite with YOU
all in the warmest expression of re-
gard possible for your guest and pro.
ceed at once to regret my physical
inability to be with you in fact. as I
am in wish, tonight
For $25 and Expenses.
Following is the text of an adyer.
tisement which was sent over the
state, of Indiana, and to lyceum bu-
reaus ins citiesgof other states, in 1878,
when Mr.. Riley was still living in
Greenfield:
James Whitcomb Riley, the Roosier
poet, humorist and dialetic reader. will
furnish his new program to all lecture
associations for $25 and expenses.
He has devoted years of study and
practice to the art of reading and
character representation and now
comes before the public with an en-
tirely original program, consisting OF
dialect poems, character sketches and
humorous studies from real life.
The favor with which his public
readings have been greeted has at last
induced him to enetr the field of, la
Dor with the same earnestness that
c~haracterizes his efforts in literature.
His reference is the press of Indiana
through whose encouragement and
help he has attained whatever grade
of success he at present occupies
MIR. Rlleys manager sent this adver-
ltisement over Indiana twenty-five
years ago. AT that time he was will
sing to accept reading dates for $25
and expenses. What great strides he
HAS made since that time as a reader
is; evidenced by the following remark
made about him recently by one of
II SISotCS dClOlo z Ill LII OullGu
States:
An Actors Compliment.
"James Whitcomb Riley does with
his voice, his gesture and his facial
expression all that / do with my voice,
my gesture and my company and seen.
cry"
This is considered by a number OF
his most intimate friends N Of the
greatest compliments ever paid Mr.
Riley as a reader.
MI. Riley's poems first attracted SUBJ
stantaal attention and remuneration
from the Anderson Democrat, in 1877,
when he was employed as regular con.
tributpr to that paper. Here is what
Mr.. Riley said about the Anderson
Democ rat the day after he became it's
regular contributor:
The Anderson Democrat is a good
little paper, and you ought to be very
kind to- it. 1t is not the best paper in
the stsLte,' or, if it is, it will not ao.
knowledge it, for it someway feels
that the market is already glutted with
that brand. No, it is simply a good
paper and you ought to love it as you
would Ia great, fat, laughing baby with
a bunch of jingling keys"
This lis said to be the first thing Mr..
Riley wrote after he became a paid
writer. He worked on Greenfield
newspaper before he was a sign pain.
ter at Anderson, but he received
a salary for his Greenfield contribu-
lions.
Suddenly Made Famous.
Mr.. Rile y remained with the Ander-
son Democrat only six months, and
then retu1I ned to Greenfield. While he
contributed regularly to the paper its
circulation increased several thousand.
1t was while Mr.. Riley was connect.
ed with the Anderson Democrat that
he publishe ed "Leonainie," which was
an initial pn Of Edgar Allan Poe's
verse, and to which were signed the
initials "E. A. p" Mr.. Riley expected
the poem to be circulated only in a
few of the counties lea Anderson, but
to his wondlerment the verses of Leon.
ainie" were published all over the Uni
ted States Then the authorship of
"Leonainie'' was revealed. The Incl
I dent did a %fyreat deal to make the poet
known outside the bounds of his own
state.
From his old home, Greenfield, in
1879 he NOV led to indianapolis and be.
came a G lar contributor to the Jour
i nal. He CONTINUED his connection with
this paper a bout twelve years. and all
of his earlier poems, which are now
published in book form, made their
first appearance in the Journal.
In 1889 Mrs Riley published his first
| hook of poeths. The Old Swimmin.
Mole and Lefen More Poems" This
volume was hlRde up entirely Of poems
first published in the Journal.
During his tour with Mr.. Nye. In
1COTt- Mr. DIN Cvy ~ Yr,I1is1A5 sA%Snx