The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-29


Hoosier poet. There is an affection ex
listing between the people of Indiana ant
| James Whitcomb Riley. which might
make president feel good to participat.
ina cordial, earnest delight in his sue
cess. which would make a prosperous en-
peror gladly swap his bomp-infestec
throne for just what Mr.. Riley has left
over and above what he really needs.
! have already said 4 good deal about Mr.
Riley, pro and con, but I am not yet
weary. Much as we have seen of th'
, world together, the years only solidify my
regard for him. Often, as I have steered
| him TO and from hotels, or counted out
his linen for the laundry or tucked hin
| into his littel bed at night and heard hin
| say his prayers, | still welcome hin
| and rejoice at his coming to my home
with increasing JOY. If I We're to get let
! ter tomorrow stating he was coming Il
New York and asking me 10 meet him al
I Buffalo, / would try to do it. Indianapo-
! lis is as near home to me most any
/ place or earth, / believe, and yet, some
! times it seems TO me as though ] was
about the only man in America who hasn'i
/ been able TO get there this summer.
unite with you all in the warmest ex-
preston Of regard possible for your guest
and proceed at once to regret my physical
inability to be with you in fact. as 1 an
| in wish, tonight
FOCLKE WAS POSTMASTER.
". Dudley Foulke, former United States
civil service commissioner. was toast
! 6 he ar ha Ia,
present were Judge Martindale and wife
Captain ]. A. Lemcke, at that time state
treasurer: DR.. George Cook and Mr.. Clay
pool Of Connersville; Noble c. Butler, DR.
Frank Hayes. Mrs. Rose Bailey and Miss
Ida Harper of Terre Haute: Prof. David
Starr Jordan, former president of Indiana
university, and the Rev. NJ L. Haines
pastor of the First Presbyterian church
Mr.. Riley's first public appearance in In
dianapoIis as a reader was In the fall OF
1879, soon after she removed to this city
from Greenfield and became connected
with the indianapolis Journal. The read
ing was given in the old Park theater.
Notwithstanding circus being in town
and a heavy rain pattering down on the
tin roof Of the play house. the entert& On
ment was successful.
Following is the text of an advertise
ment which was sent over the state and
TO lyceum bureaus in cities of other states
in 1873. when Mr.. Riley was still living in
Greenfield:
james Whitcomb Riley, the Hoosier
poet, humorist and dialect reader, will
furnish his new programe to all lecture
associations for s25 and expenses.
He has devoted years of study and
practice to the art of reading and c,larac-
ter impersonation and now comes before
the public with an entirely original pro-
gram, consisting of dialect poems. char
acter sketches and humorous studies from
real life
THE favor with which his public lNad-
ings have been greeted has at last in
duced him to enter the field of labor with
tahe same earnestness that charaeterizes
his efforts in literature. His reference is
the press of Indiana through whose en-
enlargement and help he has attained
whatever grade of success he at present
occupies
Mr.. RileyS manager sent this advertise
ment over Indiana twenty-five years ago.
reading dates for SO 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 the great actors in the United States:
AN ACTORS COMPLIMENT.
James Whitcomb Riley does with his
voice. his gesture and his facial expression
OH
and my company and scenery"
This is considered by a number of his
most intimate friends one of the greatest
compliments ever paid Mr.. Riley as a
reader.
Mr.. Riley's poems first attracted sub
stantial attention and remuneration from
the Anderson Democrat. in 1877. when he
was employed as regular contributor to
that paper. Here is what Mr.. Riley said
about the Anderson Democrat the day
after he became its regular contributor:
THE Anderson Democrat is a good lit
tie paper. and YOU ought to he very kind
to it. 1t is not the best pa per in the
state, or. if it is. it will not acknowledge
ii. 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 a great, fat
laughing baby with a bunch of juggling
keys
This is said to be the first thing Mr.
Riley wrote after he became a paid writer
He worked on Greenfield newspapers be-
fore he was sign painter at Anderson.
but he never received salary for his
Greenfield contributions.
The following lines, which were publish
Ell in the Anderson Democrat simply as
an advertisement. are said by old resi-
dents of Anderson to have been written
by Mr.. Riley:
The poet sings
OF joy that springs
Blossoming from thousand things
The Evening Star
Or The Sweet Guitar
But best OF all is a good cigar.
When the weary mind.
To cares consigned.
Pants for the rest SO hard 10 find
You need not sigh.
For relief is nigh.
And good cigar is the thing 10 buy.
While no name was attached to the lines
it was reported IN Anderson at the time
that Mr.. Riley was the author and his
friends refused to believe anything else.
SUDDENLY MADE FAMOUS.
Mr.. Riley remained with the Anderson
Democrat only six months. and then To-
turned to Greenfield. While he contrib
utod regularly 10 the paper its circulation
increased several Thousand.
Il was while Mr.. Riley was connected
with the Anderson Democrat that he pub
lish.,s ..Leouainie." which was an iui-