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

Inc recent WISH OIL James WnlCCOmD
Riley, the "Hoosier Poet" to this city,
has served to bring to mind to many
Ottumwans the wonderfully successful
tours made some ten or twelve years
ago when Riley and Bill Nye were
travelling together.
Beginning of Tour.
Mr.. Nye and James Whitcomb Riley
before they met by each others writ
fall of 1887. Mr.. Nye went
to indianapolis from Laramie,
Wyoming, where he was con-
nected with the Laramie Boomerang,
and attracting attention all over the
United States by his humorous writ
ings. Just before Mr.. Nye went there
he was employed to contribute each
week to the New York Sunday World.
He went to indianapolis after consid-
cradle correspondence with Mr.. Riley
to range plans for a tour with the
Hoosier poet.
The following winter Mr.. Riley and
Mr.. Nye made a tour of several months
through Indiana, Illinois and Ohio, I'M
der the management of the late Amos
j. Walker.
They made a second tour together
through the central western states dur
ing the winter of 1888.
These tours We're successful and
were of aid to both writer's in bringing
their works before the public more ia
vorably than they had been known
previous to hat time.
Major Pond came to Indianapolis
during the early fall of 1889 and sign
ed a contract with Mr.. Riley and Mr..
Nye for the famous tour of 18S9-1S90.
The first tour of the Hoosier poet and
Bill Nye was successful, but it did not
compare in magnitude or with the de-
gree of success that attached to the
tour of many months they made with
Major Pond as their manager. Major
Pond was the greatest manager OF lee
turers and readers this country has
ever Known, and while Mr.. Riley and
Mr.. Nye we're on their tour through In
diana, Illinois and Ohio in 1887 and
1888 he saw the great possibilities in
them.
When Mr.. Riley returned to Indian
apolis after his first tour with Mr.. Nye
he was given a banquet at the, Deni-
son hotel by the Western Writer'S as
sociation. The friendship MI. Riley
and Mr.. Nye formed during their tour
is shown in the following letter Mr..
Nye SEM to the managers of the BAN
uuet. regretting his inability to be
present:
Nye's Quaint Letter.
"Looking here and there over a life
time sprinkled with regrets, / do not
know of anything that overshadows
just now the regret that | cannot be
in Indianapolis tonight. The time is
past when anybody can attract atten-
ton by admiring James Whitcomb Ri
ley. 1t is getting too general every
where. But the wild and woolly west,
erners, who began to set a heap by
him when he had not yet caught the
eye of the speaker, now that no geo.
graphical or isothermal lines-1 use
the word lsothermal because it is ell
phonious and can certainly do no harm
at this time when we are all acquaint'
ed say, now that no geographical OF
isothermal lines pretend to bound his
Just fame, we who knew him early
may be seen at this moment to swell
with, p%ardonable pride.
Looking over the career of James
Il w tlLCOlln ItllC5 III vi a q
lining the difficult and dangerous route
through which he has passed, l an
amazed that a man who knows SO lit
tie about how to get anywhere or
earth should have got there so early
I cannot fully understand it yet. Ger
tainly Mr.. Riley moves in a mysteri
GUS way and has wonders to perform
But, perhaps. the most refreshing fea
ture Of the whole picture is the un
agarvins loyalty of a Hoosier to !
Hposiar pact. There is an affection
e9isaug between the people of indiana
and James Whitcomb Riley, which
might make a President feel good II
participate ina cordial earnest de
light In his success, which would make
q nrosperous emperor gladly swap hi.
bonrinfested throne for Just wha'
Mi. Riley has left, oyer and above
what he really needs. have alread.
said a good deal about Mr.. Riley. PR
L 50 - 49,