The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-02-01
GLoRIEs OF INDIANA
How They Were Celebrated at
a Banquet In Chicago.
WITTY SHAFTS FROM GEORGE ABE
EoOsier State Natives Heard Home
the Dramatist's Quip on a REFORM.
era Letter From James Whitcomb
Riley Read.

Two hundred sons of Indiana, heart
lily agreeing with their leading farmer
playwright when he assured them they
were 1.-The chosen and elect of all the
EARTH assembled in the Auditorium
hotel at Chicago the other night to ceie-
brate the glories of Hoosierdom, says
the Chicago Record Herald. 1t was the
first banquet of the Indiana Society of
Chicago, and with uproarious unanimi-
ty the feasters located the Garden Of
Eden Mount Parnassus, Utopia and
the center of the United States within
the confines of their native state.
To prove that Indiana is sufficient
unto itself only home grown talent was
permitted to have place upon the pro-
gramme. George AIDE supplied whim-
steal humor Wilbur D. Nesbit blend
Of wit and sentiment, John T. McCutch-
con the mirth provoking art of chalk
point, James Whitcomb Riley, in alb
sentia. the touch that recalls fearful
memories of way back home" and
Senator A. j. Beveridge the oratory
which has made him and Indiana noted
George AIDE, introduced by Toastmas,
ter Joseph II. Defrees as ''the sage Of
the latter day Brook Farm" was the
ana's greatness. He opened by al
dressing his audience as Mr.. Ringers
declaring that he observed many mere
~ honorary Hoosiers in the gathering
and asserting that whenever an Indi-
ana banquet. was given all the sons Of
all the commonwealth were eager to
rally themselves with the ruling race.
Then George denied he had ever Civ
en- the historic explanation for the num-
bers of clever Indianians in Chicago
''the smarter they are the quicker they
come that here were two rea-
sons why he should not have said it:
First because it isn't true. Second,
because it is a chestnut"
Then he began to talk upon the theme
'Hoosiers I Have Met" He mentioned
the we'll known fact that his native
people had always held themselves
apart from ''the low browed agriculture
lists, mere business men and cheap pro-
of Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky, forming
as they do a special class from which
come the poets, geniuses and great ones
Of the world.
s He spoke of his boyhood impressions
OF Thomas A. Hendricks and Benjamin
Harrison and then told Of his first meet
ing with John I. McCutcheon, when
/ was preparing for literary career by
taking the scientific course in an agri-
cultural college," He told old college
stories about the early fame of Bever-
idge and then paid his compliments to
Charles Alling
when | first came to Chicago" he
remarked, that earnest young reform
er Charlie Ailing was just beginning
his career. There is some doubt upon
the genuineness of Alling's claim to
Hoosier birth. There is bitter contro
versy on this point between the town
Of Madison, his home, and Louisville,
KY, Madison claiming that Charlie was
born in Louisville and Louisville that
he was born in Madison"
: The shrieks Of glee with which this
quip was hailed brought Mr.. Alling to
his feet with the retort, 'At least was
not born in Kentland, Ind which as
persion upon his birthplace Mr.. AIDE
passed by in order to asseverate with
solemnity that in Indiana mo farm
hand who did not own an automobile
ever attempted to break into society,"
{ Mr. Ade also related pathetic little
tale of his journalistic days when he
end McCutcheon and Kenesaw NJ. Ian
dis, now United States Judge, went to
a town to write up a threatened lynch
Ing. They were afraid there would be
a blot on the fair name of the state and
a good story for the morning papers.
"Landis,' said AIDE, finally was afraid
there would be no blot and urged Nc
Cutcheon to start something. McCutch-
con got on a dry goods box and shout
ed, Give me determined man and
the sheriff started for him, and we all
started for Lafayette" Mr.. AIDE said
that was the way he and McCutcheon
and Lands came to go to Chicago,
where the people were more easily
worked than anywhere else.
Wilbur ID. Nesbit followed with an
affirmation that William Shakespeare
was an Indiana poet who, like AIDE,
produced his plays away from home,
with good reason" and that Andrew
Carnegie had built libraries in every
hamlet in order that there might be
shelf room for the works Of the Indiane
authors He also initiated a presiden
tial boom for Senator Beveridge Then
III. 81. Rowland editor Of the Reader
Magazine of Indianapolis, read a letter
from James Whitcomb Riley The poet
wrote in part:
How the good God has blessed us, CIV
ing us such a home as even when the
everquesting heart has ransacked the
world and you have hacked name upon
the hip Of the oldest pyramid ever
stacked up on the oldest Ptolemy-
many Of you will recall, even now, the
thought of the little old creek bridge or
culvert way back home, som'er in Indi-
ana. antedates the pyramidal age and
clain-SinCe there YOUR first how initials