The Ordway new era., 1912-09-27

E66lO6ut OOe8 uOI IA0
paving. and when. several years ago.
the city council insisted that It
should be converted into q conven.
tional city street with a paving Of
brick. he voiced his protest In .
poem beginning:
Such a dear little street It is. nestled
away.
From the noise Of tho city and heat Of
the day.
In cool shady cover.s of whispering trees.
With their leaves lifted up to shake hands
with the breeze.
Which in all its wide wanderings never
With . restinx-placs fairer than Locker
bic street!
That poem has long been famous
and Lockerbie street remains a. 1t
always was. nestled away from the
noise Of the city and heat Of the day"
Its leading resident" IL NO less q
parsonage than James Whitcomb RI
ley. recognized as the greatest Of liv-
ing American poets and whose name
IL one the best known literary critics Of
the world treat with q profound re-
spect Here In Lockerbie street he
lives. quietly. unostentatiously. In .
large brick house that breathes the
very spirit of comfort. but which
makes no pretentions to elegance.
And to this spot countless friends will
wend their way on Monday. October
Z. to extend their congratulations and
felicitations. the occasion being the
poets birthday.
This will begin what is to be known
throughout literary circles as Riley
week." and which will mark the great
est ovation ever rendered an Ameri-
can writer. This celebration will not
be confined to Indianapolis either. for
nearly every city In the United States
has Enthusiastically taken up the
idea and arranged exercises to be
held during this week in honor Of
James Whitcomb Riley. Every one
seems anxious to pay tribute to the
man who has brought sunshine into
thousands Of lives.
Only q few months ago there was
sadness in many hearts. for the word
had gone forth that Mr.. Riley had
been stricken with an illness from
which he could never recover. Put
today that sadness Is changed to Joy.
brate another birthday. He Is not
only alive. but practically as well as
ever he was. He is always happy
and although he no longer strolls
through the Indianapolis streets as
once he did. he is still a familiar
figure, and every day he takes long
rides in his big touring car. He is an
enthusiastic motorist and one Of his
principal delights is to take his
friends for a spin around the city or
through the country in the vicinity OF
indianapolis.
In 1858. in the little country village
Of Greenf1eld-scarcely even a village
in those days-there was born James
Whitcomb Riley. the son of Reuben
Riley, a lawyer and a man known for
his fearlessness and unconventionality.
The boys mother-a Marine-was q
gentle and naturally poetic woman.
and it was from her that Riley In.
herited his ability as a rhymaster.
The young lads life. in his earlier
years, was not marked by any unus-
ual event. His was the life common
to boys in small towns. Beyond this.
nothing much is known-there is
nothing else to know. He attended
school irregularly. more often than
not a truant-as he himself has pic
tured-barefoot. Drowned by summer
suns. happy and care-free. listening
to a voice no other boy could hear,
keeping his heart open and his soul
free-a heart and soul that have
never grown old.
"I did not &C to school very much"