The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-10-07

In inditine this little appreciation q
TIE work q ere q Americas best
known poe,s. sna apPsn3ins thereto
r srieT resume Il his life. Ne hopC
that nothing contrary % fac, VIII ap-
pear. should oar hope De- in vain, Ne
a. not hesitate 70 shif, the olsrse on
any n several accredited authorities
81 h have written e.osrSphioSliy u IRE
Vse ~ the ~Hoosis- Poet and dis
aereea upon important points
James WhltcCIlo Riley, widely
sacua, ana recoEnize5 ny critics as
psrha-s the mast distinctly ovisinsl
patt TIE ives; ever uroduce5. Was born
la Grss-Sel5. Indiana October 9. 1858.
A. 8 eoy he stEe-e5 in nowise from
rs youthful associates, as a scholar
q ths District schocl be set no shining
lxs-rIc MS lavs Tor outdoor life.
f.avers-. vas lz;enss, and he was an
-r5t-t s-u5tu, q aSy-rt-
lasvl-r school when flfteen years
60 80 rs 1-st known occupation was
tlzt d. s s-Eu painter az which trade
d showed great aptitude But he soon
---a5 g TIE u-oucJouy o.: the work and
ere 5zv EFT home 70 travel with a
-z.suc medicine vender. For a year
Jam accompanied the doctor" On his
,reveIs throosh the rural districts Of
,-e middle west.
TIE next three or four years young
Riley travelled through the country
with s Jew companions who made
thei- living by musical entertainments
and painting signs for progressive
merchants. They styled themselves
The G-aphics" The future poet at
this time was a good musician. a fair
artist. and was beginning to write
poems-many Of which found their
way into the columns Of small coun
Try rapers. He became interested in
newspaper work and settled down in
Anderson. Ind. where he began his
literary career writing humorous
rhymes for advertisements. For HIS
more eerious and ambitious poems,
however. he could find no market.
Later Riley went 10 Indianapolis
where he secured a position on the
Journal" becoming a regular con-
tributor to that paper. During the
following years many OF his poems
written in the Hooser dialect of In
diana country folk were published in
the indianapolis Journal" and the
Young poets fame grew from year TO
year. His reputation became national
after ne had published the series OF
dialect poems under the pseudonym Of
Benjamin F. Johnson Of Boone"
Mr.. Riley continued writing for the
journal for some time, and his work
He found il necessary
eventually TO sever his newspaper con-
nection in order to have more time to
devote to his private work, and then
he Joined forces with Bill Nye for
a tour Of the United States, These
famous entertainers were soon known
from one end OF the country to the
other, and many amusing anecdotes
are told OF the days they spent to-
gether.
\ few Of the most popular Of Riley's
books are "The Golden Year." "a
Child World" "Neighborly Poems"
Sketches in Prose and Interluding
Verse" "Afterwhiles," Pipes o Pam
Rhymes Of Childhood" Flying ISL
snds Of the Night" "Old- Fashioned
Roses" Green Fields and Running
Brooks "Armazindy," PONIES Here
at home" "Rubaiyat of Dow, Sifers,
and IAN Old Sweetheart of Mine"
Publication Of books or poems year
after year have brought Mr.. Riley
wealth and wide recognition Of his lit
erary genius. Many of his poems are
Of imaginative fantasy or are mildly
rhilos3phic. He received the degree
Of Master Of Arts from Yale Institute
in 1902, and in 1904 the University of
Pennsylvania conferred upon him the
degree Of Doctor Of Letters.
For many years the poet has made
his home on Lockerbie street, IN In
dianapolis, and this quaint little thor
oughfare which is only two blocks