Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-23
RIVALAUTHORS NOW
ASSERT THEY WROTE
THE CALL OF KANSAS
Safe Society Dips Into the
Fight and Demands Proofs
of Authorship - Poem Is
Widely Quoted.

TOPEKA, Sept. 23.-Some Kansans are
reading the war news, others are watch
ing the gyrations of the candidates for
political jobs, and~a lot Of them are in
terested in determining the authorship
of one of the States most famous poems,
1.-THE Call of Kansas" This is the most
widely published of any Kansas poem
and there Is not Kansas Day exercise
complete without it.
For many years the poem has been
credited to Miss Esther NJ. Clark, of Cha
mute, an employe of the extension di-
vision of the University of Kansas, and
an author OF numerous Kansas poems.
In the last two or three months n new
claimant to the authorship has appeared,
Mrs. Emma Clark-karr, wife of an at
torney of Girard
SOCIETY CALLS FOR PROOFS.
The Kansas Historical Society has
dipped into the fight and has made a de-
mand upon the two claimants to sub
NIT the proofs of authorship. Miss
Esther Clark has filed long deposition
with the society, telling in detail how
she happened to write the poem. She
was visiting in California in the winter
of 1867 and became dreadfully home
sick. One night as she was trying to
get to sleep she says the line, "The voice
of the prairie calling, calling me-" sud
built the poem. The poem was sent to
j. l.. Brady, the publisher of the Law
renee Journal, who had printed some of
Miss Clark's poetry, and it was published
in May, 1907. 1t was first published
without a signature. but later Brady
wrote an editorial giving the name of
the author.
This was only after the poem had
been printed in the Star and credited
to the Lawrence Journal. Hundreds of
readers of the Star asked who the au-
thor of the beautiful poem was aud
Mr.. Brady gave 1t. after Miss Clark had
consented. The poem has since been
published in folders and Miss Clarks
book of Kansas verses.
YEARS DIFFERENCE IN CLAIMS.
Mrs. Emma Clark-Karr was a Hutch
inson school teacher. and she, too claims
to have written the poem during a per-
iod of inconsistencies in California in 1899
and 1t was supposed TO have first been
published in the Hutchinson Gazette in
the spring of 1900, seven years before
Miss Esther Clark wrote the poem, A.
NJ. Nettleton, one of the owners of the
Gazette at that time, has made a state-
ment that the poem was obtained for
him by his mother from the mother OF
Mrs karr and that he set the type for ii.
He signed the poem Esther Clark by
mistake, and his attention was called
TO this mistake afterward by Mrs. Karr's
mother.
l. L. Dayhoff, formerly State Super
intendent of Public Instruction, has also
made statement that he saw the poem
In the Gazette and that he used il for
several years in his educational lectures
A search through the files of the Gazette
FOR ID months of 1899 and 1900 failed TO
hnd the poem. The Kansas Historical
Society has complete file OF the paper
Mr Karr has sent word to the histori-
cal society that in short time he will
furnish the proofs of his wife being
the author of the poem, possibly NOT |
IN exactly the same language, but with
effort
j, l.. Brady has offered reward NJ |
Eip 10 anyone offering proof that Miss |
hsther Nj. Clark did not write the Doem
ana that it was not first published i'm |
the Lawrence Journal
Here Is copy of the Call Of Kansas"
as II appears I'm the records of the Kan
sas Historical Society:
surteited here with beauty, and the ssnsuous
Borne in from a thousand gardens, and the
A., orchards OF orange bloom;
"e' Ss 'be bTsser silent mountains and stunned by
Ihs restless tSs oGesn % pounding and tusginE away
lie on the warm sand beach and hear above
- the cry OF the sea,
. 80 'S'NN " tue prairie, calling, |
Calling me.
s"eeter 10 me than the salt sea spray, ths
fragrance Of the summer rains;
NeaFsf my heart than the mighty hills are the
wind-sNept Kansas plains
bearer the sight Of a shy wild rose BY the
- Toadside's dusty way ~
In the sun OF May.
iay as the bold ponsettia Is and the hurdan
OF pepper trees.
the sunnowers, tawny and gold and brown IA
richer 70 than these -
lnsistent sea,
lhe voice OF the prairie, calling
Calling me-
Kansas: Beloved Mother, today in an alien
ours = the name | have idly traced with
bit Of wood IN the sand
lhe name that, sprung from a Ecornful lin |
- VIII make the hot blood start,
lhe name that Is gTaven, hard and deeD on |
the core Of my loyal heart
, miner, clearer, and stronger yet than The |
boom OF the savage sea
- voice ef the prairie calling,
Calling me.