The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1915-10-09
RILEY HONOREO
BY |ND|AN|AMS

Whitcomb Riley's sixty-second birth
day came today, and, just to make it
more memorable than any that has
preceded it, the entire state Joined
him in celebrating it.
This year was picked for honoring
the poet because the citizens of Indi-
ana wished to pay him tribute while
he would be fully able to take part
in and enjoy it. In addition to the
weight of years Mr.. Riley has felt
the burden of ill health. He has
reached hat season of his life when
the frost is on the punkin' an the
folders in the SHOCK" and the state
of his birth and lifelong residence
felt that it didn't want to delay long
err the complete and formal express
sion of its love for him.
Governor Samuel M. Ralston re-
Gently issued a proclamation asking
every community in the state to set
aside the day for the honoring of I'm
diana's most beloved citizen" His
plan was to have business suspended
as much as possible. The proclama-
ton is being generally observed in
every city, town and village, from
indianapolis down to Greenfield.
where Mr.. Riley was born and Garlic
ton, the tiny hamlet, under the name
of Talbot, the praise of which the
poet sang with the lines:
"You kin brag about yer cities and
their stiddy growth and size,
And brag about yer county seats and
business enterprise,
And railroads, and factories, and all
SIGH foolery-
But the little town o. Talbot is big
enough fer me-"
Greenfield took particular interest
in the celebration. Many of its old
err inhabitants remembered James
Whitcomb Riley as a little boy, un-
known to the world except as the son
of Canta:p Reuben RILEY, a highly re-
spected citizen, the little stream
whose joys the poet %chronicled III
9TH Old Swimmin' Hole and Of
which he had said that, wandering
ND and down it. he chad more fun TO
the square inch than ever any.
wherA"
Governor Ralston Mayor Joseph F.
Bell. Charles Warren Fairbanks,
Meredith Nicholson and George AIDE
had charge Of The celebration in In
dianapolis. In order to lend nation
wide interest to it, they invited Gel
ebrated persons from all over the
co,n-r t. attend. Many accepted
William Allen White came FROM
EmDo,ia, Kas.: DR.. John H. Finley
and Colonel George Harvey tom
New York; Ellery Sedgwich fronl
Boston, and YounS F. Allison from
Louisville, KY. to help honor M.
Riley.
The list of Indiana citizens taking
part in the celebration is big. In
addition to the members of the COM
mittee of arrangements there were
Former Senator Albert ]. Beveridge,
Senator Kern, Vice President Mar
shall and others.
The program of the day called for
an entertainment in a local theater
in the afternoon and a banquet at
which Mr.. Riley was to be the guest
of honor in the evening. 1t was ex-
pected that the poet would read a
new poem at the banquet.
At the entertainment several of
Mr.. Riley's poems. including THE
Raggedy Man" and Little Orphant
Annie" were set to music by Mr..
War-Stephens. Dancers from Anna
PavlOwa's company interpreted a
number of the verses.
Hundreds who had hoped to attend
the banquet this evening will be dis
appointed. The committee in
charge has been compelled to reject
scores of appeals for accommoda-
tions and there are seats for but
400. Former Vice President Charles
w. Fairbanks will be POSTMASTER.
The coming of his birthday in Oc-
tober has a peculiar happiness for
Mr.. Riley, he said the other day. 1t
is his favorite month, as he attests
in his poem, "Old October" In it
he says:
81 love old October so
can't bear to see her go
Seems to me like losin' some
Old home relative err chum-
Peas like Sort settin' by
Some old friend at sigh by sigh
Was a-passin' out o. sight
Into everlastin' night"
James Whitcomb Riley was born
at Greenfield, Indiana, October z,
1853, the son of Captain Reuben A.
Riley and Elizabeth Riley. He first
began contributions to Indiana pa
pers in 1878. His dialect poems
brought him his greatest fame. His
first book appeared under the pen
name BENZ. F. Johnson of Boone"
Among his best known poems are
Little Orphant Annie" THE Rag
gedy Man." "Leedle Dutch Baby"
9TH Old Swimmin' Hole" "An Old