Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-07
MANY NOTABCES JOIN
IN PAYING TRIBUTE TO
JAMES WHlTCOMB RILEY

~ JAMES "HlISOWo niGeI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
indianapolis. Oct Indiana today
led the nation in celebrating the birth
day of James Whitcomb Riley. The
feature will be banquet this evening
for Mr.. Riley.
Every school in the state will devote
today to the man whose rhymes have
won so many childish hearts. From
communities In every section of the
country have come assurances that
the Hoosier poet will be honored in
their locality.
For the last two weeks MIR. Riley
has been showered with letters. tele-
grams and poems congratulating him
on his birthday His happiness over
this tribute is patent to all who see
him.
indianapolis. Ind, Oct. flames
WhitComb Riley's sixty second birth
day came today, and. just t. make 1t
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 In
diana 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 i'll health. He has reached that sea-
son of his life when the frost is on
the punkin, an the folders In the
shock and the state of his birth ana
lifelong residence felt that it didn't
want to delay longer the complete and
formal expression of its love for him.
Governor Samuel NJ. Ralston re-
Gently issued a proclamation asking
every community in the state TO set
aside the day for the honoring OF
'Indianas most beloved citizen. His
plan was TO have business suspended
as much as possible. The proclamation
is being generally observed in every
city, town and village, from Indian
apolts down to Greenfield. where Mr.
Riley was born, and Carleton, the tiny
hamlet, under the name Of Talbot, the
praise oe which the poet sang with the
lines:
You kin boast about yet cities, and
their Study 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 mel
Greenfield took particular interest in
the celebration. Many of its older in
habitants remembered James Whit
comb Riley as a little boy, unknown TO
the world except as the son of Captain
Reuben Riley. highly respected clti-
zen. Also it recalled that it is situated
on the banks of the Brandywlne, the
little stream whose joys the poet
chronicled in '"Th' Old Swimmin' Hole,
and of which he had said, that, wand
ering up and down It, he had more
fun to the square inch, than ever any
where"
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 cele-
brated persons from all over the coun-
try to attend. Many accepted.
William Allen White came from EN-
.poria, Kan. DR.. John H. Finley and
Colonel George Harvey, from New
York: EiieIy SodS@!ch from Boston
and Young F. Allison from Louisville,
KY, to help honor Mr.. Riley.
The list of Indiana citizens taking
part in the celebration is big In ad-
dition to the members of the committee
Of arrangements there were Former
Senator Albert j. Beveridge, Senator
Kern, Vice President Marshall and
others.
The program OF the day called for
an entertainment in local theater In
the afternoon and banquet at which
Mr.. Riley was to be the guest of honor
in the evening. 1t was expected that
the poet would read q new poem at
the banquet.
At the entertainment, several Of Mr..
Rileys poems, including THE Raggedy
Man and Little Orphant Annie" were
set to music by Mr.. Ward Stephens
Dancers from Anna Pavlowa's COM
pany interpreted number of the
verses.
Hundreds who had hoped to attend
the banquet this evening will be dis
appointed. The committee in charge
have been compelled to reject scores of
appeals for accommodations as there
are seats for but 400. Former Vice
President Charles w. Fairbanks will
be POSTMASTER.
The coming Of his birthday in Oc-
tober has 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:
SsY H@k~