Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-08
JAMES WH|TCOMB RILEY
GETS NATIONS TRIBUTES
Hoosier Poet Celebrates One Of Hap
piest Birthday Anniversaries
of His Life.
RECEIVES UNIQUE PRESENTS
CHEEKY Messages From People in
Every Walk of Life Bring Him
Keen Sends
His Fluctuations.

INDIANAPOLIS. IND, October -
james Whitcomb Riley. aided by the
State and nation. to-day celebrated one
of the happiest birthday anniversaries
OF MS life. lie was the honor guest at
Al theatrical performance in the after
noon, and tonight attended a banquet
given I'm his honor.
More than 1000 of the poets friends
greeted him at the theatcr \ number
or his poems had been set to music,
ana these were Interpreted by dancers
some OF the most prominent men in
the world OF letters spoke at the ban
quet
The food OF congratulations which
has poured in on Mr. Riley for the past
two weeks reached it's crest to-day.
Ihere were CHEEKY messages from pco-
pie In every walk of life. The poet
evinced keen delight ut thse tri-
butes.
One of the unique presents received
at the Riley home was birthday cake
SNAPPED like pumpkin. Growing il
was layer OF frostinc. 1t typifed Mr.
Fdley's poem, "Th' Frost Is On Th'
Punkin.' y card bore the message that
the donor desired to be known only as
old Aunt Mary"
Two blacksmiths sent gifts. One was
a handsome silver horseshoe. The other
was tiny hammer to which n card
was attached saying:
rms Is big enough for all the knock
ing you viii ever want to do"
LETTER FROM ACADEMY
OF ARTS AND LETTERS
a letter felicitating him on his birth
day reached Mr.. Riley to-day from the
American Academy of Arts and Let
tiers, the organization which three years
ago acknowledged the Hoosier bard as
the greatest living poet and presented
him with gold medal in testimony of
that fact The letter follows:
I'm behalf OF your associates of the
American Academy of Arts and Letters,
we send you our heartiest Fluctuations
on your birthday, and on the festival
with which 1t is celebrated by your
native State. The academy is deeply
sratifed by the honor thus accorded
you, and halls II as lasting work OF
life. We wish YOU many happy and
tranquil years"
The letter. dated New York, was
signed by William Dean Howells.
president of the academy: William NJ
sloane. Robert Underwood Johnson,
Edwin Rowland Blashheld, William
Crnry Brownell. Thomas Hastings and
William Rutherford Mead, directors of
the academy.
The poet also received cahled con
CALCULATIONS from Ambassador Page. at
Rome; Minister Brand Whitlock, at
at The Hague. There also was mes
sage Of felicitation from President
Wilson.
ELOQUENT RESPONSE
TO THE ADDRESSES
Governor John NJ. Ralston delivered
the address of welcome at the banquet
and former Niee-President Charles W.
Fairbanks was Il speaker. Mr.. Riley
responded to the addresses. He said:
Everywhere the faces of friends,
kindly generous faces. some marked
with serious thought and retrospection,
some simply glad in the spirit OF tho
moment: hut all, all, the faces of
friends, friends proudly to be owned,
because :hey are old friends. or friends
newly discovered, or Hoosier friends
at home; or from abroad--friends with
kindly hearts, friends eminent in the
nations love, friends no less dear be-
cause their worth is more humbly
known; beautiful throng Of friends
among which are To tie seen the faces
of the women and children. And yet
like them, friends greatly To he cher
iShed-warm, tender brave and strong
and all smiling like very boyhood
restored to US, gently smiling. thought
fully smiling, smiling wiStfully. twink
ly, tenderly--a host OF friendly faces
upliftcd and continuous as to the stars
in truth, like Wordsworth's ten thous-
and danodils until even a pseudo poet
could not hut he gay
But To one who has been blessed
with length ot years and hCmewhat
vivid memory. the brilliant gather
ing here tonight can but recall num-
berless other like scenes which have
brought into prominence many Of those
dear old friends who have, alas passed
on And yet, as memory rallies them,
the radiant faces about the boa ri to-
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