The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-10-15
POET RILEY SPENDS
HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY.
Notables of HOOsier State and Entire
Nation Join in HonOring Beloved
Author-Unique Gifts.

and nation, today celebrated one OF
the happiest birthday anniversaries Ct
his life. He was the honor guest at
a theatrical performance in the after
noon and tonight attended banquet
given in his honor.
More than 1000 of the poets
friends greeted him at the theatre
Some of the most prominent men in
the world of letters spoke at the ban
quet tonight.
The flood of congratulations which
has poured in on Mr.. Riley for the
past two weeks reached it's crest to-
| day. There were CHEEKY messages
from people in every walk of life. The
poet evinced keen delight at each
of these tributes.
Cake Like Pumpkin.
One of the unique presents received
at the Riley home was birthday cake
shaped and colored like pumpkin.
Growing it was a layer of frosting.
1t typified Mr.. Riley's poem, 9TH
frost is on tn punkin." A card bore
the message that the donor desired to
be known only as "Old Aunt Mary"
Two blacksmiths sent gifts. One
was handmade silver horseshoe. The
other was a tiny hammer to which a
card was attached saying:
"This is big enough for all the
knocking you will ever want to do"
Letter From A. A. A. l..
A letter felicitating him on his
birthday reached Mr.. Riley today
from the American Academy of Arts
and Letters, the organization which
three years ago acknowledged the
Hoosier poet as the greatest living
poet and presented him with a gold
medal in testimony of that fact The
letter follows:
"ln behalf of your associates of the
American Academy of Arts and Let
ters, we send you our heartiest felici-
tations on your birthday, and on the
festival with which it is celebrated
by your native State. The academy is
deeply gratified by the honor thus
accorded you, and halls it as a recog-
milton of the lasting worth of poetry
as an influence in the national life.
We wish you many happy and tran
quill years"
The letter, dated New York, was
signed by William Dean Howells, pres
ident of the academy; VIM. M. Sloane,
Robert Underwood Johnson, Edwin
Rowland Blashfield, William Crary
Brownell, Thomas Hastings and Will
liam Rutherford Mead, directors of
the academy.
HOnored While Living.
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 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
er the complete and formal express
sion 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
"lndiana's most beloved citizen" His
plan was to have business suspended
as much as possible. The proclama-
tion is being generally observed in
every city, town and village, from In
dianapolis down to Greenfield, where
Mr. Riley was born, and Carleton, the
tiny hamlet, under the name of Tail
holt, the praise of which the poet sang
with the lines:
"You kin boast about yer cities, and
their stiddy growth and size,
And about yer county-seats, and
busines senterprise,
And railroads, and factories, and all
sich foolery-
But the little Town o. Tailholt is
big enough for me-"
Greenfield took particular interest
in the celebration. Many of its olds
er inhabitants remembered James
Whitcomb Riley as a little boy, un-
known to the world except as the
son of Captain Reuben Riley, high
ly respected citizen. Also it recalled
that it is situated on the banks O,
the Brandywine, the little stream
whose joys the poet chronicled in
9TH Old Swimmin' Hole" and of
which he had said, that, wandering
up and down it, he chad more fun to
the square inch, than ever anywhere"
NOtables Present.
Governor Ralston, Mayor Joseph +.
Bell, Charles Warren Fairbanks, Mer-
edith Nicholson and George AIDE had
charge of the celebration in Indian
apolis. In order to lend nationwide
interest to it, they invited celebrated
persons from all over the country to
attend. Many accepted.
William Allen White came from
Emporia, Kas.; DR.. John H. Finley
and Colonel George Harvey, from
New York; Ellerby Sedgwich, from