Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-08
James Whitcomb Riley FeIici-
tated by Friends in Every
Walk of Life.
CONGRATULATIONS LETTER
FROM PRESIDENT WILSON
Poet Voices Delight and Gratitude
for Words of Praise Show
cred Upon Him.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, october s.
James Whitcomb Riley. aided by the
state and nation. yesterday celebrated
one of the happiest birthdays of his
life. He was the honor guest at the
atrical performance in the afternoon
and last night attended banquet given
in his honor
More than 1000 of the poets friends
greeted him at the theater. A number
of his poems had been set to music and
these were interpreted by dancers
Some of the most prominent men in the
world of letters spoke at the banquet.
The flood of congratulations which
has poured in on Mr.. Riley for the past
two weeks reached its crest yesterday.
There were CHEEKY messages from peo-
pie in every walk of life. The poet
evinced a keen delight at each of these
tributes.
A Pumpkin Birthday Cake.
One of the unique presents received at
the Riley home was birthday cake
shaped and colored like a pumpkin.
Growing it was layer Of frosting. 1t
typified Mr.. Riley's poem, 9TH Frost
Is on tn Punkin" card bore the mes
sage mat the donor desired 10 DC hhoWH
only as "Old Aunt Mary"
Two blacksmiths sent gifts. One was
q handmade silver horseshoe. The other
was tiny hammer to which card was
attached saying: This is big enough
for all the knocking you will ever want
to do"
Mr. Riley voiced a few simple words
Of gratitude for the praise which had
been showered upon him during the even
ing at the banquet by Charles Warren
Fairbanks Senator John w. Kern, Col.
George Harvey, William Allen White.
George AIDE. John II. Finley. Gov. Sam
uel NJ. Ralston and other speakers
Born in 1S49. .
The poet never speaks of his age, for.
q he says, II never want my friends to
think that / am getting old" 1t has
been learned, however. that this was the
sixty-sixth milestone of his life. In his
official proclamation of the poets birth
day as Riley day Gov. Ralston let It
be known that Mr.. Riley was born In
1S49.
Mr.. Riley's Address.
Mr.. Riley, in a brief address. said:
Everywhere the faces OF friends. kind
ly generous faces, some marked with seri-
Gus thOuRnl ana IttTOSpcSliOh, So4iS SAAAA
ply glad in the spirit of the moment. but
all, all, the faces of friends. friends
proudIy to be owned because they are old
friends, or friends newly discovered. or
Hoosier friends-at home or from abroad
friends with kindly hearts, friends emf
nent in the nations love, friends no less
dear because their worth Is more mummy
known a beautiful throng of friends,
among which are to be missed only the
faces Of the women and the children. ana
yet like them, friends greatly to be cher
ished-warm, tender, brave and strong
and all smiling like very boyhood restored
to us, gently smiling. thoughtfully smil-
ing, smiling wistfully. twinklingly, ten
deriy-a host Of friendly faces. uplifted
and continuous as the stars in truth, ike
Wordsworths 10000 daffodils, until even
Q pseudo poet
Gould not but be gay
In such jocund company!'
But to one who has been blessed with
length Of years and somewhat vivid MEM
DRY the brilliant gathering here tonight
can but recall numberless other like scenes
In which have been brought into promi-
nence many OF those dear old friends who
have, alas, passed on. And yet, men,
DRY mistakenly recalls them, the radiant
faces about the board tonight grow still
more radiant and exalted with the faces
that long since have faded from our real
vision"
Similar Scenes Of other Years.
Mr.. Riley then mentioned similar
scenes in which Thomas A. Hendricks.
BENJAMIN Harrison. William Pinkney
Fishback. John L. Grifiths. Walter @.
Gresham and a number of others hg-
% ured.
And there Is gladness all along the
line" he continued, from the first i'm
mortal entrance of tovial character to
the very present company tonight-the
faces all filled with the like pleasure
here / make my glad obeisance, and
my thanks as well to those friends in
alien quarters who have so kindly sent
their words of cheer and godspeed,
while the distinguished guests who
have spoken in tribute here may be
sure of my most feeling gratitude.
And may / express particular ap-
probation for the words of the Presi-
dent of our country. who has found
opportunity in the stress and worry
of these imperiled times to remember
and to honor US with his participancy
in the spirit of the hour. And no less
Mr.. Howells, our master of letters
the master worthy as beloved. and be-
loved as worthy.
To him, to-these, to all Of you and
every one. ] thank you. and, In the
words of little Tim Cratchit. God bless
US, every one.
Hailed as the Greatest Living Poet.
A letter felicitating him on his
birthday reached Mr.. Riley 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 a gold medal in
testimony of that fact. The letter fol-
lows.
I'm behalf of your associates of the
American Academy OF Arts and Letters
we send you our heartiest felicitat tons
on your birthday. and on the festival
with which II is celebrated by your