The Benson signal., 1916-09-09

9xSSSssSTT Spanish q Florida oak he
kzSAs&aazsGEa is suspected of being hard up. And
if he exhibits what is supposed to
be his soul by certain shifting and staring of his
eyes he is pitied whose mental gearing
has sand in it.
Bliss Carman, former editor of the Independent
and poet of note, was one Of James Whitcomb
Rileys closest friends After the Indiana
songster's death July 23 Carman told much
about Riley to Mr.. Joyce Kilmer of the New York
Times Magazine and Mr.. Kilmer in turn told it
to the public.
Some 30 years ago Carman was introduced to
the already famous Hooser Rileys keen bird
like eyes surveyed the tall frame of the and
young acquaintance: "Gosh, you're a stalwart,
amt YEP he remarked grinning. 81 guess your
parents must have trained you treis."
Then, reported by Mr. Kilmer, Carman went
to say:
1.-The next time Riley was in Philadelphia.
/ went to read before the Browning society, and
l don't mind telling you that | was scared to
death. When got out all alone on the stage and
thousand people staring up at felt
more like running away than doing anything else.
But when l Riley down in the audience.
looking at me in his quaint, friendly way, then
/ felt all right | wasn't afraid to read my
poetry TO Riley.
after the reading Riley tucked
under his arm and said Now, let's get around
to the hotel and we'll take off our shoes and
get chew of tobacco and be comfortable.
"YOu know, such remarks this all the
piquant because Riley very pune
tilious and scrupulous in all his personal habits.
He always was Immediately dressed. 1
knew him to make much of cOnces-
sion to comfort to put on smoking jacket
or lounge coat. But he liked to go to his
and stretch himself his bed and talk. And
he never talked about anything but literature.
chiefly poetry.
"Riley had great fund Of knowledge of
poetry and knew lots of Out-Of the-way homely
He delighted particularly in ridiculously
bad newspaper
''Riley liked to read poetry aloud When went
to his house of an evening he generally was wait
ing for with favorite book, ready to
read aloud"
What sort of poetry did he prefer?"
His tastes covered wide range. Two poets
to whom he especially devoted were Long
fellow and Swnburne.
"Riley liked Longfellow's directness and SIM
plcity. The things that pleased him in Swim
burne's work were the music and the deft crafts
manship.
after Riley had received his degrees from
of the colleges. he seemed to feel that he
ought to be known poet rather than a
hunOrist and writer of dialect verse; He tried
hard to live up to the name of poet, and wanted
his nonsense rhymes Of his vagabOndage forgot
ten Yet his vernacular verse; or, he called it,
his dialect verse, his chief contribution to
literature.
"Riley just a poet That all he
cared 20 be- He not interested in anything
but poetry He knew nothing of politics-he had
not voted for 30 years. And for philosophy.
he had nothing but contempt for the modern
thinkers.
There was something very pathetic and charm
ing about Rey's tenacity in holding the serious
poet pose. HIS nonsense was just one of his ways
of writing which happened to prove popular;
when he got chance to write in another way
how eagerly he seized it. and how persistently he
clung to 1t!
"His last years were the happiest of his life.
[ think. He had his and rode around
Indianapolis and it's suburbs every day, generally
taking with him friend He honored
and loved and think he felt that life had been
good to him.
"Riley's father was lawyer. His grandfather
came to Indiana from Pennsylvania. His grand
mother on his mothers side Pennsylvania
Dutch His father Irish
"Riley had many prejudices He disliked Poe
very much. He disliked POe's character much
that he could hardly read his poetry. Of course.
he must have liked Poe's music and splendid
metrical effects.
"Of course. you know the story Of Riey's fa-
nous imitation of Poe? He had taken a position
on the staff of an Anderson. Ind. paper and the
editor of a rival paper kept ridiculing him. Riley