The Raymer enterprise., 1916-09-07
HZEYy LAJv PZ1LLc Ap9EHHNLS

wanted 10 gel even with him. so he wrote his
Imitation Of Poe. and had II published In n paper
In another part of the state with an elaborate
story about the discovery OF the manuscript
al once II made great sensation all over
Inc country. II mnde SO grent sensation that
Riley was terrified, and feared that he would be
accused OF literary forgery. Meanwhile the edi-
tor OF the rival paper wrote: No doubt our young
friend Riley will belltle this poem aud say |. Is
not the work Of Poe. But IL is Poe and poes
best manner The sensation grew to such pro-
portions that Riley had 10 confess that he had
written the poem. And then the editor Of the
paper discharged Riley because he had not pub.
llshed II in his paper,
Then the indianapolis Journal gave him job.
which he held for years. He wrote reams of
nonsense verse. and wrote up In verse the shops
Of the merchants who advertised In the Journal
"Rileys first book was called The Old Swim
min Hole and 'Leyen More Poems He pub
lished II himself II sold well that It was soon
taken over by publisher, and passed through
many editions.
"Rileys exquisite penmanshlp showed the care
with which he wrote Originally he wrote care
less and rather iegibe script. but he had so
much difficulty in getting the printers to read his
writing and printing his dialect verse correctly,
that he took up the study of penmanship. He
was careful always TO get the dialect OF one
part Of Indiana as distinct from the dialect of
any other part
ANY mnn's character. he said. is best re-
membered, | suppose. by some of his habitua
gestures and expressions. | remember Riley as
very deliberate In his motions especially In his
last yenrs Smooth shayen ruddy. well groomed
he looked like benign old English bishop more
than anything else"
Mr. Don Marquis Of the New York Sun aptly
considers Riley and his poetry from an entirely
different angle.
James Whtcomh Riley" says he "was the
companion Of fairies In Already; for the Hooser
belongs to rnce apart. And while some are
captured and broken to trade, the gentle poef
escaped and kept always the vision of hidden
things"
With these predatory remarks the writer goes
on with his essay:
There are two sorts OF Indlanan-the ordinary
lndlnnhn who Is not so very different from the
Ohioan or the Ilnnlsan. and the Hooser
"'The HoosIer belong not merely to race apart,
but to separate species He Is human. hut
with difference; he is aware of the kinshp
between humanity and the so-called lower ami.
mails land even the plants and streams, on the
side. and on the other side of the knship of
humanity with the elves
"When the moon turns the mlsts to silver and
the owls wail and the frogs wake up along the
creeks and lakes md the fairies saddle and bridle
the freiles and mount them and go whrrng and
flashing of In search Of airy adventures the
HoosIers steal out OF the farmhouses and ham.
lets and Green down to the bottom lands and
dance and sing and cavort under the summer
stars. They do so secretly, lodging the mere hu.
mans, for secrecy is the essence of their midnight
whimsical revels.
in the daytime they pretend they are lust
ordinary Indlnnnns: their own brothers and
mothers may not realize that they are HoosIers.
But In Indiana as elsewhere there Is business
and the need to attend to It. There must have
been even In Arcady-somebody owned the aocks
and herds OF Already and turned them Into
butchers meat and leather. and the shepherds
only piped on the sufferancs Of their commercial.