The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-07-23
Young and Old Alike Grief.
Stricken by James Whit.
comb RiIey's Death.
HAD A VARIED CAREER
First a Law Student, Then
Itinerant Sign Painter, Then
ChiIdren's Bard.

James WnitcomD Riley Ii niOurned oil
over the English speaking world to-
day.
Hut deepent is the grief among the
young. for he long ago won the right
to be termed poet Laureate Of the chill
drcn. and among the very old. especial
~ among the grizsled old farmers who
1--we along the road frbm Greenfield to
IndIanapoli
They know him as Jim" And Jim
they called him as no made his weekly
trip from Indianapolis out to Greenfield.
stopping and chatting. with each of
pausing to- play game with the chill
dren who knew and loved him
0, Know him? Why shouldn't they:
Riley born right there in Greenfield in
1853. And hasn't he been around those
parts" ever since: And wasn't II over
that selfsame road, poor. unhappy
sst i;m true, ar,udsed many f. time when his
"Allus Prowlin' Aroun'."
by crackey. sir. that was funny"
quoth one Of these old habitants to
an interviewer not so long ago. There
Yves Jim his head full Of rhymes. and
him allus prowling aroun' in the woods.
and no use for indoors at all, and his
good: We, well.neanin' CID dad trying to
Jim" no more distinguished himself
earlier. In the village ,ssohool. than he
did In his fathers law office.
His chief distinction was at the Fri
day afternoon entertainments, when his
amazed teachers who could get him to
show little interest In school affairs on
other days.
He even wrote verse of his own and
recited 1t on those Friday afternoons,
but his father. a methodical: serious
minded man. did not take much stock
In poetry"
After an irksome few months in his
a chance Of escape. An itinerant medi-
| cine man came to town, with q band.
lurid pictures. free samples: and all.
| saw a chance to see the world. So he
hired out as a helper and for a year
he made his way painting new and more
striking signs for the doctor"
Became Sign Painter.
BY that time sign painting looked bet
ter to young Riley than the law. so ne
returned to his home town and appren-
ticed himself to a German sign painter
there.
But his wanderlust was not satisfied
by this work at home. 30 he went to
Anderson, Ind, whore he was Joined by
other kindred spirits who could also
paint signs at a pinch, and they organ
oraphics" and started forth to paint
signs for merchants in each town they
struck.
Riley spent his spare moments scrib-
bling verse BY this time he had de-
cided he was to be q writer
He got some Of his works published
in country papers. These same country
papers, which had to be cajoled into
printing his verses then. now are most
likely to have the faded clippings framed
and hanging in the front office.
have long ago disappeared. and others
| Of which have become metropolitan
dailies. thus can boast of having once
printed an Original poem by Riley"
On Road Two Years.
For two years Tho Graphics" were
on the road.
Then young Riley got the chance he
wanted. He was offered the city-editor-
ship of a paper at Anderson. That
meant that he was to write editorials.
get new subscribers. and collect all the
I locals bits OF personal news, but N
sddition he wrote "a dsiy column OF
The young editor was panied because
pared with the squibs Of humorous
verse s';.,i he e scattered through tho paper a.
Riley also began to send his more seri-
GUS efforts to magazines and bigger
newspapers. but the rejection slips were
inevitable and disheartening. He be.
was published in the pages he wanted to
why. It's no better than mine. only
.O one ever S.1 heard Of a he told ts
a poem and send It ~ under some big
name they'd print It fast enough"
i Wrote In Poe's Style.
head for a time and rot him into trou'
Die. Hs wrote r q poem IN imitation o.
f pos s's copied On tSs ie.t Of an az
dictionary, was sent 70 an editor Of {
paper In Kokomo, IND
Poe's. Riley and this editor and som,
. friends cooked up a story to the Of
feet that the dictionary belonged to ar
old man in the neighborhood.
They said he told . story about q
nights lodging from this old mani
grandfather, a tavern keeper in Vlr
ginia. He left next day. without pay
ing his bill. but in the nyieaf of tn,
| DOCK was tounu poem. And thll
poem ran:
acknowledgements named her
And they took the light
OF the laughing stars and framed her
Il In q smile Of white;
And they made her. halt Of gloomy
3 Midnight and her eyes OF gloomy
Moonshine. and they brought her to mo
In the solemn night.
= In n solemn night Of summer.
Al When my heart OF gloom
Blossomed up to greet the Conner
Like a rose In bloom;
. All forebodings that distressed mo
forgot as Joy caressed mo
Giving Joy, that caught and pressed me
\ In the arms OF doom).
Only spake the little iisper
In the angel tongue;
Yet I, listening. heard her whisper:
Songs are only sung
Here below that they may Eriove YOU
! Tales but told you to deceive you
! 80 must Leonainie leave you
While her love 10 young"
Then God smiled and II was morning.
Matohless and supreme.
Heavens glory seemed adorning
0 Every heart but mine seemed Fitted
= With the voice Of prayer, and lifted,
7 Where my Leonaine drfted
From me like dream.
Tni. mann wa q wideIv roriad atud ant