The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-09-08

wanted to get even with him, he wrote his
imitation of Poe, and had It published In paper
in another part Of the state with elaborate
story about the discovery of the manuscript.
AT once ii made great sensation all
the country II made great Il 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 young
friend Riley will bettle this poem and say il is
not the work of Poe But II is Poe, and Poes
best manner. The sensation grew to such pro-
portions that Riley had to confess that he had
written the poem. And then the editor OF the
paper discharged Riley because he had not pub
lshed IL 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 the shops
of the merchants who advertised in the Journal.
"Riley's first book was called The Old Swim
min Hole and Leven More POEMS He pub
lished it himself. 1t sold so well that 1t was soon
taken over by publisher, and passed through
many editions.
"Rey's exquisite penmanship showed the care
with which he wrote. Originally he wrote a care
less and rather illegible 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
careful always to get the dialect OF one
part of Indiana distinct from the dialect of
any other part.
membered ! suppose, by some of his habitual
gestures and expressions I remember Riley
very deliberate in his motions, especially in his
last years. Smooth shaver. rudy. well groomed,
he looked like a benign old English bishop more
than anything else"
Mr. Don Marquis Of the New York Sun aptly
considers Riley and his poetry from entirely
different angle
James Whitcomb Riley" says he, "wns the
companion Of fairies in Already; for the Hooser
belongs To apart. And while some
captured and broken to trade. the gentle poet
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 Indinnnn--the ordinary
Indianan. who Is not so very different from the
Ohioan the Illinoisan, and the TIoosier.
1.-THE I1oosier belong not merely to q race apart
but to - separate species. He is human. hut
with difference: he is aware Of the knshp
between humanity and the socalled lower ami
mails (and even the plants and streams) the
one side and on the other side Of the kinship of
humanity with the elves.
"When the moon turns the msts to silver and
the owls wall and the frogs wake up along the
creeks and lakes and the fairies saddle and bride
the frefles and mount them and 90 whirring and
flashing off In search of airy adventures the
HOLSTERS steal out of the farmhouses and ham,
lets and creep down to the bottom lands and
dance and sing and cavort under the summer
stars. They do secretly. lodging the hu-
MANS for secrecy is the essence Of their midnight,
whimsical revels
"In the daytime they pretend they just
ordinary Indlanans; their own brothers and
mothers may not realize that they HOLSTERS.
But in Indiana, as elsewhere, there is business
and the need TO attend TO II. There must have
been in Arcady-somebody owned the focks
and herds OF Already and turned them into
butchers meat and leather. and the shepherds
only piped on the sufferance Of their commercial