Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-09-15

wanted to get even with him, he wrote his
imitation of Poe, and had 1t published in a paper
In another part Of the state with elaborate
story about the discovery of the manuscript.
"At once 1t made u great sensation all over
the country. 1t made so great "A 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 belitte this poem and say 1t is
not the work of Poe. But 1t is Poe. and Poe's
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.
lished II in his paper
Then the Indianapolis Journal gave him n 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 called The Old SWIM
min Hole and 'Leven More Poems He pub
lished II himself. II sold so well that it
taken over by publisher. and passed through
many editions.
"Rileys exquisite penmanslip showed the care
with which he wrote. Originally he
less and rather illegible script but he had
much difficulty in getting the printers to read his
writing and printing his dialect 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
".Any mans character. he said. is best
membered. suppose by Of his habitual
very deliberate In his motions, especially in his
last years. Smooth shaven ruddy. well grooined.
he looked like a benign old English bishop
than anything else
Mr.. Don Marquis of the New York Sun nptly
considers Riley and his poetry from entirely
different angle.
James whitcomb Riley" says he. "was the
companion Of fairies In Already: for the Hoosier
belongs apart. And while 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
with his essay:
"'There two sorts OF Indinnan-the ordinary
Indnnan. who is not very different from the
Ohioan or the Tlnoisnn. and the Hoosier.
"The Hoosier belong not merely to a race apart
but to separate species He Is human hut
with difference: he is aware Of the knshp
between humanity and the so-called lower ami
mails (and even the plants and strenms) the
side. and on the other side of the kinshIp Of
humanity with the elves
"When the moon turns the mists to silver and
the owls wall and the frogs wake up along the
creeks and lakes and the fairies saddle and bridle
the freiies and mount them and go whirring nnd
flashing OFF in search Of airy adventures the
HoOsiers steal ont of the farmhouses and ham
lets and creep down the bottom lands and
dance and sing and under the summer
stars. They do so secretly. dodGng the mere hu-
mans for secrecy Is the essence of their midnight.
whimsical rcvels.
"In the daytime they pretend 'they are Just
ordinary Indianans; their own brothers and
mothers may not realize that they Hoosiers.
But in Indiana elsewhere. there is business
and the need to attend to It, There must have
and herds of Already and turned them Into
butchers meat and leather. and the shepherds
only piped on the suferance of their commercial