The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-09-09


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. of James Whitcomb
Rfleys closest friends. After the Indiana
songster's death July %, Carman told much
about Riley to Mr.. Joyce Kilmer of the New York
Times Magazine and Mr.. Kmer in turn told it
to the public
Some 80 years ago Carman was introduced to
the already famous Hoosier. Riley's keen bird
like eyes surveyed the tall frame of the new and
young acquaintance: Gosh, you're stalwarts
amt yep ne remarked, grinning. 81 guess your
parents must have trained you trellis"
Then reported by Mr.. Kilmer Car1nan went
to say:
1.-THE next time I saw Riley was in Philadelphia.
I went to read before the Browning society. and
I don't mind telling you that I was scared to
death. When got out all alone the stage and
saw thousand people staring up at me l 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
l felt all right. 1 wasn't afraid to read my
poetry to Riley.
after the reading Riley tucked me
under his arm and said Now, let's get around
to the hotel and Wen take off shoes and
get chew of tobacco and be comfortable
you know, such remarks as this were all the
more piquant because Riley very pune
tilious and scrupulous all his personal habits.
He always was Immediately dressed. 1 never
sion to comfort to put 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
verse. He delighted particularly in ridculously
bad newspaper verse.
"Rey liked to read poetry aloud When went
to his house of evening, he generally wait
ing for me with some 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 Long
fellow and Swinburne
Riley liked Longfellow's drectness and sim
plicity. 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
some of the colleges he seemed TO feel that he
ought to be known as poet, rather than
humorist and writer of dialect verse. He tried
hard to live up the of poet and wanted
his nonsense rhymes of his vagabondage forgot
ten. Yet his vernacular verse, or. as he called it.
his dialect verse, was his chief contribution to
literature.
"RiIey was just poet That was all ne ever
cared 20 be. He not interested in anything
but poetry. He knew nothing of politics-he had
not voted for 30 years. And as for philosophy.
he had nothing but contempt for the modern
thinkers.
There something very pathetic and charm
poet pose. His nonsense was just of his ways
of writing which happened to prove popular;
when he got chance write In another way
how eagerly he seized it. and how persistently he
chung to 1t
His last years the happest OF his life.
1 think He had his own car and rode around
indianapolis and its suburbs every day. generally
taking with him friend He was 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 his mothers side Pennsylvania
Dutch. His father Irish.
"Riley had many prejudices. He disliked Poe
very much. He dfsked Poe's character much
that he could hardly read his poetry. OF course.
he must have liked Poe's music and splendid
metrical effects.
'tOf course, you know the story OF Riley's IA
NOUS imitation of Poe? He had taken a position
on the staff of an Anderson Ind. paper and the
editor of rival paper kept ridiculing him. Riley