Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-07-27
JAMES WH|TC0Mb
RILEY DEAD At
THE AGE Of So
HOOsier Poet Succumbs to a Sec.
ond Stroke of Paralysis
at His Home in In
dianapolis.

indianapolis, Ind, July 23.-James
Whitcomb Riley. the Indiana poet, died
last evening.
The end came at his home in this
city.
Mr.. Riley suffered from the extreme
heat all to-day. but was thought to
be resting easy tonight. He asked his
nurse for drink of water at II
o'clock. When she returned with IL he
was dead.
His death was due to stroke Of
paralysis.
James Whitcomh Riley was born at
Greenfield. Ind. probably in 1853. The
poet made a secret of his age. A good
deal of his early life is legendary. for
the reason that Riley refused to con-
sent to have biography published. A
few years ago some Of his admirers in
Chicago. after consulting most of his
early friends who were still living.
wrote an account Of his life and sub
mitted the proofs to him.
The poet was greatly disturbed and
protested, asking his friends to let him
alone. He said his life was too COM
monplace to interest any one. He re-
vised the proofs. however. but doc
tored the biography SO that no specific
or direct statement and no dates were
left standing. He decided to allow It
to be published that way. but later
changed his mind, bought up the
rights in the book, and had it de-
stroyed. When friends in his later
days pressed him to write biography
he said NO. no; it seems too con-
ceitcd"
1t is known, however. that at an
early age and with little schooling, he
left the home of his father. who was a
lawyer, and started to earn his own
living. His earliest cultivation of his
talent for the use of words was in the
peddlng Of patent medicines. BUSH
ness which in those days was largely
in the hands of men of persuasive
eloquence. After that he is said to
have haunted country fairs. where he
wrote impromptu verses for small
fee while others in tents beside him
told fortunes and charmed snakes
ONCE 4 SGGN FAINTER.
His next step was to become a sign
and house painter and he was credited
in Indiana with being the discoverer of
the idea of advertising by painting
signs on fences. In various parts of
the state are ancient wooden fences
which local pride assert to have borne
the handiwork OF the poet in painted
directions, such as -Four Miles to the
Emporium. Lowest Priced Clothing
House"
When Riley and his partner in this
industry dropped into Kokomo, Ind,
in the early seventies he dropped into
the office of a weekly newspaper and
asked for job staff versifier. show
ing several specimens of his work.
After failing to get a regular Job
Riley, inspired by his training as an
advertiser, wrote a poem called Leo
lania" and got it into the paper as a
hitherto unpublished work of Edgar
Allan Poe.
1t was repubished all over the Mid
die West and in many of the cities OF
the East. Nany admirers of Poe believ-
ing that it's style proved it to be Poe's
work. After the hoax had run for sew
eral weeks, Riley exposed himself in
the columns of rival weekly in Ko-
komo, proving that the poem was the
work of "a sign painter named Riley"
For some years he wrote casional
poems and acted with travelling the
atriCal troupe. He might have remain
ed an actor all his life except for the
great success of the dialect poems
which he began to produce about 1875.
on LECTURE PLATFORM.
Later when he travelled lecturing
and reading his poems. this training on
the stage proved of great advantage.
His art as an actor was of high order.
Sir Henry Irving. who. on visit to
this country, attended reading by
Riley, said that the American stage
lost its greatest actor when Riley re-
fused to make his stage his lifework.
Riley and Bill Nye stumped the
country together for several seasons
with enormous success He retired
from the lecture platform in 1908. but
those fortunate enough to have heard
him can never forget his inimitable
of My Grandfather
Squeers." Little orphan Annie"
when the Frost Is on the Pumpkin
and the Folders in the Shock" "Out
of Old Aunt Mary's." Doc Sifers."
Knee Deep in June" and IAN Old
Sweetheart of Mine"
Several years ago the poet suffered
a paralytic stroke and seemed to be
at the end Of his career. but during
the last two or three years he had
made remarkable recovery. He was
in such good health last year that his
friends were able to pl1n a great
celebration on October in honor of
his birthday. which was said to be his
Send This occasion resulted in a re-
ma able demonstration of the esteem
In which the country held him.
Thousands of letters and hundreds
Of kilograms from all parts of the
poured in upon him. President
Wilson. Henry Watterson. William
Dean Howells Henry NJ. Alden and
many other men of letters sent their
while cablegrams
came from Ambassador Page. Brand
Whtlock and Henry Van Dyke |
Charles w. Fairbanks presided at the
dinner in his honor. and George AIDE !
DR.. John II. Finley and Col. George
Harvey were among the speakers.