Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-09-15

If he exhibits what Is supposed to
be his soul by certain shifting and staring of his
eyes he Is pitied one whose mental gearing
has sand In it.
Bliss Carman, former editor of the Independent
and poet of note, was one of james Whitcomb
Rileys 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. Kilmer In turn told It
to the public
Some 30 years ago Carman introduced to
the already famous Hoosier. Rileys keen bird
like eyes surveyed the tall frame of the new and
young acquaintance: Gosh, you're u stalwart,
amt ye?' he remarked, grinning. II guess your
parents must have trained you n trellis."
Then as reported by Mr.. Kilmer. Carman went
on to say:
1.-The next time I Riley was in Philadelphia.
/ went TO read before the Browning society," and
l don't mind telling you that l scared to
death. When got out all alone on the stage and
a thousand people staring up at me felt
more like running away than doing anything else.
But when ! Riley down in the audience,
looking nt me in his quaint friendly way. then
! felt all right. wasn't afraid to read my
poetry to Riley
"Afcr the reading Riley tucked
under his and said Now. let's get around
to the hotel and well take Off shoes and
get chew of tobacco and be comfortable.
you know. such remarks this all the
more piquant because Riley very pune
tilious and scrupulous IN all his personal habits
He always was Immediately dressed. I never
knew him even 10 make so much of conces-
sion to comfort 10 put smoking jncket
lounge cont. But he liked TO go to his room
and stretch himself on his bed and talk. And
he talked about anything but literature
chiefly poetry.
Riley hal n great fund Of knowledge of
poetry and knew lots of out-of-thc-way homely
verse II" delighted particularly in rdiculousIy
bad newspaper 7erse.
"Rilcy liked 20 read poetry aloud. When l went
to his house Of evening. he generally was walt
ing for with favorie book ready to
read aloud"
what sort of poetry did he prefer?"
His tastes covered wide range Two poets
to whom he was especially devoted were Long.
fellow and Swinburne.
"RiIey liked Longfeows directness and SIM
pclty. The things that pleased him in SWIM
burne's work were the music and the deft crafts
munship.
After Riley had received his degrees from
of the colleges, he seemed to feel that he
ought to be known a poet rather than a
humorist and writer of dialect verse He tried
iard to live up to the name of poet, and wanted
his rhymes of his vagabondage forgot
ten. Yet his vernacunr verse or. as he called it.
his dialect verse, was his chief contribution to
literature.
"Riley just a poet. That was all he
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.
Ing about Riley's tenncity in holding the serious
poet pose His nonsense was just one of his ways
of writing which happened to prove popular;
when he got chance to write In another way
how eagerly he seized it. and how persistently he
clung to II!
His last years the happiest of his life.
I think He had his own car and rode around
Indianapolis and its suburbs every day. generally
tsking with him friend He honored
and loved. and think he felt that life had been
good to him.
"Riley's father lawyer. His grandfather
came to Indiana from Pennsylvania. His grand
mother on his mothers side Pennsylvania
Dutch. His father Irish.
"Rey had many prejudices. He disliked Poe
very much. He disked Poes character much
that he could hardly read his poetry. OF course.
he must have liked Poe's music and splendid
i!etrltsi effects.
"Of course. you know the story of Riley's IA
nous imitation of Poe? He had taken position
on the stan of Anderson. Ind. paper and rhe
editor of a rival paper kept ridicung him. Riley