South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-29

Platform at Omaha
What's the fuss, George2"
That am a poet. sab. Yessah. a
poet but a puffect gemmen."
\ loud guffaw from the man IN the
Side~brimmed hat. "A poet with
shave and a haircut? thought they
AL wore long hair"
But the porter was firm. "Oh. All
knows that man. He's a poet a right.
Aessah. nah kid reads po'try, and
An knew Il was him all right when
An saw the name on the suitcase.
fessah. Edgar a. Guest'-Ah SUIT
unly knows that man. An he's a
ho'ral geumeu. yessah."
The new arrival had fniaEed
shaking hands and had been wh4sKed
20 the hotel. The receiving line
grows longer And this is the edge
Of the frontier. Edgar A. Guest OF
Detroit backs up against the wall.
He looks about him. il is already
becoming an adventure.
For Eddie" Guest has started on
a trip 20 California. IT is the first
visit 10 the "far west OF the poet
that all America reads and loves.
he has p"ver shifted the ozone Of
the boundless prairies. nor looked on
the towering Rockies. He never had
had a chance 10 fall under the spell
of the desert. nor had he ever gazed
on the waters Of the Pacific He
wondered how the people Of Bret
Harte. Mark Twain and Joaquin
Miller would look upon a mere poet
from back east. He didn't have long
20 wait, once he crossed the borders
of the "far west" Omaha took him
20 her arms. He wasn't as much
OF a stranger as he feared Thou
sands knew him long before he step
ped Off the train. He discovered
that Eddie" Guest was a household
god on the Nebraska prairies.
Denver Hungry for Him.
II they like you west OF the Mis-
souri, river. they like you for keeps
and are not afraid 70 show IT, Eddie
Guest spent two gloriously busy days
in Omaha He read his verse and
he told his stories TO school children
and their teachers. to preachers and
their congregations. to the Shriners
and 70 the Rotarians. Omaha en-
joyed him so much that Eddie hard
ly had time to sleep. When his hosts
escorted him 10 the Denver train, Il
seemed as If a good share OF the
people Of the town turned out 10
hid him Godspeed and beg him 70
come again.
Denver looked up the next day.
Poetry IN the shadows OF Pixies
Peak? Eddie admitted he felt a
little foolish about it. The idea of
talking in the language of Pa and
Ma. and Bud and Marjorie to those
pioneers who had carved out an
empire above ground and kept the
mint going on what they had dug
out below. seemed n bit nervy. But
Denver was hungry for Eddie Guest.
Denver yoUnsters packed the school
auditoriums where he appeared.
Denver churches were crowded to
hear him read his verse.
Both branches OF the Colorado
legislature voted TO adjourn and at
tend in a body when IT was an
nounced that Mr.. Guest would speak
on Saturday afternoon at Denver's
biggest theater. What Of the crowd
The people began gathering in the
theater before II o'clock. Before
that the doors had 10 be close d. and
then the people poured into the
balcony and filled It and next they
vent up into the gallery and filled
that, too. At noon people were
turned away. There wasn't any room
Tor chem. Still they came, and altho
admission was free. scores OF men
and women sought TO obtain en-
trance by proffering pay for a chance
to get in and hear this man whose
poems have touched a responsive
chord IN the hearts OF "just folks"
everywhere.
When Mr.. Guest stepped out upon
the stage. accompanied by Lieut..
Gov. Earl Cooley and the Rev DR..
W II. Wray Boyle. pastor OF the
Central Presbyterian church, he
gasped. He hadn't seen the crowd
before and he didn't know how big
the Broadway theater was. Won
derful!" That's all that he could
say
Mr.. Cooley introduced Mr.. Guest.
remarking that it was indeed a
pleasure for 'Just folks" 10 see and
hear the man who had done and
was doing so much 10 make the
burdens OF life lighter. and IL was
an honor, too. that all appreciated.
lie paid a splendid tribute TO Mr.
Guest and the homely poems which
make everybody feel bigger and bet
ter and brighter.
Mr. Guest said that he only wish
ed that he was entitled 10 all the
good things the lieutenant governor
had said of him, and that ne trusted
that those words and the cordial
reception wouldn't cause a swelling
an the head.
Appraised Audience.
Mr.. Guest sensed the audience, the
the majority OF his auditors being
older than other audiences he had
seen in Denver II was an intel
lectual audience. too. just the kind
that one would look for 20 hear and
appreciate a poet.
The selections by the poet were
from some OF his best writings;
many Of them dealt with the sterner
side OF life. though there We're some
in the lighter vein. II was a pro
gram wholly different from the ones
ne gave IN the schools. different. too,
from the one IN e. Jebel temple.
He recited his three famous patriotic
poems. one OF wanting his boy 10
love his Country's flag: the second
Of the wanton destruction by the
German In France IN killing an ap-
pie tree. given with the desire to
keep fresh IN the minds or people
the bitterness OF hate Of the Ger