The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-10-06

FOrget nOt tH0C no Jett0tO Oe-
,ing get
May fall so IoaO but Iove
mag lift his head;
Even the cheek of shame aOith
tears is aOet
If something good be sad.
JONES Whitcontb Riley
Fl EFT something good be said!
III This was the keynote Of
- the character of James
Whitcomb Riley, whose birthday
will be celebrated tomorrow, ac-
cording to Miss Katie Kindell,
who was his housekeeper for
twenty-five years.
For scandal and for gossip he
had no use, and when people were
criticised in his presence, his
plea was, LET something good
be said"
Miss Kindell, known to every
body as Katie" now is alone in
the house where Riley penned
these verses. This white-haired
woman who has spent the better
part of her life in the devoted
service of the poet, probably
knows as much about his char
acter, his habits and his eccen-
tricities as any other person in
the world.
His bedroom was also his study,
she said, and he did all his writ
ing at night. During the day he
would jot down ideas as they
came to him on scraps of paper
or on the backs of envelopes, un-
til by night sometimes his pockets
would be full.
When he started to write, it was
not unusual for him to stick to
his task all night.
|" ILEY wrote in his bed fully
IR as much as at his desk, and
~ if he woke up in the middle
of the night with an idea (as he
frequently did, pencil and paper
always were in reach. He had no
regular habits of work, but was
inclined to wait upon inspiration
and then make the most OF 1t
while it lasted.
He never used a typewriter and
never dictated his lines, always
writing the first draft in pencil,
and copying it afterward in ink.
Hi; advice to young authors,
says Katie, always was: use the
rubber end of your pencil as much
as the point. Write and rewrite."
These young writer's came to
Riley for advice and criticism in
such numbers that they had to
be turned away. He was very
reserved in his expressions to
them and advised every one to
"work out his own salvation"
I'll ATE describes the poet as
X moody and dreamy. He
LII loved his little dog, white
poodle named Lockerbie, and the
dog could reach him sometimes
when the family could not.
"Where is that little dog?" he
would ask if Lockerbie stayed out
of sight for very long.
Katie commented on his great
love for the Hoosier State, and
told little incident to illustrate
it. Once on his birthday, a young
lady from Illinois called and pre-
sented him with bouquet.
"I don't believe I know you,"
said Riley. ''Do you live here?"
mo, live in Illinois, but I used
TO live in Indiana"
"Ah!" said the poet, "that is
just what is making the world so
good today. There's so many
Hoosiers scattered around"
- INCE Riley's home was
< made into a shrine to his
IL memory, Katie keeps a
guest DOCK IN which are written
the names of hundreds of visitors.
Among the celebrities who have
been there to pay him tribute are
Alice Hogan Rice, Jackie Coogan
and Dorothy Gish.
On one occasion, a spiritualist
and his wife came from Kansas
City. would you be afraid to
talk to Riley, fl I could call him
back?" he asked.
mo" said Katie.
He then rolled up his sleeves
and stiffened, but nothing hap
pened, and he blamed it all on
Katie. "You are too strong for
me-" he explained.
Publicity seekers can't deceive
Katie. She knew and knows her
Riley, and with all Indiana, and