National fame James Whitcomb Riley

1 national fame

1.1 politics
1.2 pay problems , scandal
1.3 last tours
1.4 children s poet

national fame
politics

in march 1888, riley traveled washington, d.c. had dinner @ white house other members of international copyright league , president of united states grover cleveland. riley made brief performance dignitaries @ event before speaking need international copyright protections. cleveland enamored riley s performance , invited him private meeting during 2 men discussed cultural topics. in 1888 presidential election campaign, riley s acquaintance benjamin harrison nominated republican candidate. although riley had shunned politics of life, gave harrison personal endorsement , participated in fund-raising events , vote stumping. election exceptionally partisan in indiana, , riley found atmosphere of campaign stressful; vowed never become involved politics again.

upon harrison s election, suggested riley named national poet laureate, congress failed act on request. riley still honored harrison , visited him @ white house on several occasions perform @ civic events.

pay problems , scandal

riley , nye made arrangements james pond make 2 national tours during 1888 , 1889. tours popular , sold out, hundreds having turned away. shows forty-five minutes hour long , featured riley reading humorous poetry interspersed stories , jokes nye. shows informal , 2 men adjusted performances based on audiences reactions. riley memorized forty of poems shows add own versatility. many prominent literary , theatrical people attended shows. @ new york city show in march 1888, augustin daly enthralled show insisted on hosting 2 men @ banquet several leading broadway theatre actors.

despite riley serving act s main draw, not permitted become equal partner in venture. nye , pond both received percentage of net profit, while riley paid flat rate each performance. in addition, because of riley s past agreements redpath lyceum bureau, required pay half of fee agent amos walker. caused other men profit more riley own work.

to remedy situation, riley hired brother-in-law henry eitel, indianapolis banker, manage finances , act on behalf try , extricate him contract. despite discussions , assurances pond work address problem, eitel had no success. pond made situation worse booking months of solid performances, not allowing riley , nye day of rest. these events affected riley physically , emotionally; became despondent , began worst period of alcoholism. during november 1889, tour forced cancel several shows after riley became severely inebriated @ stop in madison, wisconsin.

walker began monitoring riley , denying him access liquor, riley found ways evade walker. @ stop @ masonic temple theatre in louisville, kentucky, in january 1890, riley paid hotel s bartender sneak whiskey room. became drunk perform, , unable travel next stop. nye terminated partnership , tour in response. reason breakup not kept secret, , hotel staff reported louisville courier-journal saw riley in drunken stupor walking around hotel. story made national news , riley feared career ruined.

he secretly left louisville @ night , returned indianapolis train. eitel defended riley press in effort gain sympathy riley, explaining abusive financial arrangements partners had made. riley refused speak reporters , hid himself weeks. riley s surprise, news reports made him more popular ever. many people thought stories exaggerated, , riley s cultivated image made difficult public believe alcoholic. riley had stopped sending poetry newspapers , magazines in aftermath, began corresponding him requesting resume writing. encouraged riley, , made attempt give liquor returned public career.

the negative press did not end however, nye , pond threatened sue riley causing tour end prematurely. claimed have lost $20,000. walker threatened separate suit demanding $1,000. riley hired indianapolis lawyer william p. fishback represent him , men settled out of court. full details of settlement never disclosed, whatever case, riley extricated himself old contracts , became free agent. exorbitant amount riley being sued reinforced public opinion riley had been mistreated partners, , helped him maintain image. nye , riley remained friends, , riley later wrote pond , walker source of problems.

riley s poetry had become popular in britain, in large part due book old-fashioned roses. in may 1891 traveled england make tour , considered literary pilgrimage. landed in liverpool , traveled first dumfries, scotland, home , burial place of robert burns. riley had long been compared burns critics because both used dialect in poetry , drew inspiration rural homes. traveled edinburgh, york, , london, reciting poetry gatherings @ each stop. augustin daly arranged him give poetry reading prominent british actors in london. riley warmly welcomed literary , theatrical community , toured places shakespeare had frequented.

riley tired of traveling abroad , began longing home, writing nephew regretted having left united states. curtailed journey , returned new york city in august. spent next months in greenfield home attempting write epic poem, after several attempts gave up, believing did not possess ability.

by 1890, riley had authored of famous poems. few poems wrote during 1890s less received public. solution, riley , publishers began reusing poetry other books , printing of earliest works. when neighborly poems published in 1891, critic working chicago tribune pointed out use of riley s earliest works, commenting riley using popularity push crude earlier works onto public make money. riley s newest poems published in 1894 book armazindy received negative reviews referred poems little dog-woggy , jargon-jingle drivel , riley worn out genius. of growing number of critics suggested ignored quality of poems sake of making money.

last tours

although riley wealthy books, able triple annual income touring. found lure hard resist , decided return lecture circuit in 1892. hired william c. glass assist henry eitel in managing affairs. while eitel handled finances, glass worked organize lecture tours. glass worked closely riley s publishers have tours coincide release of new books, , ensured tours geographically varied enough maintain popularity in regions of nation. careful not book busy schedules; riley performed 4 times week , tours short, lasting 3 months.

during 1893 tour, riley lectured in western united states, , in 1894 tour in east. performances major events, , sold out within days of announcements. in 1894 allowed author douglass sherley join tour. sherley millionaire published own books. literary community had dismissed work, riley instrumental in helping him accepted.

in 1895 riley made last tour, making stops in of major cities in united states. advertised final performances, there incredible demand tickets , riley performed before largest audiences during tour. , sherley continued show similar , nye had done. riley lamented lack of change in program, found when tried introduce new material, or left out of popular poems, crowds demand encores until agreed recite favorites.

children s poet

riley holds pet dog while posing photo group of children in front of indianapolis home

following death of father in 1894, riley began regretting choice not marry or have children. compensate lack of own children, became doting uncle, showering gifts on nieces , nephews. had repurchased childhood home in 1893 , allowed divorced sister, mary, widowed sister-in-law, julia, , daughters live in home. provided needs , spent summer months of 1893 living them. took nephew edmund eital personal secretary , gave him $50,000 wedding gift in 1912. riley loved family.

riley returned live near indianapolis later in 1893, boarding in private home in lockerbie district, small suburb. developed close friendship landlords, nickum , holstein families. home became destination local schoolchildren whom riley regularly recite poetry , tell stories. riley s friends visited home, , developed closer relationship eugene debs.

the same year, began compiling poems of interest children new book entitled rhymes of childhood. book richly illustrated howard chandler christy , riley authored few new poems book under pseudonym uncle sydney. rhymes of childhood became riley s best selling book, , sold millions of copies. has remained in print continually since 1912, , helped earn riley nickname children s poet. riley s rival, clemens, commented book charming , made him weep lost youth.