MAGAZINE OF HISTORY Volume LII SEPTEMBER,1956 Number 3

Cultural History of : Literature, 1875-1890 Eva Draegert*

The last thirty years of the nineteenth century formed a distinct period of literary growth in the United States. Both quality and quantity advanced. Every section and nearly every state produced a novelist of power, but greatest activ- ity was evident in the South and West. In Indiana and parti- cularly in Indianapolis, literature was a popular avenue of expression. It was the fashion to write, perhaps a novel, poetry, essay, or editorial, or if not to write, then certainly to maintain a lively interest in and appreciation of all things literary. Perhaps the democratic spirit and the triumph of individual initiative furnish the explanation sought by his- torians and psychologists for the zest with which the average Hoosier engaged in literary pursuits. No school lighted his path; he was a pioneer. Though some were properly trained in the art, many followed it with a spontaneity that matched their enthusiasm. Before the Civil War the spoken word was much more prominent in Hoosier literature than the written word. Addresses by preachers, lawyers, or politicians on holidays or special occasions were the characteristic literary expression? Though here and there a poet saw his verses printed in some newspaper or periodical, the publishing of books was not common at that time in Indiana. Although Indiana’s principal claim to literary virtue is through the novel,2 Indianapolis writers after the Civil War

*Eva Drae ert is instructor in social studies at Woodruff High School, Peoria, Iylilinois. 1Logan Esarey, A History of Zndianu (3d ed.; 2 vols., Fort Wayne, 1924), 11, 1109-1113. 2R. E. Banta (ed.) Indiana Authors and their Books, 1816-1916 (Crawfordsville, Indiana, 1949), x. 222 Indiana Magazine of History did not at once find this medium. The earliest important literary work of this period is The Soldier of Indiana in the War for the Union (Indianapolis, 1866), by Catharine Mer- rill. Except for the writings of Riley, the literature which has made Indianapolis famous was largely produced after the turn of the century; the last quarter of the nineteenth century, literarily speaking, was one of de- velopment. Factors which greatly influenced this develop- ment were the presence of enterprising booksellers ; a publish- ing house which grew out of the bookselling business of Samuel Merrill and others (dating back to 1838), which still retains Merrill in the firm name; and sympathetic news- paper editors who encouraged the fledgling writers, chief of whom was George C. Harding, author of editorials and of a volume of Miscellaneous Writings (1882) .3 A decade after the Civil War Indianapolis literary- minded folk were reading a wide variety of books and maga- zines. According to the book review columns of the news- papers, such magazines as Scribner’s, Lippincott’s, Godey’s Lady’s Book, The Magazine of American History, Sunday Afternoon, and Wide Awake were pop~ilar.~Readers were urged to subscribe for such British periodicals as the Edin- burgh Review, London Quarterly Review, Westminster Re view, British Quarterly Review, and Bluckwood‘s Edinburgh Magazine, which were being reprinted by a New York firm for sale in this country.6 Books advertised ranged from scientific and religious works to tales of adventure, biog- raphy, historical novels, and the Alger stories. There were John Bigelow’s Life of Franklin, Charles Nordhoff‘s Politics for Young Americans, John W. Draper’s History of the Con- flict Between Religion and Science, and Sir Samuel Baker’s, African Adventures to name a few of those listed.e Religion and the State by Stanhope T. Speer and Life of Israel Putnam by Increase N. Tarbox were among those deemed worthy of reviews.? One of the few midwestern writers mentioned, though not a Hoosier, was Mark Twain, whose Gilded Age was announced.s

Esarey, Hktory of Indiana, 11, 1130-1131. 4Zndianapolis News, February 22, 1878. 6 Zbid., January 30, 1875. elbid., January 27, 1875. Zbid., February 16, 1877. elbid., January 31, 1874. History of Indiumpolis: Literature, 1875-1 890 223

Literary activities in Indianapolis, in much the same manner as those in music, were sponsored and encouraged by clubs. The churches, schools, and colleges generally main- tained literary societies or clubs which met regularly to listen to papers, discussions, or debates on important literary figures, on prominent political or moral topics of the day, or to study the works of leading writers. The two most out- standing literary clubs were not sponsored by a church or school, but each was an independent group which sought to encourage creative literary activity in the form of original papers presented to the club by various members: the Indi- anapolis Woman’s Club, founded in 1875, and the Indianapo- lis Literary Club (for men), organized in 1877. Earlier than either of these was the College Corner Club established in 1872. Including both men and women in its membership, it was probably the first mixed literary club in the ~tate.~In 1874 a new literary association was formed in the northern part of the city with only men admitted to membership.1° In 1877 the Hawthorne Literary Club was holding meetings,ll and in 1878 the Plymouth Literary Club secured lecturers who appeared at Plymouth Church.’* During the latter year the Union Literary Society, colored, sponsored by the Second Baptist Church, held several meetings at which topics of spec- ial interest to Negroes were debated. These debates were usually preceded by some form of entertainment which often included vocal and instrumental music.18 In the absence of the numerous and varied forms of entertainment familiar to folk of the mid-twentieth century, these clubs performed a social as well as a cultural and educational service. The College Corner Club, organized in the old neighborhood east of College Ave- nue and north of Forest Home Avenue (now 13th Street), in- cluded in its membership all sorts of professional people judges, lawyers, ministers, physicians, and teachers, as well as housewives. Mary Colgan and Mary E. Nicholson, both teachers, took the lead in its organization. Its meetings were notable for “free discussion, literary flavor and social

0 Grace Gates Courtney (comp.), Histoly of Indiana Federation of Clubs (Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1939), 25. ~OZndkmpolisNews, March 14, 1874. “Zbid., October 6, 1877. 12Zbid., March 6 and April 22, 1878. XsZbid., May 14 and November 11, 1878; May 8, 1879. 224 Indiana Magazine of History charm.” Original literary effort was encouraged, for David Starr Jordan took “his first flight as a poet when a member of this club.”14 This neighborly group helped open the way for organi- zation of the Indianapolis Woman’s Club in 1875.15 On February 18, eight ladies met at the home of Martha Nichol- son McKay “for the purpose of organizing a Woman’s Club.”16 A literary or cultural objective was not at once evident, for the first few programs were decidedly domestic in character. Mrs. McKay stated in her papers: “Lest our little craft should sink in an unchartered sea, the first pro- grams were designed to quiet the fears of the anxi~us.”~~ On the club’s tenth anniversary she stated: “I know that from a sincere desire to help women into a recognition of the possibility of reconciling intellectual and domestic work, this club was formed.”18 Years earlier she had put the club’s purpose differently. When a distinguished rabbi upon hear- ing about the club had said disapprovingly, “Sarah’s place is in her tent,” Mrs. McKay quickly replied, “Oh yes, we know that. We only want her to have a window in it.’”@ But during the first years, its programs gradually became less domestic and by 1885 had changed completely to the varied character of its current programs, some of which are ex- tremely intellectual.20 One of the original members of the Woman’s Club was Mrs. Edwin Thompson, later Mrs. Theodore L. Sewall, whose name and organizing influence were found in the beginnings of many cultural movements in Indianapolis. She was the only one of the founders of the Woman’s Club who was a university graduate, having been granted a bachelor’s degree by Northwestern University in 1866, and in 1871, a master’s degree from the same institution. “Few young women at that time could claim such a distinction.”21 She was also a member of the College Corner Club. Mrs. Thompson came

14 Courtney, Federation of Clubs, 25. 16 Indianapolis Woman’s Club, 1875-1 940 (Greenfield, Indiana, 1944) 17. 16 Ibid., 24. 17 Ibid., 30. 18 Ibid., 41. 10 Ibid. 20 Ibid., 40. 21 Ibid., 32, : Literature, 1875-1890 225 to Indianapolis in 1873 with her husband from Franklin, Indiana, and soon after that both of them were teaching in the high She was a member of the committee appointed to draft articles for the club constitution and was chosen vice-president at the first meeting. During the sum- mer of 1875 Mrs. Thompson went with her husband to Asheville, North Carolina, for the benefit of his failing health, but the journey was in vain, for he died the following year of tuber~ulosis.2~ A list of Woman’s Club members during those first years speaks “eloquently that the town, as well as the club, was in the making, because they are the same names that are in the annals of many initial efforts toward improved social conditions and better cultural advantages for Indianapolis of that time.’’24 The club had broad cultural aims, and though literary study and endeavor have played an important part in its programs, the members have, through the years, partici- pated in many other forms of cultural activities. The Indianapolis Literary Club in Article I1 of its con- situation stated: “The object of this club shall be social, liter- ary and aesthetic One criterion for judging the success of an organization in attaining its objective lies in the quality and achievements of its membership. Meredith Nicholson, writer and member of the club, declared that it “has illustrated perhaps better than any other expression of the life of Indiana, the quality of the men who have dominated there in the last three decades. In a State where not to be an author is to be distinguished, the members have written and read their essays in that spirit of true cultivation which takes its aspirations and attainments as a matter of course, and not too seriously. A president and a vice-presi- dent of the United States have been on the club’s rolls, as have cabinet officers, senators in Congress, and foreign ministers ; but literary and ethical questions, oftener than political problems, have vexed its discussions, and it has been more interested as a society in Newman, Arnold, and Emer-

22 Ibid., 18. 23 Ibid., 24, 35. 24 Ibid., 39. 25 Stephen C. Noland (comp.) , Indianapolis Literary Club, Sum marized Record, 1877-1934 (Indianapolis, 1934), 93. 226 Indiana Magazine of History son, and in the thwarting of the Zeitgeist, than in material things.”*6 Organized January 10, 1877, at the home of John D. Howland, with its membership limited at first to fifty, the club met for five months at homes of the members, then moved into a club room in the Halcyon Block at the north- west corner of Delaware and New York streets, which re- mained its meeting place until December, 1879.27 Meetings were held weekly, at first on Saturdays, but since 1879 on Mondays.P8 That there was a desire among professional people to maintain and encourage literary study and activity, at least within their own circle, was indicated by the large propor- tion of members representing the various professions, such as physicians, lawyers, clergymen, and teachers. Two charter members, Charles Evans, formerly of Boston, and John D. Howland, were also interested in the development of a pub- lic library. Evans had been brought to Indianapolis pur- posely to organize the library and Howland had had a part in organizing the Indianapolis Library Association, forerun- ner of the present city library.l@ The wide variety of topics to be found in their early programs indicates their breadth of interests, but after the first years the subjects treated became more strictly literary in nature.*O From the begin- ning meetings were held in an atmosphere of considerable informality but with strong emphasis on high literary stand- ards. The frank criticism to which a paper and its author were subjected not only furnished entertainment for the members, but at the same time challenged writers to their best efforts. In the general field of letters during this decade, there were few writers of much importance, and none who achieved high rank in the literary world. Sarah Parke Mor- rison, first woman graduate of Indiana University, came to Indianapolis in 1875 to engage in literary work.31 Mrs. Hetty Athon Morrison received mention as a “graceful and forcible writer” whose book entitled My Summer in the Kitchen was

20 Meredith Nicholson, The Hoosiers (New York, 1900), 19-20, 27 Noland, Indianapolis Literary Club, 97-100, 106. 2*Zbid., 102. ”Zbid., 97. 10 Zbid., passim. s1 zndianapoh NW8, November 1, 1916. History of Indiunapolis: Literature, 1875-1890 227 published in 1878.a2 Rev. James Cooley Fletcher’s BmziZ and the Brazilians had gone through nine editions and was being revised for the tenth. At that time it was considered an authority in its field and continued in steady demand.aa Of all forms of literary expression, poetry was the most popular. Ben D. House was still active, as was Mrs. Sarah T. Bolton, of whom it was said that she “probably [had] done more than any other lady to enhance the literature and parti- cularly the poetic reputation of Indiana.”a4 Another, Mrs. Mary E. Nealy, had been well known in Indianapolis for her poetry a little earlier, from 1858 to 1863, but during the seventies lived in Washington, D.C., and achieved high rank there as an art criti~.~5 “The literary career of J. W. Riley . . . has been watched with an interest that is unfolding in admiration as the evi- dences of undoubted genius accompany the successive pro- ducts of his pen. His ‘Flying Islands of the Night‘ from title to final monologue . . . shows promise of future greatness. Mr. Riley has industry, which is one of the attributes of genius, and its sober exercise can win for him a high place. He should devote himself with unflagging zeal to productions really worthy of the talents he has in his keeping.”se So stated the Indianapolis News in 1878, forecasting the public re- gard for the “Hoosier Poet” which later grew into an attitude of reverence in his home state. Even those who are inclined to scoff at Riley’s work as literature and at the Riley “leg- end” which has developed cannot overlook his importance in the literary scene of Indiana and his influence on popular thought there as well as in the national scene. Riley had wanted to be an actor, but finding that im- possible, since he could not bring himself to conform to conventions of the stage, decided to write pieces that could be read effectively from the platform. Keeping his audience always in mind, he endeavored to get dramatic quality into his poetry and sketches.a7 These were read by the author

azZbid., June 14, 1878. SaKate Milner Rabb and William Herschell, An Account of Zndi- anapolis and Marion County (Dayton, , 1924), 98. Indianapolis News, November 5, 1878. s4Zndianupolis News, July 16 and May 22, 1877. 85 Zbid., January 2, 1879. 86 Zbid., August 26, 1878. a7Marcus Dickey, The Maturity of (Indi- anapolis, 1922), 4ff. 228 Indiana Magazine of History who had schooled himself in the technique of the stage, but by casting aside conventional movements and allowing his own peculiar genius full scope, he achieved a reputation for characterization and dramatization which brought him fame.38 His platform career began in 1874 in the small town of Monrovia in Morgan County. Surviving that failure, he tried again in Anderson the next year with results which were not much better. Then began a period of two years of going from one small Indiana town to another giving recitals in churches and schoolhouses, all the while rigidly training himself in the art of impersonati~n.~~Years later in London, Benoit Coquelin, the great French actor, is reputed to have remarked to Sir Henry Irving after hearing Riley, “ ‘Henry, you and I have been studying all these years how to act, but here is a young man out of the West, who knows all we know by nature.”’4o This was consummate art. He had natural talent, for as a child of seven he amazed his parents with imitations of a Bohemian peddler.*’ Moreover he developed and supplemented this talent by careful attention to all the rules of dramatic art and delineated character with what ap- peared to the audience no effort at all. He had learned the little things that count, for he once remarked to a friend, “If you want to play the part of an old man-any sort of old man-just keep a stiff upper lip; that’s the most import- ant single thing to remember.”42 At Kokomo in February, 1878, Riley gave a program that turned the tide in his career. “Nothing succeeds like success,” and others followed to make certain his career as a public reader. The Indianapolis Journal commented that “the Hoosier Poet is getting talked about and quarrelled over -a sure sign that there is something in the man.”43 At the Masonic Hall in Greenfield the local literary club gave an entertainment for his benefit. It was a financial success and Riley’s part was performed excellently. “Riley is a master hand at the delineation of nature, and an excellent elocution-

38 Ibid. 89 Ibid., 9-18. 40 Ibid., 369. 41 Ibid., 3. 42 Interview with Anna Hasselman, Indianapolis. 43 Dickey, Maturity of James Whitcomb Riley, 20-22. History of Indianapolis: Literature, 1875-1890 229 ist, so that it is pleasant to listen to him. Greenfield may well be proud of her poet.”44 Having earned his spurs, Riley made bold to include Indi- anapolis in his “lecture tour” in 1879. He first appeared in March. Little attention was given to this in the press, though it was said he made a hit in his performance at the Grand.45 In the fall a benefit was planned at the new Park Theater. He was to be the featured performer and prepared for it with some misgivings. The whole thing seemed risky, for the enormous sum of $50.00 must be paid for the hall.48 But Dan Macauley was behind it and whatever he “undertook for other people . . . always ~ucceeded.”~~The performance was announced for October 16, and a week before that Riley came to Indianapolis to make final preparations. The week of suspense was a great strain, for he realized that he was “on the spot.” Indianapolis must be won. Success or failure this time would fix his destiny for all Indiana.48 Advance publicity in the press was quite favorable, yet there was a note of skepticism. It was said that he stood without challenge at the head of Indiana poets, but that “he is young, almost boyish in appearance, and lacks that maturity in his methods which time and study only can im- part,” but in time “he will take a high rank among the literary men of the ~ountry.’’~~ Finally the day came, and Riley was a complete success. The audience paid tribute by demanding an encore, then remaining until they were dismissed by Dan Macauley. Only one adverse criticism was offered. Riley had apparently not fully realized the limits of the room and some in the rear seats had not heard him. The audience was said to be first- class in spite of the bad weather and the presence of a circus in town.60 That same year, in the summer of 1879, Riley contem- plated breaking into print. In collaboratio