Elmore - James B.
James B. ELMORE
Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review - March 12, 1942
The echoes of a once lively lyre were muted for all time early Thursday, with the death of the Bard of Alamo. James B. Elmore, Ripley township octogenarian, who in the "Gay Nineties" and for some years thereafter delighted Hoosier folk with his rustic poems died at his 900-acre farm home near Alamo at four am. He had been suffering for the past six months with the infirminites of age. Once the "bard bountiful" whose pen was never still, he had foresworn verse in recent years, devoting his entire interest to his farming properties. But to his many friends, particularly of the older generations, he was still affectionately remembered as the man who fashioned couplets about earthy things such as sassafras and turnip greens and railroad wrecks. The 85-year-old former sonneteer was born on the same farm where death occured, on January 25, 1857 the son of Mathias and Mary Ann Willis Elmore and on February 14, 1880, he was married to Mary Ann Murray, who, according to an autobiography of the bard, came from Nevada City, MO. He later dedicated one of his poems "My Mary of Missouri", to her. He graduated from the Alamo Academy, where he studied with a large class which also included Noah J Clodfelder, William Humphrey, once member of congress from Washington, Oswald Humphrey, once president of Cornell and Eva Ballard, novelist. He taught school for twenty years, spending the summer months at farming. He wrote occasional poems for the newspapers of Indianapolis and Crawfordsville and in 1898 he published a volume of poems. Three other volumes of his prose and poetry were published in later years by Mr. Elmore. The pastoral scenes with which he was familiar inspired most of the writings of the benign bard from Ripley township. Few older people in western Indiana have not repeated to their children and grandchildren passages from "The Monon Wreck" with its climatic "Cut, Oh Cut My Leg Away!" petition; have not chuckled over his "Shoe Cobbler", or have not recalled that song of spring from the bard's "Sassafras, Oh Sassafras!" The mellifluous singer of rural roundelays was given the name - the "Bard of Alamo" - by Jesse Green, a Crawfordsville newspaperman. The Alamo poet wrote hundreds of verses before he put his pen aside, and most of his songs were of a rural theme as attested by his poems "Sugar Making", "When the Pawpaws are Ripe", "The Frog", "The Old Sawmill", "Katie Gathers Greens", and "The Good Old Sheep-Sorrel Pie". On other occasions he wrote on politics, on Wabash College, and on crime. He toured the nation early in the century to read his compositions. Mr. Elmore was a life-long member of the Alamo Christian church and belonged to the Knights of Pythias lodge of Waynetown, and for some years of the Odd Fellows lodge of Alamo. He was prominent in Democratic politics. He is survived by his wife, three children, R.M. Elmore of Crawfordsville, Route 3, Mrs. Grace Drollinger of Veedersburg, Route 3, and Albert M. Elmore of Route 1, Waynetown; one sister, Mrs. Fannie Gardner of Crawfordsville, eight grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. Two daughters, Maude and Nora Elmore, preceded him in death. The body was brought to the Proffitt and Sons funeral home here where friends may call until Sunday morning at 8 o'clock, at which time the poet's remains will be taken to the Elmore family home near Alamo. The funeral will be held from the Alamo Christian church at 2:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon in charge of Rev. John Servies. The body will lie in state at the church for one hour preceding the services. Burial will be made in the Alamo cemetery. - kbz
Source: Waveland Independent Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana Aug 18, 1899
James Elmore, Poet James Elmore, the poet of Ripley township was in town last week, canvassing for advance subscription for a volume of poems he is preparing to publish. Mr. Elmore says he is meeting with much encouragement in his literary venture, which will not surprise those who have had the pleasure of reading his poems printed from time to time. His metrical description of the "Monon Wreck," for instance, attracted great attention; it suggests the work of Walt Whitman the "next morning," and has as many feet to the yard as anybody's poetry. A number of hitherto unpublished gems will be incorporated in the book, which by the way will be no cheap skate affair, but will be gotten up so as to be an ornament to any bookshelf. - kbz