Source: North Manchester Journal, June 18, 1885

According to announcement our Hoosier Poet, James Whitcomb Riley, arrived in the city and gave an entertainment at the opera house Monday evening to an audience of about 100 people. Of the entertainment we can speak only in praise. It was the best our people have had the opportunity of witnessing for a long time, but we are sorry to say that such a small audience as it was gathered to hear Mr. Riley. And for the ten philanthropic men who guaranteed Mr. Riley $40 and paid for the use of the hall we extend a large fund of sympathy, as those gentlemen were obliged to scrape the bottoms of their pockets and make up a deficit of $2.50 each. This is the straw that breaks the camel's back and has knocked the corpse of former lecture ventures in the head, so far as the guarantors in this case are concerned. The reason of so poor a patronage can probably be ascribed to "hard times."

Source: North Manchester Journal, October 29, 1896

Gen. Harrison's Tour.

The visit of Ex-President Harrison and his speech in this city Saturday afternoon will undoubtedly attract a great many people to the town. His tour of the state has been mentioned and is a fitting close to the campaign. Gen. Harrison is making some great speeches and everyone should hear him. His Saturday route commences at Auburn where he speaks at 9:30 in the morning. Thence to Waterloo, Kendallville, Ligonier and Goshen where he makes the principal speech of the day. Leaving Goshen at one o'clock the route is to Warsaw, then to Columbia City which he reaches at 2:50 and leaves for North Manchester at 3:05 arriving here at 3:25. He will remain here twenty-five minutes. A stand will be erected near the depot from which Gen. Harrison will speak so that the crowd can get close enough to hear what he says. Everybody will want to hear him and it has been suggested that business men close their stores during the hour of the speech so that every one will be able to hear him. Leaving this place, Gen. Harrison's train goes south on the Big Four stopping at Wabash, Marion, Summitville and Alexandria and arriving at Indianapolis at 8:30.

Source: North Manchester Journal, November 5, 1896

The closing speech of the campaign was made here Saturday afternoon by Ex-President Harrison, of Indianapolis. He came in on a special train from the east over the Wabash and was conducted to a platform erected at the back of the depot where he spoke for five or ten minutes to a very large crowd of people. Mr. Harrison was very hoarse from constant speaking and it was with difficulty that people on the outer edge of the crowd heard him. He was looking in good health and seemed physically strong but his hair and beard has turned almost entirely white which gives him an aged appearance which his years do not really justify.