riley began sending poems to his brother again in february 1873. about the same time he and several friends began an advertisement company. the men traveled around indiana creating large billboard-like signs on the sides of buildings and barns and in high places that were visible from a distance. the company was financially successful, but riley was continually drawn to poetry. in october, he traveled to south bend where he took a job at stockford & blowney painting verses on signs for a month; the shortness of his stay at this job may have been due to his frequent drunkenness at that time.