The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-11-10
from the Oregonian.l
The Poet joaquin Miller.
4 COMMUNICATIONS To TIE PUBLIC FRo, MEs. n.
N. MILLER.

Inc IOtb JOdq ulu MllleIs
4 COMMUNICATIONS To TIE PUBLIC FROM MES. u.
n. MILLER
Sir: As joaquin Miller is now ex-
pected to arrive in Portland, / deem it
my duty to say few words in his behalf
to the people of Oregon. Ihave received
many letters from different sources re-
questing me to disclose as much of his
conduct toward his children rs l will
Although feel that these things concern
no one on the face Ofearth but my children
and me, still he belongs to the world
now, and | have remained silent until
remarks have been carried so far as to
make my children subjects of idle gos-
sip, and deem it right to now ask truce
to charges and accusations, and request
of you to behold the poet and receive
him in a manner that will give due
tribute to his genius and success. Mr..
Miller has earned fame, and an appre-
citation of his efforts should be awarded
him. He is n man of literary culture
and research; he has read constantly,
industriOusly, and had command of the
very best of literature, ancient and
modern. 10 had been his sole ambition,
for years, to go to Europe and acquire Il
literary fame; he felt, and justly, that he
was gifted, and his mind being of fine,
poetic structure, and his brain very del
icately organized, the coarse and praCti-
cal duties of providing for "A family, and
the annoyance of children, cOnflicted
with his dreams and literary whims.
So, when he wrote me that he would be
absent in Europe five or six years, and
in the meantime, need not expect TO
hear from him often, as he should be
very busy, | asked for and obtained II
liKrnrfaa m fhn of |
and your singer was lOOsed and free, and
no longer chained to the annoying cares
of family; he could give his whole
attention to his poems. |, myself, SYM
pathiZe with him in his desire to have
time and money To "tamper with the
Muses. and cultivate his taste and tai
ent for literature, and | feel that all
poets and authors will also sympathize
with him.
did not intend that my misfOrtunes
should be publicly known. Illness
overlook me in Portland, and by irregu-
larities of the mails and accidents we
were cut off for a time from commune
cation with our friends. My younger
/ brother was with me, and did not ask
l for assistance; but by accident my
| friends found me. i must ever remain
grateful to them for their timely and
L
me witness that / made no public COM
plant, and the charges made against
Mr.. NJ. were not made with my knowl-
edge. / was as much surprised to see
them rs any one. If, in five years of
labor and complete Isolation from my
/ relatives and the world, / worked with
| him, and not even my nearest neighbor
or dearest friend heard one complaint or
murmur from my lips; if, through that
| long winter in Portland, sewed humbly
day after day, and day after day, as long
as / was able; passed the offices and
residences of our mutual friends, who
were leading and wealthy people, and
chose rather to let my babes come upon
/ the verge of starvation than to blemish
/ his reputation by letting my cireum-
stances be known, it is not likely that
after the day of hope came, and all was
over, I should publicly make known
what had tried so hard to conceal. AS
/ | said before Mr.. Miller felt that he had
gifts of mind, and if his system of econ
Omy was rigid and hard to endure, it
was, at least, a success; and if he needed
all his money to carry out his plans,
am satisfied that he thus used il. The
| bitter experience of the past cannot come
again. My babes lived through all, and
| am more than satisfied. lam grateful,
and all is well.
/ The absurd statement of the Eugene
Journal, that Ehad Indignantly returned
money that Mr.. NJ. sent me, is incor-
rect; and his infOrmers are as ecOnomi-
cal of truth as they are of affection for
/ their own flesh and blood. 1t would be
a sad time to show Indignation towards
a father when his babes were suffering
for the necessaries of life. joaquin Mil
l. L, Il. = I. L.
a dollar to his children, or provided any
thing for them in any way from the
time of his leaving Oregon until about
two months ago, when he sent me
twenty-five dollars. He has since sent
fifty dollars To Mrs. b. Cooke, for my
little girl, and twenty-five to my mother.
who has the care OF my younger chill
dren. He will doubtless make expla-
nations, which will be satisfactory to
those interested, when he returns. Ii is
true that / had a home with nv wild
owed mother, but the place was dreary
and secluded, and there was not n
church or schOOlhouse within fifty miles
of my mothers home. SO did NOT
deem it proper place to educate my
children, and / came away bringing
them with me, which was contrary To
the decree of the Court, which gave the
two older children. to the care of my
mother. As | brought them away he
was released by law from caring for
them, and l have no reason to complain,
nor can any one have, justly. Two
hundred dollars year alimony was al
lowed, but rs it was not secured. Won
will readily see that Mr.. NJ. was en-
tirely released from any obligations.
The marital relations between Mr..
| Miller andmyself are dissolved, but that
| does not prevent our holding our pre-
clous babes in mutual love and protec-
tlOni and although there are many false
sentiments I'm society in regard to these
things beg the privilege of exercising
my own Judgment i'm regard to my duty
towards the father of my children, and
my children.
As we are both mortals, it would be
ailectation in me were / TO profess IN
take upon myself all the blaine. but |
ask 10 bear my full share. The many
who feel an interest in him are of more
consequence than the few who know and
love me, and henceforth / would have
you deal only with him as poet and
author. Pronounce your Judgment
upon his books. Know him by his epic
heroes. No mortal man can go beyond
himself in any conception; when he at
tempts to, he only strikes against the
border of his Imagination, and rebounds
further back, and when man attempts
to image God he takes step back and
puts upon the shoulders of his God wings
which belong to a lower order of crea-
ton. Good sometimes comes of evil;
the most deadly pistil exhales delicate
perfume, and our separation and SORROWS
produced the poems of "Myrrh" and
''Even So" If have, after all, recov-
cred my health and sometimes smile,
as Others do, / feel that L have some
LII nf n,.nIna.1- IL am NOT fn-daN the