The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-11-08
How the Poet Of the Sierras Saws Out
His ROllicklng Rhymes.

MS hOillcklnS hnymcS.
I Mrs. joaquin Miller, having been
done up in verse to the satisfaction of
her somewhat erratic husband, turns
the tables on Joaquin by doing him up
in prose, and the story she tells of how
he contrives to write poetry, and how
he labors at its manufacture, is curious
If true. She has taken to lecturing,
not al, but upon, her husband, and says |:
Now, ladies and gentlemen, with your
permission, l will introduce you into
the police workshop. We 60 up an out.
side stairway, enter a hall, and from
thence a small dingy room, which is
ostensibly the office of the County
Judge of Grant County, but really the
poetic workshop of the "Poet of the
Sierras." And here we behold the
artist at work. There is a long table
covered with black oil cloth and fur
nished with drawers. Scattered over
this table are books, papers, stationery,
and manuscripts. At this table sits the
artist, poring over large open book.
His pen rests in a spacious inkstand,
ready for use. A page of foolscap is
spread before him, on which we see
written with irregular dashes between
them the words ever-clever-over-
clover-fire-desire, and 80 on. We
glance at the book spread before him.
1t is a copy of" Webster's Unabridged
Dictionary" The poet is searching for
euphonious words. We look at the
books upon the table. Here is a rhym.
ing dictionary, late numbers of the four
British reviews, BLackDoods Magazine,
The Atlantic and Overland Monthlies,
Harper's, LesGe's, Brick Pomeroy's
Democrat, Mccormack Almanac" &c.
We glance up at the books upon the
shelves. The British poets in bound
volumes are ranged in row. Then the
American poets and authors, Victor
Hugo's works, the Waverly Novels,
some Latin authors, whose names 1
have never learned ancient and modern
history and biography. The works of
various authors, too numerous to men.
ton, are carefully arranged upon the
shelves-Rollin. Rosseau, Voltaire, Tom
Paine, Macaulay, Dickens, Bulwer, and
many others, On the other side of the
house is the law library. A large family
Bible, bound in Turkish morocco, lies
carelessly upon the end Of the table.
Is this Bible used you ask. Indeed it
is. Every evening at certain hour the
poet opens this Bible, draws his huge
ink.stand toward him, gives the already
disabled pen 4 fierce thrust into its
depths, and reads. lie reads rapidly,
for his eye is quick and his perception
ready. If footstcp is heard in the
hall, before the door has time to swing
open, this volume is across the poets
knees, and the perplexed legal scowl
on his brow. But the visitor, unless he
is q favorite, does not remain long,
although the judge talks eloquently Of
the science OF law, lays his white hand
familiarly upon his shoulder, and
biandly insists upon his sitting still.
Why does he not remain? The room
is small, there is but one window, and
that is closed. In one corner is large
bar-room stove. Behind this stove is
wood-box heaped with dry frewood.
Mr.. Miller arises when his visitor enters,
shivers little, says he is not well, feels
chilly, opens the door, and fills the
stove with wood. In few minutes the
stove is red hot, and tho visitor sits
tanning himself with " McCormack's
Almanac" until he can endure it no
longer, when he rises and goes out.
The artist then closes the draft, opens
the window, and resumea his work.
"That is the only way l can do,h he
would say to me, they would sit and
talk for hours if | didn't make it too
warm for them." give this .or the
benefit of industrious lawyers who are
bored with visitors. But joaquin was
as quick and acute in perceiving genius
or originality IN people as in books, and
as careful in culling gems from con-
versation as from authors.