The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1872-02-17
Che Xgew Yprth'#tst.
JOAQUIN NiIier.

From the Overland Monthly for Februsry)
About the year 1888, HeuIings Miller.
father of Cincihnatus Heine Miller, went
INTO the Wabash district of Indiana with his
wife, for the purpose Of making home AT
that time Indiana was on the frontier line
Of settlements, and the position of .
settler iu that region was that of picket at
the outrostof civilization. Thirty.four years
seems short period in the life of great
nation, and it Is short perlod-a mere mo-
mcnt-in the history of past centuries. But
In the light of the achievements of the last
three decades in the United States-the Inn
I; mense increase of population and wealth,
: the boundlcss wilderness of mountain and
plain reclaimed and peopled. the Western
Continent spanned by . railway, and the
commerce of the Eastern forced into new
channels, and vast and complicated sys'
tenn of civilization created, with literature
vsesIsrly its own-in The light Of these
fsess, the life of . single generation OF men
= ,isjndeed long time. A day Of the nine
tcenth century is rs thousand years.
..2ssking his place thus. In the van of the
westward march OF empire, MI. Miller open
ed up the farm. and built the log cabin,
where, ON the 10Th day Of November, 1s4l.
the poet was born. II 10 scarcely necessary
= n mention, rIxt 1t that time the child Of a
- pSofieer hfmcf II, The Far West could have
no opportunities for education.
lnfs5l his parents emil grated to Oregon,
by the overland rOute-a journey OF hve
months, across the deserts, and over the
mountains and valleys that stretched away
from the Missouri almost two thousand miles
to the west, without the habitati0n of civ
ilise<1 man. 1t 10 probable this journey,
bringing under young Miller's observation,
riety, beauty. and magnifcence Of natural,
- 0csl,esS; co1lyjbuted much to produce that
familiarity with Nature. which forms 80 re.
msrksble q feature in his poems For 1t is
NOT possible that . mind, possessing such
wonderful slisteptibiiities 10 this direction
as he has displayed. could fail to he impress.
ed strongly and permanently by such scenes,
presented even IL early bOyht'od.
In his childhood Miller was dreamer
absent. minded, taking no interest IN the
sports of his associates, and exhibiting =
remarkable penchant for asking questions
that his elders could not answer. But Ike.
:, .yond this he discovered no unusual charac.
teristics; was OILY very "old fashioned"
- the old nurse was wont to cay OF little
, Paul And even this peculiarly vas attri.
'~buted to undue umidity and scnstttveness: =
= 'n4ebr1kipg difidcnec, 20 plainly Qbserv.
a ~abfe> N the 'mnn, often reackhng the point
Of absolute bashfulness, was not less promi.
ncNt in the Child. -.
Arrived in Oregon, farmer Miller settled
uponA tract Of land in Lane county, near
thehead Of willamette valley, when he
a(Ain Engaged in farming, add where the
l6kj6N Of.fllis sketch worked on clie farm
ffor,thYs years, much of the time perform.
ing the lAbors Of . grown man. Hpt he
still INDUCED in day dreaming. and hls Wis:
ions always pointed to broader sphere OF
action and to pursuits OF more exciting
Z nature than those to which he was now con.
I dned.s So he became restless. and resolved
H0try hjs fortunes In the gold mines Of Cali.
tOrufn. EVisions of untold wealth ngw filled
H. thoughts. die would 20 and gather up
tn he,6s of gold that lay watj6g for him
in the mountains and among the pebbles BY
the bioak, and then he would return in
triumph 10 ~ the burden of toll from the
weary shoulders of his parents. change their
ESQ., humble cottage into palace, and surround
s e q 's ue eSoII ott"ts
1he mines he hastened; but the promised
nuggets were not visible among the pebbles,
nor gIittering iu the beds of the crystal
stresmlets,thxt caroled their. ccaseIess hymn
Of con,cntnient in tie SHADE Of the great fir
trees upon the mountain side; and Miller
. ENeds only ;such Roadway in amassing the
6HTious dust as might be reasonably expect
ed under such circumstances. Still be
b. dreamed on. forgctful Of that irreversihle
decree by which man is doomed to eat bread
in the sweat of his face. and which contains
no saving clause in favor Of California min.
crs. He was intensely DESTROYS Of getting
co<pldy for u his mind wealth meant not ease
and luxury alone, but perfect exemption
from all the " ills that hesh Is heir to. !" But
il would require long time ~ get 1t BY the
tedious, tOIlful processes Of digging, pick
~ ipk! shoveling. sluicing, amalgamating; be.
ssdps, these things were as unpalatable as
farm labor. and far less certain in their nc.
suits. There must be some shorter way; and
D. he devised various methods Of divining the
exact location of rich deposits, all about
:, equally imaginary, rsnd predestined alike TO
= prove dclusivc: Disappointed and discoer'
aged NJ his repeated failures, his old peculi'
rs Aerlties grew upon him perceptibly. But he
ynptsd sold. He had left his home and
c1n1c t,Il6eys through much mil and priva,
ton. for that alone. So he went far up the
mountain g0rges and consulted the huge
cliffs and 6owlders about it, and talked win
Il SaR Vent down, and then courageousiy
broacl,ed the question to the stars: 20. stars
hdAtsh. kitgad. and. oil that gold can
bring me? Where are natures great boards
deposited, and what sign shall have, like
the new star in the East, thSt may follow
4. essllt.sRt al,ovs %he plsce where my. fortune
'sll1s. Under The lcaves and moss s'1 Thus.
h1eefQeaA, from morning 10 evening, snd
from day to day, while his few scquaintun
q joee AlIspesed lean tho. Ms, resadh was be.
comihg 6hsettieO. did he work III the minea
of California 70 secure that pile of wealth
(which he ffst' bcheld from the mount 81
vision on his fathers farm in The William
cite uniilSst last, n found himself alone
In . strange land. mere boy. timid q, I
child. inihs midst of . style Of life w'h0ss
lpr(iships even strong men were unable Ions
'n'V0 struggle against. without dollar 10 TN
world. Ola friend within reach, and hungrJ
wiik1t For the first time in his life, Nile
'c0snprehepAed The situsti0n," and feu ~
ON practical method of making himself
n,ssterofIt What Nlaa nethOd was. and how
be carried 1t out, 90 well ~ something Of BIZ
character. appears In the following extrsc
from sketch Of his life written BY q gen
.tlenasn, of California, who first met btu
~ abOut that sin,e, and who spcaks from per
J., .s0pal knowledge: .-..-,, a.
- 10y. Al thsi data. lie w eaWky boy. Sreal