Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-06
EarIy Days Of JOAQUIN mtIIer


Cincinnatus Hene Miller was
born in one of the best parts Of In
diana, the Wabash region, on No
vemher 10, 1911, and lived there for
thirteen years, when Hulins Miller,
his father, determined to 90 to Ore
gon with his family. That was
long before the days Of Pacific rail-
roads, and even the weary wagon
ride across the plains was neither
safe nor expeditions. What with
the monotonous drive across the
level country and the difficult pas.
sage of the Rocky Mountains, it was
three months before the destination,
the willamette valley, was reached.
The long solemn watches by day;
the perilous encampment by night, |
when watchfres were built to keep
off animals and muskets were load
cd as a precaution against Indian
invasion; the everyday companion
ship of all that is grand and inspir-
ing in natural sCenery-all these
things impress boy quite as much
as a man, and to their existence is
doubtless due much of young Mil
ler'S love of poetry. He was thir-
teen years old, an age, when, if ever,
come romantic dreams Of adven.
ture and discovery, But what other
boys were eagerly reading in the
novels of James Fenimore Cooper,
was present before Miller's very
eyes.
There were seven in the family,
four of the children being sons and
one daughter. Eugene City, in
Lane county, Oregon, was their new
home, but young Cincinnatus was
not long content to remain in re-
gion which to most would have
seemed sufficiently romantic. The
California mining excitement had
now been raging for five years, and
thithcr went the lad to try his for.
tune as a gold-digger. He contrived
to make money enough to pay his
current expenses, and very likely
had, with all the rest, his flush "
days and his months of deepest
poverty.
lie went back to Oregon in 1855
without that princely fortune he
had pictured to himself in his
dreams, and was soon stung by one
OF the most praiseworthy of ambi,
tions, that of getting a little "book
learning" He was still a mere boy
only eighteen, and the books he
studied were of an elementary de-
scription. 1t is hard for a lad who
has been out in the world to con
tenthimselflong with the restraints
of q school-room, and Miller soor
got himself out Of that irksomC
place.
Then followed a year as pony OK
press driver, in which the ordinar,
dangers of teamster in the west
eln wilds were aggravated by tn
fact that he must carry the United
States mails, which were favorit
prev both for Indians and whites
Back again in Eugene City, tn
miner, express driver and school
boy made his bslsted entry into lit
erature by assuming the editorshil
of the Eugene City Review, t
which he soon began to contrlbut
poems signed Joaquin" a nick
name he had brought home wit
him from California, The publica
ton of this paper was stopped fo
political reasons His habits {
scribbling verse had been begu
long before, but he printed nothin
until he became satisfied that th
public, that is, his public, woul
like it. Miller is a curious unio
of utter independence Of, and
suitable Difference to, the world {
large He writes what he mus
and he prints what he chooses.
The poets migrations were COZ
tinued by settlement in Canyo
City, in Grant county, Oregon
where he unexpectedly appeared
au attorney-at-law, though his |
gal Investigations must have bee
of somewhat limited extent. Bl
he was brilliant and industriou
and soon was honored by an ele
ton as Judge of Grant count
The cases tried before him we
not less interesting and romant
than everything else in his caree
but they were not SO many as
leave him no time for writin
Poem after poem was written, to
elaborated or thrown away
pleased the poets fancy.
BY 1869, after three or 70
years rather monotonous service
his judicial capacity, the poet h
accumulated quite bundle of ms
uscript, and u selection thereGrC
was printed at his own expense
q little volume, whose circulate
was gratuitous. joaquin wished