, 1889-07-18
JOAQUIN MILLER.
The Famed Poet of the Sierras
Pays Visit to the City
by the Falls.
He Takes a Drive. Around Town
and Makes Some Observa-
tions in General,

Spokane Falls Is atlpresent receiving
Visit from one of5the most distinguished
literary men Of the present day, Being
mo less personuge' than, Joaquin Miller,
"the Poetofthe Sierras;' who arrived on
'yesterdaytmorning.strainfrom Oakland,
CAL, and is quartered at the Grand.
The, There are few,if any ,tssnoWNned writer's
and written .tH6n Of Joaquin Miller.
Aside frbh the Productions OF his pen,
which, have given him. a worldwide
fame, his striking 'indiyiduahty and un-
usual personal appenrancc hdVe formed
the subject of columns of public print.
Joaquin. Miller,isebout 55 years OF age,
about six feetfih 'heighfland of father
with gray, is aubprn'collor, sometimes
shoulders. His Nee is smooth shayen,
except the upper lip, which isadorlied
witha handsome rnustache. His high,
well -founded forehead is not unlike the
forehead of Shakespeare, as we see him in
pictures. Mr.. Miller found in THIS city
an old-time friend in the person of
Charles f, Gay. They were school
mates when boys, and they roughed it,
fand mined, and fought Indians and
slept by the same campfire more than
thirty years ago. Mir. Miller has met
several other acquaintance of former
years in this city, including ox.Goyenor
George Il. Cole. Yesterday afternoon
Mr.. Miller was driven around the city,
accompanied by Mayor Furth, Mr., Gay
and a REVIEW reporter The distin-
guished poet visited Spokane Falls in
1862, and his surprise at, the great
changes that have taken place in this
neigh borhood since that time can easily
| be imagined, When driven upon the
hill, south OF town, where he could
overlook the hourshing and growing
city which stands upon ground which
was wilderness when he last behcld it,
tho poet shook his head in solemn be
! wildcrment NJ the rapid march Of civil
ization and quoted the familiar lines;
Behind the squuw's light birch canoe
The steamer rocks and raves,
And city lots are stnked ior sale
Above old Indian graves.
Mr.. Miller expressed himself delight
cd with the natural scenery on every
side, and expressed the opinion that
above all things as many of the native
trees throughout the city should be left
standing as could possibly be spared.
He was almost cnraptured by the hand
some and unique residences nesting
among the rocks on the hillside,
and thought X. *, Cutters Swiss cot
tagc on its perch OF ROCKS and with it-
natural background one of the mos;
beautiful homes ho had ever beheld. lie
thought +. RocRwood Moore ought
to be one of the happiest men in the
world i'll the possession of his costly
dwelling which. with its natural roc.
chimney, looks like relic ofthc fifteenth
century, and will look like a structure OF
even younger century when tlui shed
After the drive Mr., Miller was asked
what i; he thought of Spokane Falls, to
spread out a map and ask mo to point
out the liveliest city in the United
states | should place my finger on Spo
kane Falls
He inquired all about the mining and
other resources tributary to the Falls
City, and expressed the opinion that Il
was destined to be a city of great size
and importance, lie had visited tho
said, and was going TO continue TO do sc
at every opportunity during his stay
In answer 70 the suggestion that
our citizens would appreciate d
poem on the falls from his pen he said
mot now but at some future time
will avail myself of the subject and
write something about beautiful Spo
kane for it is indeed beautiful. BY thC
way, your people do not pronounce the
name properly. and thereby destroy
much oi It's beauty, The proper pro
nunciation Is Spokun-a, and YOU will
observe that the Indians pronounce Il
that way, the last syllable sounding u.
| ah.'
Being asked how long he would re
main in Spokane Falls, Mr. Willcl
answered. II don't know; may leave
tomorrow, or tho day after, or may re
main week; | can't tell. ain on my
way East and shall stop at Yellowstone
Park 10 prepare something for Pic
tWesque america. shall
not remain long in The
east but must get back home to Oakland
notice chat the papers have stated tha
! was going TO leave California and re
i turn to Florida, but this is not true. Ny
mother. is with me at Oakland and as sh,
is now very old | shall remain thcre--a
least as sl6ng as she lives. l have beau
tiful place there, and have 1900 trees
all ofwhieh I,plantcd, TO look after.
"Ecs, do as much literary work n
I,evcr--even more than | used to. an
lat present engaged ION q life of Christ
(which takes most of my time aside from
my regular work writing up what | Sc,
as Itr9vel through, the country"
Mr. Miller, though somewhat odd II
manner, is a pleasing eonversationalist
and likes to talk of the times when h,
roughed it in Eastern Oregon in hi
younger days, but says if he had hi
life to live over again he would choos
pathslcss rugged.
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