The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-20
MILLER IS GR|EVED,
The Cattle King Regrets
the Attacks of John
Barker.
PITIES THE OLD MAN.
Says He Is Soured by Illness and
EnviouS of Those Who
Prosper.
HE WAS ONLY a HIRELING.
The Election of Certain Judges Advo.
Gated Simply to GLADDEN. His
Heart.

AhEfISf lELO, OAL', NV. 1o' -iiSAiJ
Miller, the ''cattle king" arrived here this
morning on one of his periodical visits to
look after his business interests. HIS
presence here was soon known, and when
he appeared upon the street crowd
gathered to question him about the
scorching arraignment of himself by aged
John Barker.
Miller grew eloquent in his own peculiar
manner, and used considerable language
that would not look well in print, and
which would exhaust the composltor's
stock of dashes in describing. In answer
to the question, How about this Barker
matter?" he responded:
tits - dirty piece of blackmail!"
Subsequently he sent for the reporter to
whom he had thus unbosomed himself,
and quite a lengthy interview followed.
All through the conversation Mr.. Miller
appeared to be more in sorrow than in
anger. though lapsing into the use of ex-
pletives quite frequently.
He said that Mr.. Barker had no ground
whatever for complaint as to his treat
ment. He declared that Barker's attack
was maIiciously false and appeared to
have been prompted by a desire to extort
money.
Mr.. Miller expressed sorrow for the old
man, and said that Barker was soured
because of his i'll success and his illness
and had attem pied TO wreak his vengeance
on him (Miller) because his life had been a
success.
He had known Mr.. Barker for about
thirty years, and always knew him to be a
Ill; -, "a, ha
tide of popularity, and now that he was
down on low tide he was sour. But he
never knew Barker IN any business deal
ings, and never had any business relations
with him.
He was always Mr.. Lux's man and
transacted his business with Mr.. Lux.
Barker always wanted to be engaged in a
fight of some kind, and wanted to pose
before the public, but that was not Miller
way of doing business, said Miller. He
did not believe in such things.
sin 1886" continued Miller. "the firm
loaned him $1,000 and took as security the
receivers receipt on a certain piece of Coy
eminent land. Some time after this they
Cancelled this obligation, at which
| time Mr. Barker duly acknowledged
OF $1,000, the sequel of which was the fore
closure sale the other day, and which, Mr..
Barker said, According to the principles of
equity and justice / do not owe This
| loan, it seems, was effected by Attorney
r. E, Houghton, then in the employment
of Miller & Lux, and he always acted as
intervenor for Mr.. Barker.
'tThe matter ran on aud on and Mr..
Barker several times wrote to us very
kindly that he would pay it. At one
time in particular he told me to
come and get a bunch of cattle as
part payment on the Mortgage, but before
accepted the proposition Barker had dis
posed of the cattle to other parties and
pocketed the money, When the note had
amounted to $4,000 1 proposed to Mr..
Barker that he would settle for
$1,000. This Mr.. Barker took into con-
sixty days expired and he was not heard
from. Then my manager of notes and &C
counts brought suit, because the debt was
about to be outlawed. The whole transac-
| ton was really but a small thing with me,
and in fact did not come before me person.
ally, but was attended to by my employees,
! who had such matters III charge
| Mr.. Miller said it was true that they put
up the money to start the Echo, but it was
not to serve their own interest, but to
satisfy Barker's ambition to become an
editor. They also put up the money to
help Judge Arick's fight to please Barker
and not because they particularly wanted
him on the bench.
1t was all done against his (Miller's)
will, he not wishing to fight their cause in
this way. Besides, he said, Barker got
other money from Mr.. Lux, which is said
to have gone for services rendered.
The aged millionaire grew some
what pathetic in the course of his
| talk. He said that he never had in
tentionally turned any one away empty
handed. He had fed more hungry
tramps than any man in the State,
and all he asked was to be treated as he
| had tried to treat others. He said he had
spent lots of money in this county, and it
was his desire to be on good terms with all
| citizens.
Miller concluded by saying that Barker
bad been paid in full for all services to
Miller q Lux, and that he was under nc
obligations to him whatever. He claimed
to have a number of letters from Barker
which would prove what he said, and
| which he intended to have published very