The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-05-27
DALTON OF DALTON'S TRAIL.
Exhibitions of Pride, Nerve and Gem
erOsity by a Citizen of Alaska.

Exhibitions of Pride, Nerve and Gem
erOsity by a Citizen of Alaska.
A man from Harrey county, Oregon,
who is spending few days in San
Francisco, is an old friend of Jack Dali
on of Dalton's Trail fame, and knows
aow the Alaskan trail builder came to
De called Dalton. For that was not his
name in the States.
Jack Dalton lived for several years
in Harvey county," said the Oregon
man, 'but there he was known as Jack
Miller, which is his real name. He
brought with him to Harney county
span of fine horses, and after a while
somebody who did not like him-and
he was such an independent fellow that
he had a good many enemies-spread
the report that the horses had been
stolen, and sent word to man in UNI
atilla who claimed that he had lost
| just such a span. The upshot of it
was that a warrant was issued for his
arrest. All of Miller's friends-and l
was one of them-believed that he
could easily clear himself and prove his
NIT to arrest and let the case come to
trial. But he was too proud to do any
thing of the sort. He said that any
body who wanted to believe him thief
was welcome to think so, and would
still believe it if he went through
hundred trials but he had done moth
| ing wrong, and didn't propose to be ar
rested until he had done something to
be arrested for
MILLER had killed his man, and so
| the officers set cautiously about the
business of arresting him. In fact,
they showed so much caution that Mil
Ter reached the coast in safety and
shipped for Alaska. There he as
Sumed the name of Dalton, thinking it
was less likely to draw trouble after
him than his own name, and as Dalton
he has been known ever since. But
nobody need ever tell me that Jack
Miller didn't rightfully own those
horses, even if he didn't want to be ar
rested. He sent for his wife, and they
made their home at Juneau until the
died.
| MILLER killed a man named Egan a
year before the trouble about the hors-
es. He and Egan had quarrel which
they settled in a friendly way. They
shook hands over it and took drink
together and Miller supposed that was
the end of it. But an hour or so after
ward, as Miller was mounting his
horse, Egan stepped up and yelled,
| Well settle it now!' Miller leaped
from his horse, drew his gun, and
stopped to let Egan's bullet pass over
him. At the same instant he shot Egan
through the head. He was exonerated
by the Coroner's inquest and was nev-
er even brought to trial.
| "But five years afterward a friend of
the dead man named Thorpe took
party of gold seekers over Dalton's
Trail. He had lorg before sworn to
avenge the murder of his friend, and
proceeded to do it by destroying bridg-
es and spelling the trail, upon which
Dalton had spent $4,000 and no end of
thought and labor. Dalton heard what
he was doing and went to meet Thorpe
anu his party. Tie tOlu lnOrpe CnaL
from that point the trail was danger
GUS, and some one was likely to be
hurt if they followed it. Thorpe and
his followers took the hint and struck
out over another route, in which they
soon got into such difficulties, as Dali
ton knew they would, that they could
neither go on nor retreat. Dalton then
sent party to help them out and pilot
them back to his own trail, which he
told Thorpe they would then find per-
fectly safe. The seeker after revenge
went on his way and left the trail
alone after that. One of his party had
both legs crushed by fall, and Dalton
took this man to his own house and
nursed him for six months"