Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-09-05

announcement .siven to the prospect
i've visitor is, You will perhaps not
be allowed t. pass through the gates.
In ever so many places there are signs
Private Grounds.-Keep Out" He
does no. care for visitors"
Not to See the poet of the Sierras
when so near to his home was too
great a dis~ppO rtment. His poetry
had always appealed to me. This was
not one of those noble battles to be
fought but it was quite important that
1t should be W m. There was too mucn
veneration for he poet and respect for
self to sneak around even though no
harm to the owner would be done by
doing. With determination to see the
poet and his famous park in an un-
offending way We boarded train for
Fruitvale and from the station there
went to the end of the Fruitvale ave-
nue. car line.
Being no conveyance could be obtain
ed from there to our destination, over
a mile away We proceeded by what
the editor would call a Iegomobile.
The climb up the hills was tiresome
and when we reached the green cot
tage and saw the oft-described printed
warning chill crept over us, al
though the thermometer was some
thing like 80 degrees in the shade.
Still, something prompted us to try
the next gate, which we did, much to
ourr good fortune. Finding that open
we ventured to pass through and on.
The doors of the two cottages near
were wide open but there was not a
sound of mortal stirring about within.
The man who leaves his house witnoIt
taking the slightest precaution TO
guard what may be within those
walls is usually quite approachable.
Ere We realized our progress we were
on the steps of the third cottage and
kindly greeted by the Japanese study
ing with Miller. The latter had gone
to the city for the day but this youth
from across the Pacific cheerfully
volunteered to show us about the
place. Delighted with the suggestion
we accepted and listened with deep
est interest.
There is large tract of land and
every square rod, it seems, bears al
impress of the poets artistic ana
truly poetic taste. Common plants
and rare plants, trees and flowers.
are scattered in profusion and In a
way to give the wild woods effect.
Were it not for the fact that all the
neighboring hills are bare and treeless
one would think it is all natural
scenery. But it is not so. Every flower.
shrub and tree has been planted by
the owners own hands or under mis-
personal supervision. Typical noun.
tain trails have been artisticaily laid
out to the top of the hills The hills
and the gorge have the picturesque
charm peculiar to the Sierra Nevada
mountains. That one man within the
limited time of some twenty years
has been able to change large. com.
parahvely barren waste into a rustl-
ing pine forest and a park. which
compares with that of a city. is
wonderful, considering that the man
has accomplished so mucn in other
lines. Seeing this is enough to Goa.
vince anyone he is sincere when he
says 1t is not worth while to jostle
brother"
From the summit an excellent view
can be had of Alameda, Fruityale.
san Mateo, San Francisco and t1e
surrounding country. On a clear dav
the Leland Stanford university can
easily be distinguished. What an
ideal inspiration point!
The first to attract attention of the
immediate surrounding is the one of
the four monuments commonly called
the Joaquin Miller funeral pyre. Near
by is the little cemetery where rest the
departed ones of the Miller family
and few of their friends. The newest
grave is that of the aged mother, who
passed away last January. The beau
flful flowers on her mound showed
that the illustrious son has lost none
OF his devotion to his parent.
A little further on, and down the
slope, is the pyramid dedicated 20
Moses and the tower to Robert Brown.
ing. Some distance from there is the
obelisk erected in honor of John C.
Fremont. This last named has an
added interest because it is built on
the spot where Fremont stood when
he first beheld the Golden Gate.
Yes, this Western singer has erect
ed four monuments-one for Moses.
one for Browning, one for Fremont
and one for himself,-a singular
grouping indeed. Granting for truth
the old saying "A man is known by
the company he keeps" what fault can
be found with Joaquin Miller for the
choice he has made of companions.
Or the five cottages alluded to above.
four are occupied. The poet has one
for himself, the Japanese friend the
next, the artist the one farther up the
hillside and some family lives in the
other. The green cottage was the home
of Mrs. Miller until her death few
years ago.
The Japanese young man residing
there is a writer of some note. being
a regular contributor of poetry and
prose for the Japanese periodical pub.
lished on the coast He has studied