East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-06-25

"It seems but yesterday that I
waded in the dust of the immigrant
road on the hill overlooking Pendie-.
ton," said Joaquin Miller to the East
Oregonian today, "and yet that was
in the summer of 1852, or SIS years
ago, when 1 was but a boy.
81 remember the refreshing. cool
dust of the Blue mountain roads in
that summer long ago; 1 remember
the cool creek that crossed the road
Just below where Pendleton now
stands; 1 remember the very contour
of the hills" said the Poet of the
Sierras."
Mr.. Miller arrived in Pendleton
this morning from The Dalles and Is
guest of the Hotel st. George while
in the city for a few days, looking
over the old scenes with which he
has been familiar for half century.
At intervals of a few years he has
revisited Pendleton and eastern Ore
| gon since that first visit in 1852, as
he trudged westward with his par
| ents to become the foremost genius
| of the sunset land, the most famous
of her poets, the most eloquent of
the advocates of oregon in song and
story.
II have been working hard for 10,
so many years. 1 have known no
rest. I have Travelled and roamed
| and have grown weary of it all, and
now I am taking my first genuine
rest. l am on my first vacation and
am going to take it easy, with moth
ing to do, nothing to think about, but
rest and enjoy myself" said the poet
today, and he is making good his in-
tentions. -
He has spent the day visiting about
the city, looking over the changes,
meeting pioneers who, like himself,
came to the west as boys and who.
like him, helped make Oregon, Cali
fornia and the Pacific coast what 1t
is today He is taking a real yaca.
tion. He is not writing, worrying nor
hurrying. but is going slowly back
over the old immigrant trail, recall
ing the old scenes. revisiting the old
camping places and meeting the old
pioneers.
He will deliver an address at the
Union County Pioneer reunion at
Cove, on July I and is travelling by
easy stages to meet his appointment
there. He will remain in PendIeton
until tomorrow or next day, when he
Will go to La Grande for few days
before going to Cove to deliver his
address to the pioneers.
Mr.. Miller's picturesque figure has
been recognized on the streets today
by many people who had never seen
him, in person, before, but who had
seen his photographs in his books
and in the magazines.
He is sturdy, erect, tall and strong
as pine of the Sierras and with his
long, grey hair and beard, presents a
beautiful picture of the pioneer and
dreamer that he Is.
Mr.. Miller takes as a Joke the
proposition that he is to run for the
senate In this state. He will perhaps
make his home at Eugene, where, In
company with his brother, he Is de-
veloping a power and water system
on the Siuslaw river. He registers at
his hotels from Siuslaw and this To-
cality will perhaps be his new Ore
gon home.
He grew to manhood in the yicin..
ity Of Eugene and is familiar with
every part of that section Of the state,
1t was from the old home in that
part Of Oregon that he started out
first to meet the rugged world, going
first to California, where he mined,
prospected, drove horses and worked
at various occupations while a bow.
in his first adventures away from
home. Naturally that locality has an
attraction for him, and most of his
time In Oregon will be spent there.
Before returning to western Oregon
he will visit Canyon City in Grant
county, where he was once probate
judge back in the early sixties, and
VIII perhaps come out on the stage
from Grant county to The Dalles.
by the same route he travelled in go
ing into central Oregon IS years ago