The San Francisco call., 1908-09-11
MINER WILL LEAVE
FORTUNE TO POET
Joaquin Miller Receives Good
News From Man He Be-
friended Years Ago
Old ProspectOr Has "Struck 1t
Rich" and Remembers Favor
of His BenefactOr

OAKLAND, Sept. 1o.-Gratitude to
Joaquin Miller for saving his life and
nursing him through a long spell of
sickness many years ago has caused
John Herren, an old prospector who
has struck it rich" at Rawhide, Ne
thing he possesses to his old friend
and benefactor. More than 80
years ago the Poet of the Sierras,
while carrying the mail between Flor
ence and Millerburg. Idaho. brought
the miner into the latter place after he
had become unconscious while lost in
the deep snow.
Since then the prospector has be-
come old seeking the claim which was
going to make him wealthy, but he
never forgot the kindness of Joaquin
Miller. who furnished him with pro-
visions and nursed him back TO
health. 1t has been his ambition to
repay the kindness, and since he mas
become wealthy at Rawhide he has
made his will IN favor of his old
time protector.
MILLER RECEIVES LETTER
Miller, who is at work in his cottage
at THE Heights" received the 1ol-
lowing letter from Herren, whom ne
had much difficulty in recalling IN
mind. In fact he is not certain yet
RAWHIDE RAvINE. Nevada,
August q, 1905.
JOAQUIN Miller. The Heights, Cal
Ny Old and Very Dear Friend: came INTO
town such as il is, today, 10 get lawyer 10
write this letter to you TO notify you 1hat nave
ali NV mines and my two pet jackasses that have
been nay freight trains by day ana my pillo"s 3 .!
night and across the most desOlate regions tnat
God ever made AS you are poet. perhaps you
know what he made them Tor 80,
You nav have forgotten me, but 1 never wiil
forget you, for long ago, away up IN the nigh'
rongb Salmon River mountains OF Idaho, at Flor
ence and Millersburg. you did me IaV9rS eau eau
never forget You freely gave me haI1 your
meaRer stock Of food, saving my life when L
had neither food nor money, and you nursed me
when / was down with snow blindness ana noun
tain fever. And j shall never forget Wnen
you faced death 10 bring In our LETTERS across tne
hundred miles Of freezing SHOWS, and how you
brought me q CHEEKY letter from my little girls
down in the Willamette valley But alas! Iney
are now all dead and gone, and j am q wanderer
on the face of the earth, and the most barren,
cheerless part OF il. Surely it were better to sit
down and raise babes the knee and stay there
heart into macadamized pavement stuff.
have had generally poor luck since 2 the years
last 1 have struck some good claims. which VIII
yield fortune. or several of them am leaving
them all TO you. knowing that you will use their
output for the benefit OF the poor and of man
kind. l feel that first frost Will soon be bloom
ing the yellow sage and bring on the autumn
soon run out But as l climb the last divide l
will think kindly Of you as one Of the true bene-
factors of mankind, and then my lawyer will
notify you that / have gone over the hill. and
you can do the rest. Meantime hope you will
truly yours. JOHN HERREN.
The poet answered this letter by
hoping that the miner would enjoy
good health for many years to come,
but that he thought more of the jack
asses than of any other property his
old friend might leave, as it would be
a pleasure to have them wandering
around his front yard.
LAWYER WRITES LETTER
Shortly afterward letter came from
Herren's lawyer, H. Berry of Yellow
horse, New. The lawyer announced
further instructions which Herren had
asked him to send to Mr.. Miller re-
garding the disposition of the funds
for some of his debts after his death.
The lawyer wrote that Herren was
known in Nevada as Showcase" be-
cause he always carried samples of
ore which would be an ornament to
any showcase in the world.
Il can barely remember Herren,'
said Joaquin Miller today. "He GER
tainly overestimates the favors 1 did
him, think, and if he has struck it
rich, as he says, and leaves the prop
erty to me, / will use it in the best
way I know. 1 would rather have the
jackasses, however" he continued, with
a smile, .as they will make a pretty
picture here.
"All I know of the matter is that !
have received two letters, one from
Herren and one from Berry, the law
yer. Whether or not they are written
in earnest I do not know"