Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-11-05
FORTUNE FOR POET.
Good Tidinss For Joaquin Miller From
Miner He Befrisndea.

Miner He BefFisnded.
Gratitude to Joaquin Miller for saw
Ing his life and nursing him through a
long spell Of sickness many years ago
has caused John HeFren, an old pros
pectoF who aas struck It rich" at
Rawhide, New, TO make a viii leaving
everything he possesses 70 his old
friend and benefactoF, says the Oak
land correspondent Of the San Francis
co Chronicle. More than thirty-hve
years ago the poet Of the Slerras,"
while carrying the mail between Flor
ence and Millersburg. Ida. brought the
miner into the latter place after be
had become unconscious while lost In
the deep snow.
Since then the prospector has become
old seeking the claim which was going
TO make him wealthy, but he never
forgot the kindness OF Joaquin Miller,
who furnished him with provisions
and nursed him back to health.
The letter Miller received Is as fol-
lows:
RawhIde Ravine. Aug. a. 1908
joaquin Miller, The Heights, Cal:
My Old and Very Dear Friend--I came
into town. such as It Is. today TO get 8
lawyer 10 write this letter to you to
notify you that have made my will in
your favor. am leaving you all my
mines and my two pet jacxasses that
have been my freight trains by day and
my pillows by night and across the most
desolate regions that God ever made As
you are poet, perhaps you know what
he made them for.
Ynm may hnNga fnrUoffau me lint nav.
or will forget you. for long ago away up
In the high, rough Salmon River noun
tains of Idaho. at Florence and MllleTs-
burg you did me favors / can never for
get You freely gave me half your mea-
ger stock of food saving my life when |
had neither food nor money, and you
nursed me when | was down with snow
blindness and mountain fever. And
shall never forget when you faced death
TO bring In our letters across the hum
dred miles of freezing SHOWS and how
you brought me a CHEEKY letter from my
little girls down In the willamette val
Icy. But. alas. they are now all dead and
gone and / am wanderer on the face
OF the EARTH and the most barren. cheer
less part of IT, Surely II were better to
cit down and raise babes on the knee and
stay there than wander west, an / have
DONE smashing the heart into macad-
amized pavement stun.
eNNSAs@AAS
years when I knew your kind hearted
ness. but now At last / have struck some
GOOD claims, which win yield q fortune
or several OF them. l am leaving them
all 10 you, knowing that you will use
their output for the benefit OF the poor
and OF mankind. feeh that first frost
with soon be blooming the yellow sage
and bring on the autumn tints for me and
that the sand in my glass will soon run
out. But as ! climb the last divide /
will think kindly OF you as one of the
true benefactors 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 enjoy
good health for many years TO come.
Very 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 II would be
a pleasure to have them wandering
around his front yard.