The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-06-20


and his brothers. worked the farm and
sold butter and eggs 10 the passing
emigrants
Miller, while still very Young. left
for the gold mines of northern Cali
fornis, where he lived the rough life
OF the camp, earning his first bag of
gold dust by cooking on shares for A
camp OF q men. While in this camp
an incident occurred which led to his
nrst poetcal ef1usion in the following
manner: An Australian who had
drifted into the camp was caught in
the act or robbing the sluice box and
was condemned to be hanged. The
youthful Miller was set TO guard the
thief while he was at work digging
his own grave. Il went over TO help
the dazed, dumb saiIorman with his
hair parted in the middle and when we
had dug down a few feet he sat down
on the edge, wiped his sweating face
and took out small newspaper II
was named the Matrimonial Moose. He
explained that a party OF many con-
yict men and women had come IN from
Australia and that some OF the party
had put in the long days OF that voy-
age printing this paper. He read some
very startling personals from the
women OF the party setting forth their
merits and their charms There was
not one. with but single exception,
who did not boast her beauty. virtue.
youth or something OF that sort. This
one exception was that OF a woman
who wanted to get into the gold mines
and go to work The man said she was
already in Yreka and was a good cook.
I took the paper, told the man to go
on digging, and went down to the fore
man with IL. I left half a dozen heads
huddled together over that personal.
reading and rereading it OF course
they must hang the man; but as /,
their cook. was already half dead,
what could they do? Why not one of
them go and get the woman"
The woman was accordingly sent for
and the Australian told that he could
escape hanging by marrying the woman
and staying at the camp to heIp. her
cook TO this he readily agreed. and
the wedding ceremony was Immediately
performed, and Miller wrote the words
for a song 10 be sung for the occa-
sion, the irst verse Of which follows:
Now, Samson he was mighty strong
man,
A mighty strong man was he;
But ne lost his hair and he lost his
And also his nber-tee,
For a woman she can do more with a
Than king and his whole arm-eet .
Besides the sketch of the poets life,
the introduction contains a chapter en-
titled Lessons for My Lovers" which
is addressed to personal friends. and
such following as really and truly
love the beautiful and believe in
American letters" In this there Is
much valuable advice which is intended
10 guide the young person who wishes
TO become a great poet over the snags
and pitfalls which lie in his path. Mil
Ter advises especially against noise and
cIamor and says here American lit
erature still numbers along in the old
fashioned English stage coach: and
sometimes with red coated outrider
blowing a horn" and further-'.I have
always had a horror of noise in art.
Therefore let my lines make their way
quietly. IL at ALL This chapter is fol-
lowed by so pages of extracts from
London papers which give unanimous
and unstinted praise TO the California
poet. to which the reviewer finds it i'm
possible to add
This set will make very handsome
addition TO the book shelves, as the
binding Is Of an unusually beautiful
character white velium back. with
blue paper sides. stamped in gold and
white. the printing in large. clear.
old style type and a full length duo
tone portrait of the author AZ frontis-
piece.