Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-02-20
POET OF The
SIERRAS DEAD
Joaquin Miller Passes Away
70 Years Old

Oakland, Cal, Feb 19.-Joaquin
Miller (Cincinnatus Heinie), the" poet
OF the Sierras," died Monday in his
one room cabin, which he built in
the Piedmont hills many years ago.
The end came at O'Clock in the af-
ternoon, with warm sunshine flooding
the room where lay the author of
Songs of the Sunland"
Death came slowly upon the vener-
able poet He became unconscious
Thursday, after a lingering illness
which began when he was stricken by
paralysis two years ago. His wife
and daughter, Juanita, were summon
ed at that time from the East and
have been with him since. The weak
ness of age had come upon him and
he rarely ventured from The
Heights" as he called his mountain
retreat.
For many years The Heights" has
been the mecca for lovers of Joa-
Guin NIiller's poetry He always re-
ceiyed his visitors graciously and low
ed to tell in vein of quaint humor,
of the old adventurous days, which
he memorialized in his verses. His
faculties We're undimmed until almost
the end, and he labored at intervals
upon a poem which he said was to be
the most momentous work of his life.
He guarded the poem with the utmost
secrecy and not even his wife and
daughter knew his subject He was
about 70 years old.
From childhood, his was a stirring,
eventful life. He was born in Indiana,
November 10, 1841, and was christen-
ed Cincinnatus Heine. His father was
of Quaker stock. At the age of II,
Young Miller accompanied his parents
across the plains to the Pacific coast.
The family took up a government
claim in Oregon. Craving for adven-
ture and stimulated by stories of the
gold strikes in California, he ran away
at Is, to seek his fortune Already he
had participated in an Indian war, re-
ceiving an arrow wound in the neck.
In Siskoyou county, California, he
was adopted by a tribe of Indians and
married the daughter of the chief.
Shortly afterwards the woman was
killed by settlers in a punitive expe-
dition against raiding red skins anl
Miller returned to Oregon, where he
studied law.
At this time he had begun to write
verse, contributing to various maya
zines and he met and married Miss
Minnie Myrtle, young Oregon poet.
ess. Three children were born to the
couple, a daughter, Maud, and two
sons. The latter ran away early in
life and their names were erased from
the family records.
Miller, in 1866, went to Mexico
where he Joined Walkers filibusters
and was arrested He obtained a par
don and returned to Oregon. In 1869,
he published his first volume Of
poems. Soon afterwards he was di-
yorced from his wife and went to
Europe. There he became popular.
lie always dressed in a flannel shirt
and knee high boots, a costume that
the English of that day are said 20
have expected of Americans.
Returning to America he took M
newspaper work at Washingto, D. ..
While there he took third wife.
Miss Abbey Iceland, daughter of a
Chicago hotel keeper One child was
born to her-Juanita.
The poet returned to California in
1887 purchasing near Oakland the
tract he called "The Heights"
Miller was also playwright. The
most successful of his dramatic
works was the "Danites."