The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-02-28

Didn't Like 10 Write-Wanted 10 Rs
cardener-obieetsd &c KipIins.
Joaquin Miller, the Poet of the sier.
ras," who died Feb. II at the age OF
seventy-one on his pretty estate In the
Piedmont foothills overlooking San
Francisco. was one Of Americas most
picturesque characters. The poet had
been q Of the leading literary lights
OF his day, and for years the woodland
retreat, where he lived In a cabin,
was the Mecca for notable pilgrims.
He lived with his aged wife and daugh-
ter, Juanita, each occupying a sepa-
rate cabin. The family ate their meals
In a special cabin
Cincinnatus Heine Miller was the
real name OF the Poet Of the S~ierras,"
and he was born in Indiana back in
1S41. But the world had long known
him by his pseudonym, Joaquin Miller,
and for many years had associated him
with the mountains and mines Of the
far west Ever since his retreat In the
seventies TO the Heights, bis high acres
near Oakland. Cal, be has been looked
upon as n Of the picturesque figures
OF the Golden Gate, a figure ~insepara-
BILE from California, and with his high
boots, buckskin clothing and broad
sombrero resting on the massive head
OF flowing white hair, a figure that
would soon pass, with other outposts
OF pioneer days. into the last great
epic OF civilization.
This removed life that Miller led in
his last quarter century there on that
high point where Fremont tented and
from which he caught the view that
led TO the name, 'the Golden Gate"
gave him q reputation as a ~philosoph-
zeal hermit-a sort OF John Burroughs
OF the far west Although Miller loved
this picturesque retirement, there were
occasional but marked lapses from his |
devotion to IT, In the late nineties he |
suffered himself to be dispatched to the
Klondike as a special correspondent at
that scene Of interest. and It must be
admitted that he sometimes went east
TO spend some days with the Roycroft
colony at East Aurora.
His Funeral Pyre.
Miller loved his Heights. where be
and his mother planted hundreds Of
trees, where he built his home and bis
chapel and where, finally. be built the
pyre-a cairn OF rough stones inscribed
ITO the Unknown"-on which he gave
directions that bis body should be
burned and from which the ashes were
10 be carried of by the winds through
the cypress grove and oye the noun
that be knew so we'll
more than twenty years ago." be
wrote not so many years back, II sat
down here on a mountain side with
and began to plant trees Men
and women came to work and TO rest
with us-men and women from col
and universities. No one was
ever asked to come; no one was ever
asked to 60"
MIler's family moved to Oregon
when he was only thirteen, and from
there he ran away to the California
gold fields. Then followed several
years OF mining life close TO the soil
with the Indians. a bit OF law study, a
little law practice. some years on the
bench Is a country Judge in Califor-
mia and then his first attempt at writ
Ing. This was al editor Of the Eugene
City Democratic Register, which was
suppressed.
How He Got His Name.
The name Of Joaquin came from his
defense OF Joaquin Murietta,
q Mexican bandit The name stuck to
him, and after several attempts to
shake 1t or he shrewdly accepted It.
One OF his first attempts to sell a
manuscript was in his offer Of copy to
Bret Harte Of the Overland,
Francisco, but his first verse at
Iempts In this country-his Songs of
The Sierras"-were coldly received by
eastern publishers, so he took them to
London. There they were publAhed
IND created q sensation. Miller was
petted, lionized, exalted and a little
His books are Pacific Palms."
Songs of the Sunland," 'sThe Ship of
The Desert" Life Among the Modocs,"
Families Of the Sierras," "Shad-
OF Shasta" "Memorie and Rime,"
Baroness Of New York." Songs of
PARKWAY Lands" 1.-The Destruction
II Gotham" 40 or the Gold Seekers
II the Sierras," The Life Of Christ"
He wrote several successful
days. notably 'The Danites."
Didn't Like "a Write.
Miller always protested that he did
like writing and that he would
top as soon as he could afford to do
70. He accumulated several thousands.
lost them, however, In Wall street,
! most unhermitlike thing TO do, and Il
writing all the more a necessity.
Mfller's poetry almost exclusively
iealt with the wonders Of nature. He
objected to Kipling because OF the lat
er's proneness. as he said, to exploit
var and warriors. When the English
,oet produced THE Female Of the Epe-
les Miller condemned the work In
learty terms. 'Kipling was not sin-
sFs ~hea be wrote 4" said Nul,se.