The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-21
Famous Entertainer and Below
ed Private Citizen Passes
Away After Sickness Not
Thought to be Serious.
O OVER NATION
BY HIS LYCEUM WORK
Had Appeared With His Negro
Quartet in Many Cities
Served in Confederate Army.
Had Been Resident of Rich
mond for Many Years.

Polk Mliled died very suddenly at
1890 O'Clock last night at his n
in Bon Air.
The ma who has made a nation
laugh and weep. the mar VINO was
respected and lhonored in all sec
tons of the country, and respected
and honored and loved in all the
South and loved in Virginia, his ma
tive State. even as he loved her. the
best known private citizen IN Virginia
has brought forth his last laugh with
his wit and humor and brought forth
his last tear with his sincere n
human pathos. His body viii lie soo
in Hollywood cemetery, with hun-
dreds of boyhood friends and COM
patriots in arms.
Polk Miller is dead.
MIR. Miller had not been so SER
iously i'll as 10 alarm his relatives
and Eriesds. though he a been COM
planning for several days and his
death calne with an added shock be-
cause OF It's uneNpectedness. lie had
been at his store as usual during
this last few days until yesterday.
Last night while at his home In Bon
Air. where he had iived for TAI
years. he spoke of feeling badly, but
CAV no indication Of being Ill in any
sense of the word. For "a few hours
after supper he appeared TO be more
indisposed, but not enough to cause
uneasineas. AT 1890. in his room.
the end came, suddenly and peace
fully.
Family With Him.
His wife was with him at home
at the time and shortly after his death
his entire immediate Samtiy, scgether
with relatives from Richmond. were
in the chamber of death. No ar
rangeu1ents had been made last night
for the funeral and burial. but IL is
supposed that. he will be Inferred In
Hollywood cemetery unless it liz de-
cided 70 carry his body back to Amelia
county, where he was born and where
he spent his hoyhood on an old Nir-
ginia plantation.
Polk Miller was born in Amelia
county in lS44. and lived on the plan-
I tatein of his father until after the
outbreak Of the War Between the
States. When the call for arms was
sounded he was too young to am
swer, but before the surrender at Ap-
pomattoX he had offered his youth-
full services and served in The Con-
federate States army until the end
came.
Shortly after the surrender he
moved 10 Richmond, and a little later
established himself iii the drug bus-
mess. He first topeued in the base-
ment of what is now the home of tho
Old Dominion Trust company, on
Ninth and Main streets. About
twenty years ago he moved TO the
present location Of his sore. across
Ninth street, near the corner. !.
He is survived by his wife. who
was Miss Maud Withers, daughter
Of a Richmond physician, one son,
w. Wlthers Miller. two daughters,
Misses Maude and Virginia. and q
brother, a. IL. Miller, all of Rich
mond.
No. 81, of Masons.
His Last Appearance.
Polk Mliler's last public appearanco
was last Wednesday night. when he
appeared before the delegates to the
convention of the American Gas insti-
tute in his famous "Oid Plantation
Songs" and his inimitable war stories.
His entertainment was given a great
crowd Of prominent men from all
parts of the United States and Can
ada. here for the institute meeting.
which packed the jefferson audito-
rum.
His hearers were s~plendidly enter
talned, Polk Miller and his famous
quartet, fully sustaining their reputa-
ttons gained for them by their APP
pearance in all parts of the country.
For several years the leading Lsyceum
bureaus and Chautauqua circuits had
numbered his entertainments among
the leading features Of the season. and
the work done on the stage, and the
platform by his organization always
fulfilled the promises in advance by
their promoters.
Mr.. Mlller's experiences as a soldier
of the Confederacy. when he came
into intimate contact With the hunor
and the pathos of the struggle be-
tween the men of the North and Of tho
South. and his life on an old Virginiag
plantation. his remarkable ability for
retaining hundreds OF the little incf-
dents that are always interesting. and
his ability to .recite In a most n-
pertaining way, made him Il ravorts0
with the great entertainment loving
public for many years. He ways
held a high place in their esteemsN
and hundreds OF thousands who nav
heard him Will learn with regret thai
he Is no more.
An. Unique Quartet.
The quartet which had travelled
through the country with him vs.
unique. Its members were taken
from their native element and trans~s
planted by him In q world TO which,
they were new. 1t liz because OF this
that Polk Miller and his entertainers.
who, through his skill always rN~1
tanned their native humor and dtn~N
played their natural talents withonkss
attempt to force themselves heyon0g
their real capabilities. we're ALWAYS
certain OF success. Ass'
1t was q combinations oil nAf1iFMlS
ability. the real nature In itS hax5ptn
mood of the nexroes who