Pueblo chieftain., 1921-08-01
HONOR|NG THE POET OF THE WEST

I vitality that Jaw In his .aoe into the
bust"
The sculptor saw him in entirely dif-
ferent mood when he entertained the
steady stream OF visitors. He would
throw on his .lks hide coat or fur
skin around his shoulders and put on
an Indian headdress or some of his
other curious souvenirs and stand In
front Of his cabin To greet strangers
and admirers who came to pay their
respects or to satisfy their curiosity.
They expect me to loook unusual.
and I Won't diappoint them" he would
say laurhinrly to his friends when the'
inquired why he went to the trouble
OF dressing up.
Sometimes he would further enter
tain sensation seeker by a joke IN
which hs particularly delighted. II
II was hot dry day he would say that
he was going In TO pray to the rain
god for rain. and into chapel-like
room Of his cabin he would lead the
wondering visitor. Then he would
mournfully chant an Indian song or
prayer with weird gestures. soon tho
sound OF rain could be clearly heard
on tho tin roof. and Miller would an
nounee that the rain god had answered
him. Dramatically he would throw
open tho door TO show the rain pour
ing down among tho cherry trees be-
fore the house.
Tho rain wac always Of brief durN-
ton because IL was produced by
spout Arrangement similar to the rain
storms produced IN the movies, One
OF Millor's characteristics was TO keep
his head always covered.
II wanted to make a bust shoving
the magnificent dome OF hiH forehead
SAYS Miss Boyle. but he always wore
a broad hrimmed hat or a cap or some
sort OF headdresA In tho house he
"A IA 40 ~.
daughter. Juani,a. made and gent TO
him.
Eventually did model his head
uncovered But when he saw Il. 10
objected strongly to the bald effect
and finally I added a lock o, hair 20
please him
The base OF tn. memorial Rus. Miss
Boyle expects n make Of stones from
Rock Greek. joaquin up,d to collect
stones and cement them together to
make monuments to hiR fsvori'e char
acters-Mo.es. Browning. Fremont, tho
pioneer. and others. Tho pedestal q,
the buF, Ia to resemble these monu-
ments which seenced to mean so much
to him.
one Of than he built for funeral
nyrc for himself But tho use OF q
was regarded a. Impractical. and when
h~ died his body was crcmsted IN
Oakland. then tho ashes were scattered
from the ,idge at his cabin. ON thiE
pyre. Gertrude Boyle hopes some day
10 place bust Of the poet as a mem
orial at his real home.
Tho hurt In Rock Creek park viii
he deer in the park, but near the road
along which many automobiles and
rome pedestrians pass Close to the
strsam, near tho cabin. there is rus
tic table which Miss Boyle saws n very
ike ono near the California cabin
Here picnic parties COME regularly thru
tho summer months.
Rock Creek park lie fsvori,c drive
OF motorists In Washington. Every
in and out along tho miles Of road
cut thru the woodland. The bust or
joaquin Miller will he the frBt statue
IN he placed In the park. and II will b.
more conspicuous and attract more
interest there than ~ would In STAT
usry hsll or tho Capitol or in one OF
the small city parks
Tributes to joaquin Miller arc now
taken as matter OF course. urfor-
,uns,ely. most Of them have como
Just a few years too late for him to
have had tho satisfaction Of knowing
his work was appreciated by his own
people
He felt deeply the tribute Of tire
California society. when his cabin was
placed IN Rock Creek park. and he
doubtless would have been dcuhly
happy " he could have known that
hi, statue was TO be added to thu mem
orial