Boolcs and the Book World of The Sun, December 7, 1919. 15 Ina Coolbrith of California's "Overland Trinity95 By BENJAMIN DE CASSERES. written, you know. I have just sent down ASTWARD the star of literary cm-- town for one of my books, want 'A J and I pire takes its way. After twenty-liv-e to paste a photograph as well as auto- years Ina Donna Coolbrith, crowned graph in it to mail to you. poet laureate of California by the Panama-P- "The old Oakland literary days! Do acific Exposition, has returned to yon know you were the first. one who ever New York. Her house on Russian Hill, complimented me on my choice of reading San Francisco, the aristocratic Olympus matter? Nobody at home bothered then-hea- of the Musaj of the Pacific slope, stands over what I read. I was an eager, empty. thirsty, hungry little kid and one day It is as though California had closed a k'Prsmmm mm m:mmm at the library I drew out a volume on golden page of literary and artistic mem- Pizzaro in Pern (I was ten years old). ories in her great epic for the life of You got the book and stamped it for me; Miss Coolbrith 'almost spans the life of and as you handed it to me you praised California itself. Her active and acuto me for reading books of that nature. , brain is a storehouse of memories and "Proud ! If you only knew how proud ' anecdote of those who have immortalized your words made me! For I thought a her State in literature Bret Harte, Joa- great deal of you. You were a goddess quin Miller, Mark Twain, Prentice Mul-for- d, to me. Edward Rowland Still, Jack London, "I didn't know you were a poet, or Edwin Markbam, Henry George, Ambrose that you'd ever done so wonderful a Bicrce, Louis Agassiz, Joseph Le Conte, tiling as write a line. I was raw from a John Muir, Thercse Yelverton and Charles ranch, you see. Warren Stoddard. "But I stood greatly in awe of you Miss Coolbrith went from her home in worshipful awe. Illinois, where she was born, to California "In those days I named by adjectives, with James Eeckwith, the Indian scout. and I named you 'Noble' that is the He went over the Western Pacific trail, feeling I got from you. known as the Beckwith Pass, dressed in "Oh yes, I got also tho feeling of sor- fancy Indian costume. She was the only row and suffering, but dominating them, female in the party, and she made her en- alwaj-- s riding above all, was Noble. try into California at Marysvillc "No woman has affected me to the "cradled in the camp, amid the stormy extent you did. I was only a little lad, I splendor and savage glory of the Rocky knew absolutely nothing about you, yet Mountains," Joaquin Miller wrote of her in all the years that have passed I have first trek. met no woman so 'noble' as you. II. 'I have never seen you since those Her literary adventures really began library days, yet the memory picture I with the Overland Monthly in 18G8. The retain of you is as vivid as any I pos- editor then was Bret Harte, who had sess. When I hear your name mentioned, founded it. This was her first meeting or think of you, up at once flashes that s with the author of The Luck of Roaring Mm:nMki memory picture, and with it its connota- Camp, as described by herself the other tion, and its connotation is "noble.' Ofteij. day: and often the mere word 'noble' recalls "I was walking down Montgomery Ina Coolbrith. you to my mind Btrect, San Francisco, with Charles Henry "Do forgive me what you may deem Webb, editor and proprietor of the Cali- Who concocted finch lurid romances years after: my foolishness. I am all iron these days, fornia Weekly, to whom I had sent my . That his publishers said,. " 'Ina, I have only one thing against but I remember my childhood, and I re- first poems in fear and trembling. Along-eam- "You will strike this firm dead you my son. loved the name you gave member yon, and I have room in me yet a slender young. man with side whis- If you don't put a curb on your fancies.' him better than the one I did.' " and softness too, for memories. kers. When Miss Coolbrith was in charge of "Sincerely yours, : "'Why, here comes Frank Harte,' "Instantly Harte retorted the public library of Oakland Lon- "Jack Loxdux." J Jack said Webb. Til introduce you. FrankJ don was a newsboy, but hungering and here's Ina be good to her.' " 'There is a poetic divinity thirsting for knowledge. IV. He used to Miss Coolbrith "He was 'good to me. began to con- Number One of the "Overland Trinity" come to the library to has, strangely, only one I read, and she first volume poems tribute regularly to Harte's magazine, Who uses the muses remembers him as the gamin of over .her signature, who asked Sov.gs along with such men as Mark Twain, Pretty much as she chooses her for Prcscott's Conquest Peru, from the Golden Gate, published in of Years 1907. She Thomas Starr King; Prentice Mulford, This dark eyed, young Sapphic divinity.' afterward he wrote her this letter: has, however, gathered all Twenty-sevent- fugitive pieces together and will get out Joaquin Miller and Adah Isaacs Menken. "490 h Oakland, could never why such St, several volumes in the spring. It was not long before .Bret Harte, Charles "I understand December 13, 1906. Her poetry Warren Stoddard and myself were run- squibs adhere to one's memory so much "Dear Ina Cpolbiutie: is a glorification in verse of earth things, more readily than many things of California" earth things. They pep-fe-et ning the Overland Monthly, and we be- real "In reply to yours of Dec 12. are worth unless perhaps as passing Oh, in form and have came known as 'The Overland Trinity.' just in that stuff of mine in'Onee a Week! "Just a haunting melody, through flowering field is not blos- reminding one The three of us were in every issue, even a it the fun, that's all it was. But, say, of the James Whitcomb soms "which sliek to one's garments but the wasn't Riley or Robert Burns. Intensely if 'See had to push all the otuer famous 'that sonnet of Georgo Sterling's a beauti- human, not then famous, however) contributors burrs." ful thing? and never "highbrow." out. Asked oa to her philosophy of life, she III. "Am writing this mail to Zoe as coeditor Radcliffe said: "I was, with Harte, the first Miss Coolbrith first met Mark Twain in to see if she'll send you one to hear read his famous stories. The illustrations of "Put it down, please It is impossiSr the Augustan Age of California literature. Way of War. The manuscript is type Luck of Roaring Camp, The Outcasts of Twenty-fiv-e years later in the Authors to fool God." Poker Flat, 2'enness.es Partner and Club of New York city she was reintro- Dickens in Camp, I went over with Harte duced to him by Edmund Clarence Stcd-ma- n. before they went to the printer's case. I have the original manuscript of Tennes- '"Mark," I said to him, You are the see's Partner and DicJlcn3 in Camp. handsomest man in the room.' "At the time the Overland Railway " 'As I remember you," replied Mark, was. completed Bret Harte was asked to your are truthful, as usual.' " - write the commemorative poem. In Ogden Of Joaquin Miller (born Cincinnatus two engines, one from the East and one Heiher) Miss Coolbrith has no end of from tho West, were to collide. Bret came anecdotes. It is not generally known to Russian Hill, and as Blossom Rock was that ifc was the California poetess who to. cele- How exploded in San Francisco harbor gave him his pen name. Hero is the way brate the event he read, on Russian Hill, she tells it: to a party made up of Leland Stanford, "His first small poem, signed Cincinna-tn- s did Scheherazade do Collis P. Huntington and myself What the Heiner, was sent to BretHarte of the it Engines Said. Overland Monthly. It was written about "Harte was always angry at mention of and in praise of a noted California bandit She kept her husband her The Heathen Chinee. I remember one day of tho day, Joaquin Murietta. Harte had devoted slave for life by in the Overland office he appeared before reviewed it and praised it Cincinnatus me in a tantrum. wrote to Harte ,that he was coming to see tiling him thrilling stories. " 'What's tho matter, Frank?' 1dm, but as the latter was just then called '"Why, some of those damned Eastern away .on business he asked me to do the A word to the Wives is cnobs have been here congratulating me on honors,. Along with Mr. Heiner's an- sufficient. AH men The Heathen Chinee. They want me to nouncement of his incursion into the office love be a personification of all ,my characters, of the Overland came a bundle of poems good stories. too. I'm sick of it!' ,Qf course Harte's tnat I Bad to take home to read his hand- appearance was absolutely foreign to any writing was like the handwriting of Hor- THE BARILETT of the characters in his books and ,ho ace Gneley copied by a blind man. It MYSTERY Chinee. When-h- e fine loathed The Heathen 'was stuff, however. He came to see by LOUIS TRACY went to London he cut all wires with the mo home in Sausalito. at and West, but once he sent me this message: " 'How could- you climb Parnassus as 'Tell Ina no matter how far t get away Cincinnatus Heiner V I asked him. SHORlVMCABE from California, Fll never' forget the " 'What can I do? That's my name,' he GETS Overland Trinity.' replied. lliE HAIL by SEWELL "One of the amusements of' tho trinity " 'Why not be romantic, and take the FORD. was the writing of limericks. On one oc- name of the man to whom you wrote your casion when Harte was .writhing under tho first poem?' said I. are such rattling good stories they condemnation of local critics with regard " By Jove, do he shouted. should head every list of Christmas I'll it!' for to the 'moral' quality of such stories as "After that he only signed his real name Gifts him. The Luck of Roaring Camp, Outcasts of to legal papers. The world thenceforward, Poker Flat, c, I took my pen and knew him as Joaquin. Miller. Harte said EDWARD J. CLODE, Publisher New York Bcribbled: X had' thus done more for Miller than anybody else "in the world by giving him Therowaa a yotmf writer Ba&ed Fraaek tkat nine. JcqniaV Taother said, ta as ."5 1J ,t. . f .