Creator
W. H. Trout
Recipient
John Muir
Preview
Transcription
552 Greenbush St Milwaukee Wis. April 14th 1887John Muir Esq Marinez Contra Costo to CaliforniaDear Friend JohnThrough Mr. Sanderson of Detroit and Mrs. George Lindsay of this city I have been cheered by hearing quite directly from you. I heard first, that you wished me to write you, and afterwards, that you were going to write me; but since I am not receiving anything I shall take the initiative.Let me first thank you for that kindest sort of a kind remembrance that propos4es a plan to help me and enables me to help myself and for the present I will waive a vast number of other matters that might be talked about and will discuss this businessIf I recollect aright, you wished me to go to your country, and with your help, design and build, or get built, machinery and a shop or mill, for the manufacture of fruit boxes. You furnishing the capital and to turn the thing over me on terms advantageous to both and I to run the business. This is briefly as I understood Mr. Sandersons statement such an offer or anything near it, I regard as an extraordinary opportunity. The great question with me is to avail myself of it. I suppose the business is there now waiting someone to take it up in good shape and the probability is if we do not some others will, and if a firm with large means get hold of it they will supply the demand and work themselves into a monopoly of the whole. I do not say that we would not if we could; but I think it may be in such shape that a moderate outlay in good time might be able to hold a respectable share of business against all comers; so that it might be necessary to begin right off. In that case I might have a hard job to get at it. I should like to have time to shape things for so big a journey with such a family as I haveLast Feb 15th was the completion of my 53d year: I am not regarded by any means old for that age but the work I am engaged in in many respects unsuitable for ago. Drawing taxes the sight heavily and requires that smooth motion of the muscles that is more the pecularity of young life. The slow but steady change in my sight warns me that I may be obliged to lay by from drawing when I might yet be quite serviceable in some other way if I would be only nicely started in it: but to change near the end of one's term is not desirable. So I have been for some time on the look out for something of this sort.01261
Location
…Milwaukee, Wis
Date Original
1887 Apr 14
Source
Original letter dimensions: 27 x 20.5 cm.
Resource Identifier
muir05_0804-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 05, Image 0804
Copyright Status
Copyright status unknown
Copyright Statement
Some letters written to John Muir may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Owning Institution
University of the Pacific Library Holt-Atherton Special Collections. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Page Number
Page 1
Keywords
John Muir, correspondence, letters, author, writing, naturalist, California, correspondent, mail, message, post, exchange of letters, missive, notes, epistle
