Creator
Herbert W. Gleason
Recipient
John Muir
Preview
Transcription
3the unpreserved trees in the Boulder Creek region. Here I saw some enormous trees, one of which Kanawyer pointed out to me as bigger than the Gen. Grant. And yet you California people are going to let the Sanger Lumber Co. go in there next year and cut every one of those superb trees down! I am glad that I am not a citizen of California, to have that crime on my conscience. I told an audience in Los Angeles that I thought it ought to be made a capital offence to cut down a Sequoia, and they applauded me. Are there not enough like-minded people in California to prevent this threatened infernal slaughter? It is an unspeakable shame and will be an everlasting disgrace to California if this thing is done. Better dam up the Hetch-Hetchy a hundred times rather than allow these priceless trees to be cut down, for the Hetch-Hetchy Valley can be restored, after people come to their senses and see the wickedness of damming it up; but once these 4,000-years old Sequoias are cut down, they can never be restored. We people in the East are taking every possible means to preserve our ancient elms, but these trees are mere infants of yesterday compared with California's Sequoias.That whole forest south of the King's, between Millwood and the Canyon, ought to be un-03995reservedly protected in perpetuity. It is a sublime forest, and I was vexed because we had to hasten through it so rapidly. Another time I mean to walk through it and take my time, if I have to spend a month there.The art editor of the Los Angeles Times wrote up an interview with me on the King's River Canyon, a copy of which I enclose. I don't imagine you will agree with me in my comparison between the Canyon and Yosemite, but that is the way it impressed me. Doubtless the persistent prominence of a certain sort of human beings in the Yosemite and the contrasting primitiveness and wildness of the King's led me to the conclusion which I have stated. I long to visit the Yosemite again, but I wish I could see it without its repelling human adjuncts.I made a delightful acquaintance among the California pines and brought home over a dozen cones of different species, - all except P. muricata and P. Torreyi, I believe. Later I shall hope to send you some typical photographs.Southern California was hot, dry and dusty. We saw a good deal of Los Angeles, Red-lands, Riverside, Pasadena, etc., but another time I must choose a different season for our visit.Our trip to Del Monte and the Monterey03995
Location
Boston
Date Original
1907-12-18 00:00
Source
Original letter dimensions: 21 x 14 cm.
Resource Identifier
muir16_1285-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 16, Image 1285
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 2
Keywords
John Muir, correspondence, letters, author, writing, naturalist, California, correspondent, mail, message, post, exchange of letters, missive, notes, epistle
