Creator

John Muir

Creator

[John Muir]

Recipient

George Galloway

Transcription

Yosemite Valley,
April 25, '72.

Dear Nephew George Galloway:

I got your letter and read it twice. I like letters when they are written by farmers’ boys for then they are always full of something that smells like hay and wheat and fresh butter and milk and they always seem to be tanned brown with sunshine. I think your description of the long shining tailed peacocks is first-rate. You are going to make a grand scholar. I'm glad you like your wild cats and dogs. I like all things that are wild better than tame things. God takes care of everything that is wild but he only half takes care of tame things.
A man shot a lynx in this valley last winter. Wild cats are thick here in the rocks and brushy thickets. Bears come to the valley sometimes. A man shot one here last fall and a hunter by the name of Duncan shot 59 bears not far from here in ten years. I know a canon north from here that is full of big bears.They eat acorns and manzanita berries. Last fall I was far and high in the mountains and my bread was done and I got only a handful of crumbs for my dinner and at night after climbing hard all day had to lie down on the rocks without any supper, and in the morning had to climb again without any breakfast, and about noon I found some manzanita berries and ate a whole lot, like a bear, and at night I got to Yosemite and found plenty to eat,and then I took a long rest and went up the mountain again. Some day I think you'll come here to see the waterfalls and the high rocks. Goodnight. From your uncle John who always loves you.

Location

Yosemite Valley

Date Original

1872 Apr 25

Source

Original letter dimensions: 28 x 22 cm.

Resource Identifier

muir02_0791-trans.tif

File Identifier

Reel 02, Image 0791

Collection Identifier

Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc

Copyright Statement

The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission to publish or exhibit them, see http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/Fees-and-Forms-.html

Owning Institution

Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.

Copyright Holder

Muir-Hanna Trust

Copyright Date

1984

Pages

1 page

Keywords

Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters

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