Creator
B. H. Royce
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
Chico July 13 1889
Mr John Muir
Will you permit me as one of the legion of delighted readers of Picturesque California, to suggest an improvement as to the placing of vignettes and cuts. Up in a corner, down at the bottom, over one side, or entirely across the middle of the page; so the text is not torn, is what I would suggest. What can be more exasperating for instance, than for a reader to be perfectly entranced with living glowing word painting, spellbound, drawing in
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inspiration from wonderful glaciers, basking in the sunshine reflected from eternal snows, gazing on the fantastic cloud weather that lovingly enfold a mountain crest listening to the rythm of waterfalls! Every pulse and fibre vibrating with tense enjoyment: When suddenly some men on snowshoes come crashing down through the middle of the page! Sentences are haggled in twain, left-ragged and raw, The spell is broken the visions vanish After the rude shock and we pull ourselves together, there is but one feeling dominating outraged nature, and that is the eager hope that those men will get
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their necks broken when they reach the bottom! Mountain peaks, mule deer, sage hens, burros and mountaineer, burst through the text very much as a circus girl jumps through a paper hoop. The girl looks pretty and triumphant; the hoop is ruined until covered again! Hoping that the spell your magic pen will in future weave around your readers will not be rudely broken by the printer or artist's whims.
I am very truly
Your indebted [illegible]
B.H. Royce
Location
Chico, [Calif]
Date Original
1889 Jul 13
Source
Original letter dimensions: 21 x 13.5 cm.
Recommended Citation
Royce, B. H., "Letter from B. H. Royce to John Muir, 1889 Jul 13." (1889). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1844.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1844
Resource Identifier
muir06_0171-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 06, Image 0171
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.
Pages
2 pages
