Creator
J. S. Merriam
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
[4]
photographs of their sweet faces and write me news of you all and of Sierra Club people and pictures.
It will do them no harm sending it to an old man of 7+ years. What a multitude of things and incidents come to me as I close my eyes and go back there - and at last I said farewell at Muir and then a pleasant day in town and goodbye - probably forever.
[Hart?] has sent me a few of his photos. in which you and Keith appear - notably at the foot of the twin sequoias across the meadow from Sierra Camp. where Mrs Hoff[man?] fed us bountifully - with fair faced Daisy Martin to help
[1]
209 W. 56 Street NY
Jany 5 1903
John Muir Esq.
My very dear friend-
On the 11th Dec I sent you by Wells Fargo Exp. the volumes of N[illegible] A[illegible] - and the Life of your friend "Christopher North" the [illegible] [named?] Wilson - a glorious bronze bust of whom - one of the finest portrait busts I have ever seen - stands near by the noble monument of Sir Walter -
03131
[2]
I hope you may recall our speaking of the [Noctes?], once on one of those happy, happy days of which all [illegible] [large?] in red letters, when it was my great good for time to be with you, somewhere between Visalia and the Ke[illegible] Pass, probably in the National Sequoia Park-
I hope the books reached you because you then expressed your love of the N[illegible] - my card was enclosed but I fear it was not observed.
[3]
I meant it to reach you by Xmas time when I hope you were all together - those two dear girls whom I love to think of [among?] the lovely things of those days - and your good wife - I hope the girls did not forget to tell her of our talk about her - I trust her health is complete and that you are all well these New Year days - Of course they are or have been home from school for the holidays, and why should they not send me
[8]
To speak to you [thus?] by a mere letter is an aggravation
My trip to the Pacific Coast was an Episode in my life - beautiful towards its close - and the story of it has made many friends wish to go —
I bid you good bye with every wish for a happy and cheerful New Year to you all and am most sincerely yours
Merriam.
[5]
I shall be glad to know she is married.
What thousands of photos must have been take by the army of young folks of the Sierra Club - It would be interesting to see them [illegible] the [illegible] [been?] my good luck to see - a few from Hart and some 8 or ten from Smith of Visalia. I may add Nov. [11th?]. Out west where "the Faculty Meeting" and Dinner Time Camp - must have been taken from [illegible] for nothing else could be more funny.
The portrait of John Muir is really himself in a precious mood
03131
[6]
was it beside a great fir tree? I am very glad to [illegible] it.
I presume in the "Dinner time Camp" - one knowing well the party, might identify a good many. The only one I feel sure of is the "Dancing Doll" found "at first position."
In the article itself [Lummis?] lost a good opportunity.
It was an event, in Nov. Century to read on [Rupert's?] article the Grand Canon [diacritic] which only those who have see it well can appreciate
I felt how difficult the task was to satisfy yourself - and nobody but yourself could have come off victorious. I suppose it [illegible] have been easier to have filled a
[7]
volume.
Do please tell me how you and your family all are and how dear Mr & Mrs Keith to whom my kindliest remembrances- I have not yet seen Hart to hear of the famous Kern canon [diacritic] trip
The new year came to us with weather almost worthy of your matchless state. I was at old Norwich Conn. and though a little snow was unmelted on the ground the air was soft and hazy - like Indian Summer—
Location
New York
Date Original
1903 Jan 5
Source
Original letter dimensions: 20 x 25 cm.
Recommended Citation
Merriam, J. S., "Letter from J. S. Merriam to John Muir, 1903 Jan 5." (1903). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 2484.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/2484
Resource Identifier
muir13_0034-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 13, Image 0034
Collection Identifier
Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc
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
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.
Pages
4 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
