Creator
W[illia]m Newton
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
[letterhead]
OMAHA, NEB., August 12. 1906.
My dear Mr. Muir:
Your letter of July 13.th received. I was very much pleased to learn that you are the John Muir that I faintly remember as a little boy and whom I remember of often hearing my mother speak of. My dear mother died in prairie du Chien in 1871 and my father in 1881. In 1889 my two brothers, both born after you left "the prairie", and myself moved to Sioux City and bought an interest in the above firm and in 1898 after my marriage to a Miss Brooks of Sioux City I moved to Omaha where we have established a branch factory. Our business has been very successful.
I got your address from the list of members and addresses of the National Geographic Society of which Society I have been a member for years. I have your picture in the May 1901 number and after looking it up the other day I remarked to my wife, "there is a picture up stairs among mother's old [illegible]otypes of a man with rather long black hair and full beard that I think is of John Muir," on finding it I feel sure it is yours and if you would particularly care for it, I will send it to you, I also found an old undated letter from you to my mother written shortly after baby Elmer's death, probably in 1863 or 4.
My wife and I have spent the winters in Mexico, but I have not been to California since twenty years ago; but we often talk of going and when we do, we will surely stop and see you and should you come to Omaha at any time, we want you to make our house your home while here and we will take pleasure in making your stay a pleasant one, and will tell you the news of prairie
03756
[letterhead]
OMAHA, NEB.
du Chien for the past forty years. We go back there every year or so but it don't seem like home any more, it has changed considerably and there are very few left that you would remember. Mr. Jas. D. Humphrey, formerly of Prairie du Chien but now living in St Paul, Minn., is a stock holder in our company; his wife is still living and his two daughters are traveling in Europe this summer. Mr. Lawrence Case is still in business in Prairie du Chien, and is hale and hearty; his hair and beard are white as snow. B. F. Fay, and old settler, is still living; he is 86 years old; and last year I saw Mr. Summer Styles (you may remember him) in Chicago; he is about the same age, he knew me and called me by name although he had not seen me for thirty years. I send you under seperate cover my photograph taken two years ago and I will be glad to receive yours in return. Hoping that I may have the pleasure of meeting you some day, and with kind regards, I remain,
Very sincerely,
Wm Newton.
03756
Location
Omaha, Neb.
Date Original
1906 Aug 12
Source
Original letter dimensions: 28 x 21.5 cm.
Recommended Citation
Newton, William, "Letter from W[illia]m Newton to John Muir, 1906 Aug 12." (1906). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 3563.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/3563
Resource Identifier
muir16_0347-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 16, Image 0347
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
2 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
