Creator
[John Muir]
Recipient
Sarah [Muir Galloway]
Transcription
00758 [1] [1877]
Thanksgiving eve at old 1419 Taylor St
My dear Sister Sarah – I find an unanswered letter [illegible] yrs dated Sep 23d & though I have been very hungry on the mtns a few weeks ago I have just been making bountiful amends at a regular turkey thank feast of the old New England type I must make an effort to answer it however incapacitated by “stuffing” for [illegible] upon it this Turkish method of thanks does make the simplest kind of literary effort hard, - ones brains go heavily along the easiest lines like a laden wagon in a bog but I can at least answer your questions – The Prof’ Gray I was with on Shasta is the writer of the school botanys the most distinguished botanist in America, & Sir Joseph Hooker is the leading botanist of England. We had a fine rare time together in the Shasta forests discussing the botanical characters of the grandest comfe[illegible] trees in the world camping out & enjoying ourselves in pure freedom – Gray is an old friend that led around Yosemite Years ago & with whom I have corresponded for a long time. Sir Joseph I never met before He is a fine cordial Englishman
[Page 2][2]
President of the Royal Scientific Society & has charge of the Kew botanical gardens & a great tr[illegible] but perfectly free from all chilling airs of e[illegible]ty . He told me a great deal about the Himmalayas the deadar forest there & the gorgeous shad[illegible] that cover their flanks with lavish bloom for miles & miles & about the Cedars of Lebanon that he visited & the distribution of the species in different parts of Syria -, & its relation to the deadar so widely extended over the mountains of India . & besides this scientific talk he told many a story & kept the camps in fine lively humor. On taking his leave he gave me a hearty invitation to London & promised to show me through the famous government gardens at Kew & all round etc etc - - When I shall be able to avail myself of this & similar advantages I don’t know I have met a good many of Natures nobleman one way & another out here & hope to see some of them at [ there living?] but my own researches seem to hold me fast to this compar[illegible]ity solitary life. Next you speak of my storm night on Shasta Terrible as it would appear from the account printer the half was not told but I will not likely be caught in the same experience again – Though as I have said, I
[Page 3]3 [3]
have just been very hungry – one meal in four days coupled with the most difficult nerve trying cliff work. This was on Kings River a few weeks ago. Still strange to say I did not feel it much & there seems to be scarce any limit to my endurance
I am far from being friendless here & on this particular day I might have eaten a score of prodigions thank dinner if I could have been in as many places at the same time but the more I learn of the world the happier seems to me the life you live. You speak of your family gatherings – of a weeks visit at Mothers & here & there – Make the most of your priviliges to trust & love & live in near unjealous generous sympathy with one another, for I assure you these are blessings scarce at all recognized in their real divine greatness. Remember me to Jane Mitchell Root & all the Galaways You ask whether you are to keep Mrs Moores letter – Keep it if you can for if she is no relation of Merrill Moores but a friend whose acquaintance I made here Merrill is now a man. studying hard & successfully in Yale College We had a company of fourteen at dinner tonight
[Page 4][4]
& we had what is called a grand time but these big eating parties never seem to me to pay for the trouble they make though all seem to enjoy them immensely – A crust by a brook side out on the mountains with God is more to me than all beyond comparison- Nevertheless these poor legs in their weariness do enjoy a soft bed at times & plenty of nourishment. I had another grand turkey feast a week ago Coming home here I left my boat at Martinez 30 miles up the bay & walked to Oakland across the top of Mt Diablo, & on the way called at my friends the Strentzels who have eighty acres of choice orchards & vineyards – where I rested two days, my first rest in six weeks, they pitted my weary looks, & made me eat, & sleep – stuffing me with turkey, chicken, beef, fruits, & jellies, in the most extravagant manner imaginable & begged me to stay a month. Last eve dined at a French friends in the city & you would have been surprised to see so temp- =erate a Scotchman doing such justice to French dishes – The fact is I’ve been hungry ever since starving in the Mtn Canons. This evening the gents would ask me how I felt while starving? Why I did not die like other people How many bears I had seen - & deer etc How deep the snow is now & where the snow line is located etc. Then up stairs we chat & sing & play piano etc & then I slip of from the company & write this. Now it near midnight & I must slip from thee also wishing you & David & all your dear family goodnight with love
Location
1419 Taylor St. [San Francisco, Calif]
Circa Date
[1877 Nov 29]
Source
Original letter dimensions: 31 x 40 cm.
Recommended Citation
Muir, John, "Letter from [John Muir] to Sarah [Muir Galloway], [1877 Nov 29]." (1877). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 386.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/386
Resource Identifier
muir03_0620-md-1.pdf
File Identifier
Reel 03, Image 0619
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
Copyrighted
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, click here to view the Holt-Atherton Special Collections policies.
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
4 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
