Creator
M. A. Leahy
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
[1]
Marshfield Wis
July 27th 1913
Friend Muir
Your kind letter of May 12th was received in due time. I was delighted to hear from my old friend and schoolmate how the time flies More than half a century has come and gone since last we met
As you will remember I went into the Army in 1862. I returned to my home in May 1866 We spent a part of 66 & 67 on the Rio Grande trying to persuade Napoleon III to withdraw his troops from Mexico When we had succeeded we left that region and went home I will try to give you a brief outline of my history since 1866.
I concluded to try my fortune in the legal profession. I went to the Michigan University and completed the legal course in that institution in March of 1868. I concluded to follow the advice of Horace Greely "Go west young man" and after some wandering I located at Hampton Franklin Co. Iowa, and entered upon the practice of the law. In 1871 the people of that county sent me to the Legislature In 1873 my friends concluded that I was entitled to another term and honored me with a re-election
05500
[2]
During my stay in the Legislature I made the acquaintance of many of the leading politicians of Iowa Among my friends of those days is James Wilson who has been the head of the Agricultural Dept. at Washington during the past sixteen years. He was born in Scotland, came to this country when a little boy, grew up on a farm in Tama Co Iowa and by tireless industry and perseverance he has won a national reputation.
In 1882 I disposed of my interests in Iowa moved to Wausau Wis. and went into the lumber business with my brother J. E. Leahy In 1889 my friends secured for me the office of Indian Agent at Ashland Wis. Among my influential friends in this matter was John C. Spooner who was a student at the Wis. University in 1861 I held this office during Harrison's Administration.
In my family have grown up six boys and two girls. Death has deprived me of my good wife and a noble boy. The others are widely scattered. Two of the boys are officers in the Navy, one of them is a lawyer in Montana and two of them are farmers in that State. Such, friend Muir, is the brief story of my little life I have had my share of life's joys and sorrows What remains for me in the impenetrable future, God alone knows We hope for the best
I hope friend Muir this letter will find you enjoying life's choicest blessings
One of your old old friends
M. A. Leahy
05500
Location
Marshfield, Wisc.
Date Original
1913 Jul 27
Source
Original letter dimensions: 26 x 20 cm.
Recommended Citation
Leahy, M. A., "Letter from M. A. Leahy to John Muir, 1913 Jul 27." (1913). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 4048.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/4048
Resource Identifier
muir21_0628-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 21, Image 0628
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
