Creator
Sarah M[uir] Galloway
Recipient
[John Muir]
Transcription
[1]
Scappoose, Oregon.
Decr 3 - 1902
Dear brother John
I have been a long time in writing, but there has been so much to claim time and attention. After consulting some of the Doctors in Portland, and after careful consideration Hiram has decided to return to Chicago to have his shoulder treated. It is a case where a Doctor needs to see it every day, or oftener. He will go to Dr Panlin who has invited him to come, and he will give him his best care, he saw the sore and would have removed it when Hiram was there in the spring and it would have been better as it has turned out, for it is a very serious matter now. The first cause was the bite of a large black spider, he had suffered from a severe attack of grippe, was quite run down for some years afterwards and I suppose could not [throw?] off the poison as well. He was working in the hay meadow when he felt the bite, and instantly gathered a handful of his shirt over the place, then pulled it off as quickly as possible to see what it was, and found the spider. That was perhaps [several?] years ago, the lump has kept growing, slowly at
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first, and always causing some annoyance, but nothing serious enough, he thought, to consult a Dr, but the last winter or spring on the farm they felt that it must be attended to as it was growing so large. so he went to Dr Gorton who said he had never seen any thing like it, and advised him to do nothing until he had consulted Dr [illegible], he also told him he had never seen anything just like it but gave him medicine, a few days before leaving Portage, while they were at the house selling what they could of my things and packing up the rest of them to bring out with them, the lump broke Dr Meacher then thought it had developed into a case of "Lupus" P[illegible]lin said he had removed a Lupus sore of the same kind from a patient back and would attend to his if he could stay, but they were all broke up, and anxious to go [illegible] and see about a home, thinking it could be healed, the Dr said it would take a long time at best and gave him what was best to use. and so it has gone on, some parts of it seemed to be healing, and he would work when he could, but later it has spread until it is worse than you can think. [illegible] will start East
[3]
this afternoon from I Scappoose. he is anxious I should stay for the present with Anna, saying she needs me worse than anybody else. In Maggie's last letter she tells me how Lina, May's girl is helping and doing for her in every way she can, and I know how much Maggie thinks of her. And then with you all about her I can stay for the present. Lupus is a skin disease, nearly allied to tuberculosis of the skin and cancer, but all of the Doctors who have seen it say it is not cancer [marginalia]felt confident that Frank with the experience he has had can cure him, the Portland Doctors some of them he feared wanted to experiment on him, and all were strangers. Yes, I received the Century with your article on the "Grand Canon", and have enjoyed it very much, the descriptions are wonderfully beautiful and expressive, showing [illegible] and of careful and comprehensive study, and the love of it all. You must have received many commendations through the newspapers and your friends in general as the article deserves. C[illegible] has sent us some numbers of the Pacific Monthly. The June number has "The Great Oregon Forests" from your pen. The Octr number has "The Great Frests
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of Washington, and the November one has the ascent of Mount Rainier. It needs a very clear day for us to get a glimpse of Rainier, it is so far away, and what a high mountain it is, I have had fine views of St Helens, Adams and Hood. how beautiful they are in the sunshine, all we see of them is covered with snow. When I was coming out here I had a fine view of Mount Shasta, it looked grand, the Shasta - springs too, were beautiful as they came rushing down the hill side at so many different places, and looked so clear and sparkling. I got up early enough to see what I could of the W[illegible]ette Valley but there was a great forest fire [raging?] at the time and I could only see a little way beyond the car. the country about Ashland and this way looked very pleasant with the large well kept Orchards and pretty homes. and fine [farms?]. About here, the country looks new although it has been settled a long time. I am glad your box arrived all right, and hope you found things as you expected. There must have been a wonderful, lot of things wrapped about your machinery, what they are I can hardly tell for Anna brought out every thing with her she thought worth
[5]
worth having. I expect they were the only things Annie could find to keep your things from getting spoiled. Far more of my things an have than I ever expected to see again. I had a letter from Mrs L[illegible] a short time since. She spoke of her daughter not being well their house was let for the month of August, and they went twelve miles into the country among the "heather hills" where [Maggie?] was very well but they were only four days home when she had a chill and had been confined to bed with a bronchial cold, she was better and able to sit up five hours daily, but expected to be confined to the house all winter. Mrs L[illegible] says she has nursed her all through her illness and has kept very well. She sent me a pretty picture of the old church as it is now, as a "remembrance of Dunbar." How fine it is that Helen is getting on as well with her hyp[illegible]ter, she will be able to help you with your corespondence. I am glad that she and Wanda are keeping well, and getting on so well. I hope that Louie is well and comfortable again. We have been having lots of rain, the fall was unusually fine for this country and we enjoyed it, though it rains and rains, there are dry days
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and sunshine in between, still the weather is uncertain and showers come rolling up at all unexpected times. We have not seen Celia for some time. they are rushed with work at the Office and when Sunday comes she is very tired, and has been having trouble with her ankle, and lately the Sundays have been very rainy. Anna has been keeping track of the weather this month of [Nov.?] she says there has been 7 fair days with showers at night, 7 fair days and nights in succession, 5 days showers, sunshine and cloudy weather and the rest of the time it rained without doubt. Tell Helen I continue to look for the "long letter" she promised me. Love to you all from your affectionate sister, Sarah M. Galloway.
Location
Scappoose, Ore.
Date Original
1902 Dec 3
Source
Original letter dimensions: 26 x 20 cm.
Recommended Citation
Galloway, Sarah Muir, "Letter from Sarah M[uir] Galloway to [John Muir], 1902 Dec 3." (1902). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 4790.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/4790
Resource Identifier
muir12_0847-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 12, Image 0847
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
6 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
