Creator
Henry K. Abbot
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
No. 23 Berkeley St. Cambridge, Mass
November 4 1896
My dear Sir:
I was greatly pleased to receive your pleasant letter of 14th ult. It reminded me of so many incidents of our long trip that I could wish it were beginning instead of ended. I brought back one live capture that has already given much pleasure to my mother,now ninety seven years old. I mean your book. Her eye sight is so affected that she depends on loud reading for amusement,and certain of the Chapters, especially those on the Douglas Squirrel and the Water Ouzel have filled her with interest and delight. The storm in the forest,and the adventures inthe high Sierra so acted on her imagination that she says you must be made of iron. I knew tte book would delight her when I read it on our journey, and when you write out the little dog story you may be sure it will be appreciated.
We were much hurried by threatened snow in Colorado,as we feared,and had to give up the visitto the
reservation near Santa Fe. Still we saw a great deal of interesting country quite different from that more to the West. The game is abundant in Colirado. On one day's drive of seventy miles we saw thirty eight deer. They were passing in droves from the high-lands of the Upper White River toward Utah. One party of seven had crossed the trail a mile or so in front of us, and were winding up the ridge beyond when suddenly they stopped, looked for a moment and then recrossed the trail with leaps and bounds which you can easily imagine. On reaching the spot we saw two huge wolves on their track,evidently in wait for prey. It is a wild free silver country. One pleasant gentleman, one of the State game wardens who accompanied us two or three days and gave us much information, was shot two days after we left him at his home, Meeker, by a party of bank robbers who were raiding the town in broad day light. He is reported dangerously wounded. We went up Pike's Peak (never mind exactly how) and on the whole did more than I expected considering how far the seasonwas advanced. I spent a week in Milwaukee on the way Eastward,and am now in the land of clouds and dull days. Sargent and I are going to Washington in a few days to make arrangements for the final report. We have had one full meeting of the Commission since our return, at which both Agassiz and our President, Dr Gibbs were present; and now comes the prose following so much poetry and pleasure. I wish we could call on your pen to help us out.
One thing I do enjoy. It is the presence of my type writer. If you have never taken up the use of this invention, do so at once. It is a real luxury.
I saw Brewer the other day, looking perfectly well. Sargent says he went to bed for a couple of days after getting home to rest, but he is now livel as ever. All would send regards did they know I am writing.
Yours very sincerely
Mr.John Muir
Martinez Cal.
Location
…Cambridge, Mass
Date Original
1896 Nov 4
Source
Original letter dimensions: 21.5 x 28 cm.
Recommended Citation
Abbot, Henry K., "Letter from Henry K. Abbot to John Muir, 1896 Nov 4." (1896). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 857.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/857
Resource Identifier
muir09_0472-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 09, Image 0472
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
