Creator
Jno. T. McLean
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
Yosemite
[letterhead]
on the overland train going east near Rawlins Wyoming 7 p.m.
Feby 2nd 1896
Mr. John Muir
Martinez California
My Dear Sir
As you see I am on my way east - bound for Washington expecting to remain East mostly in Washington, though visiting N. York & Boston & then northern cities while away from California I go as a delegate from the Renier & Harbor Improvement Association of Central California (there being five other delegates) to secure as liberal appropriations as possible from Congress for the improvement of the Sacramento & forgiven Rivers & their tributaries, and the harbors of San Francisco & Oakland. Petaluna & Napa Creek & Alviso Slough & Creek.
In addition I go to secure the passage if possible, of an Act providing for the perchase & making free of the four toll roads passing through the Yosemite National Park -- the Tioga Road, the Oak Flat Road, the Coul-
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terville & Yosemite Road & the [Wallona?] Road. the Government to pay them the cost of their construction.
It is an anomaly, & not in accordd and with the fitness of things, as you know, that the Govt. should establish this Grand Park, & invite our own people, & the people of the world, to visit it, & see its wonderful forest, rock & water scenery, & then allow them to be charged toll for passing over it. Secy of the Interior Noble realized this & sent a Commission to California to examine these roads. & to report to the Interior Dept. on their origin, title under our laws, length, cost, character of construction present condition etc. This report was made & the recommendation accompanied it that the Govt. buy the road, at the cost of their construction & make them free. Secy Noble sending this report to Congress with his favorable recommendation, Senator White has introduced a Bill in the Senate providing for this purchase to be made by the U.S. and Representative Johnson a similar bill in the House of Representatives & they are referred to the [illegible] in each House. Both our Senators and all our Representatives from Cal a favor the passage of this Bill. But it will need work
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[letterhead]
specific influence to pass it & secure Prest. Cleveland's approval.
I take it for granted that you would favor is passage, & so write to ask you to send me, to my address, at Willards Hotel, Washington, letters of introduction to such friends of yours in the East, as would be disposed & able to help me with Senators & Represenatives & other offices in Washington having a voice in the passage of this bill. I thought Mr. Johnston & Mr. Gilden of the Century Magazine, would have powering influence in this direction; but I do not know them personally. You do. & you know me. So I thought I would ask you to send me letters to them, & to such others East as might suggest themselves to you being known by you and as likely to help to a consumation so desirable as free roads in our Yosemite National Park.
I intended to write & ask this favor of you before starting from home. but I was very much occupied & could not do it.
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I am reading on my way East, your very interesting book on "The Mountains of California" and congratulate you on this presentation of these grand mountains of ours, with their glaciers & forests & animal life, in such truthful & yet entertaining & delightful form, as that we can hardly leave off when once enjoyed in reading it. I hope it may have many readers, and you great satisfaction and profit as the result of its publication. & that many thousands may be drawn by its perusal to visit our Sierras.
I wrote with a pencil & while the train is in motion so please excuse penmanship. & my long explanatory letter. Hoping to hear from you at your earliest conveniences in reply.
I am, Very Truly, Your Friend
Jno. T. McLean
Location
[Near Rawlins, Wyo., aboard train]
Date Original
1896 Feb 2
Source
Original letter dimensions: 27 x 20.5 cm.
Recommended Citation
McLean, Jno T., "Letter from Jno. T. McLean to John Muir, 1896 Feb 2." (1896). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 9.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/9
Resource Identifier
muir09_0043-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 09, Image 0043
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
4 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
