Creator

John H. Means

Creator

John H. Means

Recipient

John Muir

Transcription

01675

[letterhead]

LAMAR, COLO., June 5th 1893

John Muir. Esqr

Dear Sir,

It was indeed a pleasure to receive your favor of the 1st inst. I scarcely expected to hear from you so soon as I supposed that you was in your California home As you suggest I will tell you a little about myself and what I can about the other boys of the class that used to meet with you in the old mission school. After you left I proceeded to “grow up” and gave that most of my attention for several years, I continued at school until I entered the High School, when my family moved to Illinois where I farmed for 4 years and then went back to Indianapolis when I married in May 77. I afterward moved to Kansas & then to Colorado in pursuit of that elusive god Ma[illegible], I have been fairly successful so far as this worlds goods go. Have had two children, both girls, but lost both, one at 10 months & the other at 11 years of age. You see it has been a rather uneventful life, but wife & I manage to get a good deal of pleasure out of life together & make the most of our opportunities for doing a little good as we go along. I am at present in the employment of the Canal Co above. as local manager for them

01675

[letterhead]

They own the Canal which has a total length of 114 miles and also about 25000 acres of farm land under it, part of which is under cultivation and I have to look after the company’s interest generally in the valley. Lamar is a small station on the [A T & S F?] R.R. in the Arkansas Valley 30 miles west of the Kans & Colo state line, near the eastern terminus of the canal. It is our first experience in so small a place & we feel lonesome some times when we cant bear it any longer we go to Denver or Colorado Springs & take a rest. As to the other boys of the class I can’t now recall all of the membership, I can only remember positively that Ed Stott, Leslie Sulgrove & myself were among the number, when I try to recall those times I get confused & cant remember distinetly at what time the other boys whom I can recall joined the class. Can you tell now who constituted the membership?. Ed Stott is the only one of all the boys that at any time because members of the class, and of whom I know any thing now, who still lives in Indianapolis. He at an early age entered the wholesale Milinery store of [Fohnley & McCrea?] on South Meridean st near the Union Depot & has remained with them ever

01675

[letterhead]

since, He married & has one little girl. Has a nice home & seems quite comfortable & seems contented to remain there the rest of his days. Leslie Sulgrove, took to journalism and was connected with Russel Harrison in his venture in that line in Montana. where he is now I do not know. Mr Davis who was Supt of the Sunday School was with the Indiana Bank when it failed a few years ago. I met him when I was in Indianapolis some time ago. He was there with the water company. “Lige” Halford. President Harrisons private secretary was secretary of the school at that time I believe. How many times have I recalled the meetings we used to have in your rooms. I have found the instructions we received at your hands in those meetings of great use to me in after life, and many a time have I amused the children telling of the wonderful clocks, barometers, bed steads &c which you had accumulated around you. Well I’ll not exhaust your patience this time but wait for a letter from you before inflicting any more on you

Yours truly John H Means

Location

Lamar, Colo[rado]

Date Original

1893 Jun 5

Source

Original letter dimensions: 28 x 21.5 cm.

Resource Identifier

muir07_1034-let.tif

File Identifier

Reel 07, Image 1034

Collection Identifier

Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc

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

3 pages

Keywords

Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters

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