Title:
Letter from B. Furse to John Muir, 1908 Feb 25.
Creator:
B. Furse
Publisher:
University of the Pacific Library Holt-Atherton Special Collections. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies
of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Contributor:
John Muir
Date:
1908 Feb 25
2008
Type:
Text
Format:
Image/jpeg2000
Identifier:
muir17_0216-md-1
Source:
Original letter dimensions: 21.5 x 13.5 cm.
Language:
eng
Coverage:
Northboro, Mass.
Rights:
Copyright status unknown
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.
Transcription:
c/o F. A. King Lagee? Northboro Mass. Feb. 25. 1908 Dear Profr Muir Here I am again in your adopted Country, for I
will always look on you as one of our beloved Scotchmen. What brought me to this country is the bad state of affairs your
beloved Americans got into. Well, I always had faith in this country and I am sure if there is a people that will recuperate
quick it is the Americans. Among the things I am interested in is the development of the Stanislaus Power Development Co.
in California. With the disaster of the Knickerbocker Trust Co. at the end of last year I was afraid we would find it difficult
to complete this work, but we have got over the difficulty and I hope the work will be completed this year. I am one of the
underwriters and want to see this successful. I cannot tell if I will go there this spring, but if so I shall run down to
see you. There's a possibility of my coming with one of my sons, who is coming from the Transvaal. Things do not go well there,
since our mismanaged government gave up the country to the people we had to fight against, because of corruptness. I was in
hope that Botha's party would be grateful to our Country, but from news I get from officials there, there will be a great
deal of the old political mismanagement. My son has for quite a time mentioned how many of the English officials have been
turned out, with the excuse of retrenching? expenses, which was nothing but an excuse, for the places were soon 04073
filled with Boers. My son tells me that he finds difficult to manage these Boers under him, because of their ignorance in
Engineering, and he will give up his work there, when he has finished the new line between Delagoa Bay and Pretoria. He has
done some fine work and I have here already four offers for him. It is with him that I may visit Stanislaus. Although I am
deep in business matters I do not let my fancy in gardening go bye. My nephew here has a small farm and country residence
and I have undertaken to devote some of my time in the garden as soon as I can get the ground in condition. Have you any seed
of wild flowers you can send me, that would grow in this northern latitude? I have sent an order to Farquhar of Boston for
such as he has, but I like to have things that are not always seen in the neighbourhood and create more interest around me
in gardening. Do let me hear from you and what you are doing. If you have tried again following an avalanche or tried jumping
82 feet in the air or skiing in the mountains above you. My children are very fond of this mode of flying, but do not make
such jumps. Now they have (three of them) gone to India. Still they may try it in the Hymalay Mountains, as one of them has
gone above Peshawa and the others will follow later on. Please remember me to your daughters. The toad I brought from Arizona
I had stuffed and am sorry your daughter threw away the other. Also my regards to Mrs Muir of whom I hope to make my acquaintance
soon. Hoping this will find you in perfect health Sincerely Yours E. Furse 04073