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The Century Association 7 West Forty-third St New York Sept. 7, 1909. Dear Muir: I saw the President at Beverly yesterday
and he was greatly-pleased at my suggestion and said Tell Muir to join me on my arrival in San Francisco and I'll be delighted
to have him on the Yosemite trip. You will receive a formal letter through the President's Secretary. I am to entertain Ballinger
at dinner - just us two - this week, at the President's suggestion. I plainly told the President that he ought to revoke the
grant, to set his administration right. He acceded to my proposition that no supplementary administrative Act of Congress
could nullify the objects of an original Act without a specific declaration of such a purpose. But Garfield's grant was based
on just such misinterpretation. If we can get the grant revoked, we can then fight the whole scheme before Congress more effectively.
The President is going to stand for strict construction of law. I am greatly pleased with my success. How, my dear Muir,
don't forget to arrange to come East, so as to be in Washington by December 10. The Academy is going to have its meetings
there December 13 and 14, and yesterday the President offered voluntarily to give a special reception for us By that time
you will be one of the body, and I hope also that we shall have a large endowment to announce. Will that not be a fine send-off?
I'm much better in health. Yours ever faithfully, R. U. Johnson Please tell me what you think of Cook, and especially
of the ascent of Mt. Whitney.