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July 27 My dear Muir, You owe me a call. For one evening,after the conclusion of a case I was trying at Martinez and my
dinner, I took a buggy and drove out to your place, missing my road once, and so not arriving at your gate until half past
eight. The lower part of the house was already in darkness, lights were only to be seen at the upper windows, the dogs were
baying in the farm yard, and the front gate was pad-locked. I did not like to jump the fence, I respected the dogs, and I
did not care to bring you downstairs in what might seem to country people the middle of the night, so I turned my horse like
an Arab and silently stole away, disappointed at not being able to see you and your wife and your baby. When all this was
I could not tell you without reference to the Court records in the case of Garilo vs. The American Central Insurance Company.
The other day I was at Gale, B.C., where I got into a discussion with a would-be geologist who was firmly of the opinion that
the Fraser River Canyon had been cut by the water, that there were signs of the old shore-line, of conglomerate, etc. along
the cliffs.Of course my loyalty to you made me take the other side, the in-theory side, of the question, but you can well
believe that I soon showed how sadly I had neglected all the advantages of travel and intimacy with you. And now can you refer
me to any one published paper of yours in which the arguments in support of your glacial doctrine are most concisely and clearly
stated, so that I may slay mine enemy with your weapons? And perhaps some day you will drop into my office and receive my
assurance that I am still, Very truly yours, Sidney V. Smith, Jr. John Muir, Esq., 292 02004