Transcription:
letterhead May 18. 1896 My dear Mr Muir. I have not answered your kind letter of the 27'ult before, because I I have
been trying to figure out how one of us could accept your kind invitation to visit Alaska with you but can't. This Company
is assignee of a lot of busted concerns and Frank as trust officer has to attend to such business and as that business is
larger these times than usual it is impossible for him to get away. General business is so poor that I am compelled to stay
and watch nurse it. The trip you describe is the one of all others I should like to take and it was real kind in you to give
us the opportunity, one that I have been hoping for, and now that it has come we are both so situated that it is impossible
to 02091