Transcription:
THE FARMERS AND MECHANICS SAVINGS BANK OF MINNEAPOLIS 115 FOURTH STREET SOUTH JOHN DELAITTRE, President O.C. WYMAN .Vice
Pres Asst. Treas. T.B.JANNEY, 2nd Vice Pres N.F.HAWLEY Secy Treasurer F.P.GARCKEN, Asst Secy. G.H.RICHARDS, 2nd Asst
.Treas. F.P.LEONARD. 3rd Asst. Treas.CLAUDE B.LEONARD, Counsel TRUSTEES: H.C.AKELEY JOHN CROSBY JOHN DELAITTRE N.F.HAWLEY
T.B.JANNEY C S.LANGDON E.H.MOULTON WM.G.NORTHUP ALFRED F.PILLSBURY JOHN WASHBURN O.C WYMAN MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.Jan.10,1910.
Mr. John Muir, Martinez, Cal. My dear Mr. Muir:- Pardon me for addressing you. I have read and am now re-reading your
book, National Reserves . I cannot express to you the delight I take in reading it and indeed I wish I. knew as much as you
do. Where did you learn all of the names of the California flowers? May your tribe increase ; but I am sure there will never
be another John Muir like you . You have no conception of the delight I have taken in your book. When you have read a little
further you will know the reason why. At the age of twenty or thereabouts I landed in San Francisco Nov. 1852 and went immediately
to Murphy's Camp in Calaveras County, You know every inch of the ground there well. I lived there thirteen and one-half years.
Knew well for many years Dow, the hunter and first discoverer of the big trees, and two weeks after his discovery, together
with him, made one of a party of eight who, after hunting two days, found them and slept one night beneath the Father of the
Forest'.' I knew well Capt. Hanford, who, with some friends who furnished capital, cut down the big tree, shipped 60 feet
of the bark and exhibited it on Broadway, N Y. James L. Sperry, proprietor of the Sperry Hotel, both at Murphy's and at Big
Tree Grove, was my imtimate friend and doubtless you knew him well, I am not sure but I have an indistinct recollection that
John Muir visited the Grove while I was in Murphy's; but be all this as it may, you can readily see how I am charmed with
your book. 04579