Transcription:
Martinez, California. Sept. 19/07. Dear Mr. Johnson: Here are a few clippings, a confused mess full of concealed motives.
Youmay return them when done with them. The objections to making Hetch Hetchy Valley a reservoir are briefly (1)That such
use would to a great damaging extent defeat the purpose and nullify the effect of the law creating the Park. For Hetch Hetchy
is a counterpart of Yosemite, and a great and wonderful feature of the Park, next to Yosemite itself in beauty and grandeaur,
visted by thousands even though as yet accessible only by trail. (2)If dammed as proposed it not only would be made utterly
inaccessible,so that no road or trail could be made around the reservoir without tunnelling through rocks like El Capitan
and the Cathedral, but it would block and close up the door of the great Tuolumne Canyon, the sublime way to the upper Tuolumne
Meadow or valley, the focus of pleasure travel in the High Sierra, and grand central camp-ground of the Park (3)Because the
Park is a natural wonderland belonging to all the world, and should be preserved in pure wildness forever. (4)Because San
Francisco Supervisors and Mr. Phelan want it for a City water-supply, not because it cannot be got elsewhere, but because
they expect to get it at less cost. Only Mr. Phelan and his hired assistants and Supervisors demand this use of the Park,
not the citizens in general. In all the years 10054