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322 - 24th Ave Milwaukee July 11th 1913 John Muir Martinez California Dear Friend John I received your much prized book
over a week ago, and in the course of two days read it all through. A good sized party of us went out to Beaver Lake in Waukesha
Co to spend the fourth and a few days more in camp. I took your book along for others to read, but it was not opened, there
was tent preparations, cooking, fishing, or prowling around the country, anything besides reading, except to look into the
daily paper which goes everywhere in Wisconsin now. After leaving the city and the reading of your book I saw the whole country
thru John Muirs eyes or at least I had you with me enjoying the varied scenes. You see my son-in-law Davis is the leading
man in the conduct of an Automobile Truck Co, so he had one of his large Merchantile? trucks fitted up with seats, on which
we took 21 people, 6 being children. Had plenty of room besides for our tent and baggage. At our destination when all was
unloaded special hammocks were swung across our 7 ft. wide truck and a good number slept in it having light hammocks above
to put ones clothes on, the same as upper berths in a sleeping car. Fine netting around around it kept out the mosquitos,
and the heavy oil cloth curtains belonging to the truck would keep out the rain. We rented a small cottage, with gasoline
stove, table chairs and some dishes, so we had a fine time. Our truck was set to a governed speed of 12 miles per hour, which
except on heavy inclines was maintained. I sat on the front seat with son-in-law, the driver, the boss of the party where
I had an unobstructed view of the country, which never looked so fine before. There has been abundance of rain, and lately
warm weather, resulting in extrordinary growth, the streams flowing, fat sleek cattle and horses in the fields, and the trees
in their heaviest richest foliage. I never saw greater luxuriance anywhere. 05490