Title:
Letter from John Muir to [Helen] & Annie] Wanda, 1896 Jul 6.
Creator:
John Muir
Publisher:
University of the Pacific Library Holt-Atherton Special Collections. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies
of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Contributor:
[Helen] & Annie] Wanda
Date:
1896 Jul 6
2008
Type:
Text
Format:
Image/jpeg2000
Identifier:
muir09_0289-md-1
Source:
Original letter dimensions: 24 x 15 cm.
Language:
eng
Coverage:
Custer, S.D.
Rights:
Copyrighted
The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission
to publish or exhibit them, see
http://library.pacific.edu/ha/forms
Muir-Hanna Trust
1984
Transcription:
letterhead July 6 1896 Hello Midge Hellow Wanda My if you could only come here when I call you, how wonderful you would
think this hollow in the rocky Black Hills is. It is wonderful even to me after seeing so many wild mountains, curious rocks
rising alone or in clusters, gray jagged rounded in the midst of a forest of pines spruces poplars birches, with a little
lake in the middle carpet of meadow gay with flowers. It is in the heart of the famous Black Hills where the Indians whites
quarreled fought so much. The whites wanted the gold in the rocks, the Indians wanted the game - the deer elk that used to
abound here. As a grand deer pasture this was said to have been the best in America, no wonder the Indians wanted to keep
it. 02119 letterhead for wherever the white man goes the game vanishes. We came here this forenoon from Hot Springs
50 miles by rail 12 by wagon. And most of the way was through woods fairly carpeted with beautiful flowers. A lovely red lily.
Lilium Pennsylvanicum, was common 2 kinds of spiraea and a beautiful wild rose in full bloom. anemones, cala illegible , larkspur
etc etc etc far beyond time to tell. but I must not fail to mention Linneas. How sweet the air is. I would like to stop a
long time have you Mama with me. What walks we would have We leave tonight for Edgemont. Here is some mica flakes a bit of
spiraea I picked up in a walk with Prof Sargent. Goodbye my babes. Some time I must bring you here I send love hope you are
well John Muir 02119