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5 THE DAVENPORT DEMOCRAT AND LEADER DAILY SUNDAY AND WEEKLY EDITIONS EDITORIAL ROOM DAVENPORT, IOWA than a dry summer,
and a dry summer here entails no end of distress and misfortune. Three months of such weather as hangs over the San Joaquin
valley from the first of June to the first of September would almost ruin this country. And one day of such weather as we
sometimes get here at this time of the year would be the death of that. I am in hope of getting loose here in time to reach
California not long hence. I hope I may be able to meet you on the way, at your home or elsewhere, and if you are willing
to venture a little of your good time on a bit of chat with me I suppose I may safely say that you will be doing about as
much to delight me as any man can do within reason. Some of the very best and most valuable things in this world are not to
be measured in figures of any denomination or computed in any coinage values. Such, for example, is the pleasure and satisfaction
you have give me for years with everything you have written, and such is the added pleasure of the occasional word from you.
Withy all my anticipations in California there are none that promise more to me than to some day get better acquainted with
you than it is possible to get with the sole medium of the mails. If you should happen to be in the way of bringing out another
book before I get away from the Democrat-or even after I leave-I hope you will let me know so I can have a chance to make
a review of it. Any anything else I can do for you will give me great pleasure in the performance. Sincerely yours, illegible
Mr. John Muir, Martinez, Californa. 03809