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1 San Francisco December 25th 1895 Dear friend Mr. Muir My love for California's beautiful forests compells me to
write to you my fears about the new Committee on Public Lands appointed in the present House of Representatives. I write
to you because I know that you are the best friend of our forests and of the other natural beauties of California. My fear
for the forests raises from the fact that speaker Reed of the House has appointed on his Committee on Public Lands Mr. Bowers
of Southern California. Enclosed please find what Mr. Bowers 02055 2 says in the Examiner of last Sunday, also what
he said in Congress last year. If possible, I would like Mr Bowers speech returned unless it will be of use to you. Please
consider what the present committee on Public Lands may do, through the influence of a member, who will utter such exaggerations
as Mr Bowers did on December 4th, 1894. Please notice the statement that had Harrison's Administration continued four years
longer it is probable that most of the state would have been declared forest reservation also the statement that the people
of California were largely reconciled to the passing of Harrison and Allen, because of their evident determination I suppose
that means the evident determination of making most of the State into 02055 3 a forest reservation. The Committee ought
to know fully that the forest reservations were made in California partly to preserve the snow reservoirs for irrigating the
dry plains in summer and for preventing floods in spring, also to preserve the timber from the present very wanton and wasteful
methods of cutting it down, and destroying it by fire, etc. If it is shown that a large number of the best Californians are
opposed to the diminishing of the forest reserves, I should think it would have weight with the Committee, especially as the
forests are reserved for the public in the East just as well as for the public here and that the giving of it to private entry
would benefit only the lumber men. Prof. Eisen and others of the Academy 02055