Title:
Letter from John Muir to Mrs. W. Taylor Douglas, [1902 Jan ?].
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:
Mrs. W. Taylor Douglas
Date:
[1902 Jan ?]
2008
Type:
Text
Format:
Image/jpeg2000
Identifier:
muir12_0136-md-1
Source:
Original letter dimensions: 22.5 x 14.5 cm.
Language:
eng
Coverage:
[Martinez, Calif]
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The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust.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:
First draft of letter, in note-book 59 (36) Mrs. W. Taylor Douglas,. Jan.'02 . Dear Madam: I thank you for the kind
words you send about the wildness on the Atlantic, I would gladly assist you in choosing a home between the mountains and
the sea where fruit is abundant, the seasons well marked, and good schools. But this is not easy. You would have to go far
N. of S. F. along the coast to find anything like a good sound winter, even as far as Alaska. N. of Cape Mendocino the weather
of the winter months is mostly rainy, with scarce a hint of snow until well on toward Fort Wrangel or Sitka. And fruit nowhere
does well on the immediate sea coast. There are many charming home valleys a short dist ance from the sea S. of S. F. also,
and around the bay of S.F. and its branches, and S. ward. I can see the ships on a branch of the bay from my study windows
2 miles distant, let lemons and oranges, figs, grapes, apples, peaches, etc. of finest kind grow in generous abundance. Perhaps
you might find some useful hints in my books, The Mountains of California the Cent ury Co., and Our National Parks, H oughton
M ifflin Co. But in this state of a thousand climates, with every variety of soil and scenery, savagery and civilization,
you must come and choose for yourself. Regretting I can't give a more satisfactory reply,I am, Very truly yours, J.M.02890