A Naturalist of International Renown. An Interview with Prof. John Muir.

• Main Author: Muir, John
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1911
• Subjects: John Muir; Bibliography; Kimes; William F. Kimes; Maymie B. Kimes; pamphlets; journal articles; speeches; writing; naturalist; annotation; Aska; Dunbar; Grim; Palermo; glacier; glaciers; Alaska; Mite
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmb/627; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1626&context=jmb

'-~: OS AIRES HERALD ΓÇö Wednesday, No ΓÇö 4. NATURALIST OF INTERNATIONAL RENOWN AN INTERVIEW WITH Prof. JOHN M'JIR James Russel Lowell has commented on the sad state of the man who ne'er had seen Nature untold itself, and his words gain a fresh significance to one who listens as did a Heisai.d representative while joan Muir, geologist, explorer, naturalist of international renown,' gave of his apparently unlimited knowledge of the subjects which. have been the basis of his life work, Professor Muir John iYiuir is the son of Daniel am Anne (GilyreJ M. Muir, and was bon in Dunbar,' Scotland on April 21st,i 1808. He attended school in Scotland,, I but, in 1849, his father emigrated to the state of Wisconsin and found hi:; home in a sparcely settled district where there was no, one living within a radius of ten miles. In such isolation the boy grew to know Nature and depend upon its companionship. He entered the University of Wiscort-. sin, but left before graduating. The deep commercial interest which his adopted state had in the lumber trade led to his becoming concerned in the forests of Wisconsin, not alone '"or the value of their products, but as an agent for .the conservation of then' natural resources, and that 1e ,-aw great gospel which' he has been preaching ever sinceΓÇöforest preservation and the establishment of national parks such as Yellowstone and Yso-e mite, where Nature in some at. least of "its varied forms" might be left untouched, by the hand of man for future generations to study. And in speaking of this' phase of his life" ] work, he told with simplicity how Senator Kent, of 'California/a stranger 1o. .him. Jra)l bought sortie forest land within ninety ni'iniite's by train from San Francisco arid offered it to the United States Government as: a national park, suggesting that it be given the name of "Muir's Woods". This prompted a query from President Roosevelt as to why "Kent's Woods" would not do, to which Senator Kent replied that he did not care to stencil his benefactions with his name, that he had five husky boys, and if they, could not keep the name alive, .nothing else would, to which came the characteristic Rooseveltian reply "Neither do I care to stencil' my benefactions, I have three husky boys and, I depend j on them Γûá to do the same with my j name." And how about Muir Glacier, Mr. Muir? ΓÇö " Oh, I discovered that in 1S79," was the reply, and the scribe j wondered how it felt to reach that I altitude of scientific accomplishment! and reputation where the discovery of a glacier could be regarded as a com- j mon~pla.ee event. Muir Glacier, in Al- i aska, is two and a half miles wide at its mouth, where it discharges into! the sound, two hundred feet in height; above water, and eight hundred feet in r depth below the surface. It is twenty- five miles in width at the widest part. "And how about your books?" was the next query. ΓÇö " Oh, I have only written six on the glaciers of Alaska and- other topics. I am not going to write books to any extent until I give up my present occupation." "And what may that be?" ΓÇö " Tramp," came the answer with, grim Scotch gravity " I am severity-four and am still good at it." " Have you any particular object in coming to South America ?" the Hkr- -\i.r. representative asked. ΓÇö " I am studying the trees of South America, but am here particularly to visit Chili, and locate, if possible, the place of origin of the tree known as Araucaria^ Tmhricata after the American tribe of j Indians who are native in that country. It is currently called the "monkev ] puzzle" ' because its prickly needles render ascent impossible to the mon- Ivey. I leave for Chili this week, return to Buenos Aires shortly, and take passage for South Africa." " And what do you think of Buenos Aires ?" ΓÇö " The lack of time and sunshine has precluded mv seeing much of the city, but I have visited the Zoological Gardens and Palermo. I found the animals in good condition and the gardens well laid out for future development. The park, by its tree life, shows the fertility of soil in this country, the begum tree grows better in Palermo, than in some parts of Australia: of which it is a native." The Professor then went on to talk of the tonics he loved, of the subjects he had made particularly his own, of trees and plants of all descriptions, their varied characteristics and how thev flourished in different countries of the world: of the devastation caused by forest fires, of the insight of Robert Burns info nature', and so. onΓÇö all with a simplicitv and a lack of egotism which was delightfully refreshing to a newsnaper correspondent whose daily routine brings him into contact with many personalities but with few who, with so much right, have so little inclination to claim attention. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmb/1626/thumbnail.jpg