Letter from John Muir to [Harry Fielding] Reid, 1891 Feb 26.

• Main Author: Muir, John
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1891
• Subjects: Environmentalist; naturalist; travel; conservation; national parks; John Muir; history; correspondence; letters; Carroll; Pacific; The Chimney; glacier; glaciers; Alaska
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/62; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/context/muir-correspondence/article/1061/viewcontent/muir07_0098_md_1.pdf

(Original in possession of Prof. Harry F. Reid)Martinez, Feb. 26, 1891. My dear Mr. Reid: I am glad to hear that your icy map and observations are about ready for publication. In what form will your work appear. As soon as published please send me 1\2 dozen copies with bill for same. I should also like to have copies of all your photographs. How are all your fine boys,--the chimney architects, I mean. I had hoped some of them would visit me on the way home. Where are you going next summer? To the Yellowstone? Some grand problems and shows in your line of work await you there. Since coming home I have written nothing save a slight sketch of the Alaska glaciers for the Northern Pacific R. R. Co. My mind is buried and smothered beneath a moraine-like mass of business and small cares. Oftentimes wish I was again in my bear bag in the grand solitude, but not with York. By the way, I had a letter from York giving an account of his trip to the Coast. It was only a confused scrawl, however, without telling facts. I don't think Captain Carroll ever made a series of soundings on regular lines. In leaving the glacier on my home trip he indicated the spot where he made the 720 feet sounding. It was considerably to the eastward of the middle of the inlet and at a distance from the ice-wall of about a hundred yards, according to his estimate. The great depth of water shows that the retreat of the ice has been comparatively rapid but regular lines of soundings would be required to give the form of the bottom. Captain Carroll may have done more in this way than I know of, and perhaps you had better write and find out. I don't know his address, but a letter sent care of Goodall, Perkins & Co., San Francisco, would reach him. I was not surprised to learn from your letter that the glacier had receded a thousand yards since the date of Wright's visit. For in looking over my 10 and 11 year old notes and skethces I disovered evidence of marked changes, though indefinite. Be sure to let me know when you come again to this side the ...