The morning call., 1893-05-15

for learning a part of nature is like learn
Ing a language that may be used wherever
1t is spoken"
Later, in speaking of his work, he said {:
when one begins to study nature on
the high mountain ranges sort OF indeh-
mite awe steals over him, and then, as he
gradually gains a knowledge of the forces
at work, of the actions of the glaciers, of
the actions OF the waters and of the ac-
tions of the rains, that feeling dies away
and he feels neither small nor great but
as if he had blended 10 with and become a
part OF nature itself, and was at home.
You lose all sense of time. even. The
great round days you spend there have no
definite beginning nor ending. They are
simply periods in a terrestrial immor-
taity.
"TO me. going to the mountains is
going home. There you see nature as
gardener. making soil-beds. planting trees
and gro7es, planting lilies and shading
them with clouds to keep them fresh and
painting the petals as if every leaf was
fingered ard adjusted every day.
81 always go alone in my wanderings,
except once or twice, when out with
friends of mine like William Keith or Ohm
SWEET.
"Oh, have hardly ever taken a horse
In most of the places ! went horse could
not 60. particularly among the glaciers in
the Sierras and in Alaska.
'In the Sierras l loaded myself up with
three weeks provender. in the shape of
bread. sugar, tea and sometimes little
oatmeal. When that all ran out would
20 down to the bread line and get a new
supply"
81 suppose you carried gun to kill
game?"
mo, I never carried a gun, for that
would have been the weight of two weeks
provisions, and then in many places on
the perilous glaciers there was danger that
1t might throw me out OF poise.
Another thing-looking for game
would be apt to take my eyes off my pur-
suits.
81 never smoke while out in the noun
tains. 1t affects the nerves too much, and
one must be very steady on those glaciers.
where the slightest misstep is apt to send
one down an almost bottomless crevasse.
Il never carried any blankets in the high
Sierras. At night lay down in the clothes
wore during the day before my fire.
I'm about an hour would wake up and
Teplenish the fire and lay down for another
nap. and often this would be of only half an
hours duration, and the night would be
worn away by half-hour maps and replen-
ishings Of the fire.
"All the dangerous work in the glaciers
Of Alaska was done alone. OF course |
took boat crew along to row me to the
places l wanted to land at, but from there
l always went alone, for it was too dan
gerons and too troublesome to take any one
along. Anyway, the natives would not
nave gone, and could not. have stood the
hardships. You may be sure did not 60
alone from choice, but necessity.
The hardest and most perilous trip l
ever took was one in 1890, when /
slept eleven nights on the Muir ga-
cler while exploring the head Of il. |
carried with me my usual provisions of
Tea, sugar and cheese, but hardtack instead
OF bread, and an ak 10 cut steps and work
my way through the mazes of crevasses.
81 drew after me a small sled with a
long rope attached, and on this were nv
provisions and bearskin with which |
covered myself at night. These things.
with note and sketch book at my belt
completed my outfit.
AT night / would draw on as bar
my bearskin and lie down with nv BODY
resting ON the sled and my feet on the
provision bags. These things would keen
me OIL the ice, otherwise l should have
been apt to fret re to death.
Asked about the needs Of protection of
the scenery and watersheds Of the Slerras
Mr.. Muir said:
The first steps toward preserving our
scenery have been taken in the way Of
making Government reservations. but tAey
must be properly cared for and the sheep
Kept out. At present there are two COM
panies OF cavalry attending to this-une at
Yosemite National Park and another at
Sequoia Park. AS far know they are
ooing good work The officers OF the
United States army are always gentlemen
and do not depend for their positions on
politics. and are, consequently, true to
their trusts.
AT the end of Harrison's administra.
tlon large additions were made to the res.
ervatinns for Yosemite National Park
Sequoia Park and the General Grant Park
One Of the last things that President Har
iison and Secretary Noble did was to re-
serve from sale the eutiys regior
rom the north end of the Yosemit,