Notes and Correspondence 



Memorial Exercises in Honor of John Muir 

 We are indebted to Mrs. Anna N. Kendall, a member of the outing party 

 of 191 1, for the following account of the exercises in honor of John Muir 

 at the University of Wisconsin on December 6, when the bust by C. S. 

 Pietro, given to the university by Thomas E. Brittingham, of Madison, 

 was unveiled : 



Dear Mr. Colby: I am sending you the program of the exer- 

 cises in honor of John Muir and the unveiling of the bust of him. 

 I thought of you, one of his younger friends, as his older friends, 

 comrades, schoolmates, and professors sat on the platform, some 

 of them very old and very white of hair, but all voicing his praise 

 most sincerely and genuinely, and certainly with deep affection 

 and emotion. I wish their words could be printed in full, also 

 that I had a photograph of the platform with the old men sitting 

 and standing, all with the expression and attitude of loving re- 

 membrance of their old-time friend. 



The program, after naming the speakers, concludes with a "Tribute" 

 from Dr. S. Hall Young and this letter from John Burroughs : 



West Park, N. Y., Nov. 29. 

 Dear Sir: I wish I could be with you on Dec. 6th when the Uni- 

 versity of Wisconsin proposes to do honor to the memory of one 

 of its old pupils, John Muir; but the very serious illness of my 

 wife and my own uncertain health will not permit me to enjoy 

 that privilege. 



My affection and admiration for Muir were deep and genuine. 

 When in his company I used to chafe a good deal under his biting 

 Scotch wit and love of contradiction. He loved a verbal contest 

 which was, with him, only another form of the trial of grit which in 

 his school days he used to cheerfully submit to when two boys, 

 armed with whips, used to stand up before each other and lay on 

 till one of them cried enough. As I had never had that kind of 

 Scotch discipline I did not keenly enjoy this sort of diversion. But 

 his heart was all right, only he liked too well to mask its real 

 kindliness in this way. 



He was a genuine student and lover of nature, and he has 

 brought to us the message of the mountains as no other man has. 



In recently reading Emerson's Journals, I was struck and 

 pleased with the fact that he places John Muir in the list of what 

 he called "My Men." In said list the first is Thomas Carlyle, whom 

 he first met in 1833, and the last is John Muir, whom he met in 

 1871. Muir's nature lore and his striking characteristics were 

 bound to make an impression upon Emerson. He met no "mush 

 of concession" when he met Muir. Muir tried to persuade him to 

 quit his party for a night and go and camp with him in the woods, 

 but Emerson's friends objected. Muir said Emerson had the 

 "house habit." But Emerson looked upon himself then as an old 

 man, though he was only 68. 



I am glad your university is to pay this tribute to its famous 

 and beloved old student. 



With all good wishes, I am. 



Very sincerely yours, 

 Julius E. Olson, Esq.. John Burroughs 



Madison, Wis. 



