Letter from R[obert] U[nderwood] Johnson to John Muir, 1896 Nov 14.

November 14th, 1896.R. W. GILDER, EDITOR.R. U. JOHNSON,ASSOCIATE EDITOR.C. C. BUEL,ASSISTANT EDITOR.John Muir, Esq.Martinez, California.My dear Muir:-I have been in correspondence with Prof. Sargent, whom I have also seen, in regard to the letters which you have in mind about the forests. On his return from Washington in the first part of next week I shall hope to have a decision to make to you.I have been in communication with three syndicates, and I think, on the whole, the best way would be to have the letters distributed through McClure, who reaches first-class papers all over the country, and who would perhaps pay $75 for each letter of three thousand words. If McClure\u27s proposition strikes Mr. Sargent agreeably I will turn the matter over to McClure himself.Meanwhile, would it not be well for you to be writing the letters? There is every expectation that forestry will come to the front this winter.Have you noticed that we defeated an amendment to the New York Constitution, drafted in the interest of the timber depredators, by a vote of over three hundred thousand? I am02174 J.M.2.quoting this to President Cleveland as an evidence of the popular interest felt in this subject.Mr. Gildeir desires me to say to you that he regrets very much not to be able to find a place for your article on Californian Agriculture, which, interesting as it is, does not quite hit our mark. May we not try to use it as part of the syndicate series? The fact is, I forgot to tell you that before it came to us we had committed ourselves to a similar article from Mr. Smythe, the irrigationist, which is to be a chapter in his book which The Century Co. is to publish, and we felt under obligation to give [illegible] variety to that [illegible]I keep the article until I hear from you.[illegible]Yours faithfylly,R. u. JohnsonPlease [illegible]0217