Letter from E. G. Miller to John Muir, 1898 Jan 24.

[1]Waterloo Iowa Jan. 24 1898.My Dear Sir: -My family and I were all very gratified by the receipt of your letter of Oct. 6th. I hardly supposed that you would remember me. In the years you have been traveling wildernesses to unlock the secrets of nature for the benefit of mankind and writing so entertainingly of the fauna and flora of the far west, it is a little surprising to me that you have carried my name in your memory through them all.I know something of the life of many of the boys we knew at the University in the early days and I will gladly give you any information I may have concerning those you may wish to inquire about. I will now only speak of a few who were my intimates. I think when I made your acquaintance I was rooming with [Remick?] and McKenney in No. 17 North College. McK was a brilliant scholar; was the best mathematician at the U., but he lacked steadiness and did not graduate. He was in the 02387 [2]Army for a short time; he became a lawyer and won fame prosecuting whiskey cases during Grants administration, I am sorry to have to say that he became a drunkard and about two years ago died in the gutter in Milwaukee. [Remick?] was not an entirely successful student but he is a first class citizen of Colorado Springs, COlo. where he holds the state office of Public Trustee. James L. High, James M. Bull and Henry D. Smith were my classmates - \u2764. High is a leading lawyer of Chicago and has fulfilled in every way the promise of his boyhood. Bull and Smith were my comrades and [Remick?] also - in Capt. Fairchild\u27s company of the 1st Wis 3 months service. Smith died as a Lieut in the 11th Wis. [Remick?] served throughout in that Reg. and came out as Major. Bull was Lieut. in the 11th Capt. in 23d and Lt.Col. in 5th Wis and made a fine record. I continued my work at the University in spite of serious financial obstacles till the bugle call to arms cut short my student life. I served three years as Capt. in the 210th Wis.I haven\u27t seen Griswold since \u2766 or \u277. He is county judge of Waukesha Co. and [3]has been prominently mentioned for the vacancy on the Supreme bench of Wis. But I think another is to be named.I have been for many years in the government service as a railway postal clerk. I have four children living, a boy and three girls, and they are all at home, so we are enjoying life about as well as any family can who haven\u27t much of this world\u27s wealth. I have always taken a lively interest in the world\u27s work. As a member of state Senate in 1874-6, I fathered a scheme for establishing a state normal school at Cedar Falls in this county and [made?] it [illegible]. The school has been a grand success and of course I am proud to be identified with an institution so useful.Pardon me for again referring to Stickeen , I am still firm in the belief that if the story of your wildest of wild days were fully illustrated, it would make a most attractive little volume and would 02387 660[4]Miller of Wis Universitysell in large numbers.I trust you will long be [spared?] to continue the work in which you have taken so prominent a part.I should be very glad to hear from you again. My knowledge of your later life is derived from your one letter to me and your Century articles.Very truly yoursE.G. MillerJohn Muir [Ph.D.?]Martinez, Cal