Letter from G. Frederick Schwarz to John Muir, 1913 Jul 18.

[4]I hope that the leading newspapers and periodicals of the country will as soon as possible set this outrageous grabbing-scheme clearly before the people, so that it may be finally and effectually crushed. Is it not astonishing that a nation that calls itself upright and enlightened should countenance this repeated effort to steal a precious[1]Brookline, Mass.July 18, 1913.Dear Mr. Muir,-Your kind letter was most welcome, although the subject to which it refers is causing us all a great deal of anxiety. We are trying on this side of the country to do all we can to save the situation. Mr. Whitman made a heroic effort in Washington, against05495 [2]great odds, and spoke four hours before the Committee on Public Lands. They had arrayed a strong force from various departments of the government to mislead public opinion by one-sided arguments. If anybody could stand up courageously against such opposition it was Mr. Whitman; but of course most of the members of the Committee had made up their[3]minds unalterably in advance. One or two, I understand, were impressed with Mr. Whitman\u27s presentation of the case and I hope it may result in some good.Mr. McFarland, I understand, was absent on account of illness. It is unfortunate there were not other societies and associations represented on our side. [8][cor-]dially to Colby and Parsons. I hope when we all meet again we may be able to congratulate one another on the outcome of this final contest.I hope you are spending contented days and preserving your good health for the sake of us all.Faithfully yours,G. Frederick Schwarz[5]IIpossession from all the people, one of our loviest landscape gardens, necessary for our future welfare and growth as a nation? I am thinking not only of the healthfulness and the never-fading pleasures that lie open there to anyone who will accept of them, but of the far-reaching influence that these godlike scenes un-05495 [6]questionably would have in building the character of the nation, in strengthening its moral fiber, in broadening its interest in life and deepening its sympathies, enriching it in every way, and in the end guarding against that growing danger under which we all lie of being utterly cramped and confined by the ever-increasing hurry and complexity of life.[7]We are sending out letters to the most influential people we can think of. During this mid-summer season most of the directors and members of the S.P.N.P. (Eastern branch) are away. Whitman and Chamberlain and myself have had some informal conferences, but my efforts and work are so much less effective than theirs.Please remember me cor