Letter from Catherine H. Hittell to [Annie] Wanda [Muir], [1903] Jul 13.

July 13thDear WandaThe Merriams have been here off an on for several weeks, and they go away for a camping trip to McCloud River on Wednesday 8 P.M. July 15th. I have been wondering whether you and Helen would not like to come to our house for lunch or dinner. or both on Wednesday to see the Merriams I would also enjoy very much if you and your sister would tramp with me on next Sunday, July 19th.08559 Come on Saturday and stay all night Saturday and Sunday. We will visit the redwoods. please go. If you both together cant leave home, I wish one of you would come.It is so long since I heard from you that it seems as if we live in different worlds.How was your trip to Lake Eleanor and what does your Father write and is your Mother well again? I hope she will visit us soon. We have now a room down stairs where she could stay without climbing any stairs.Your sincere friendCatherine H. Hittell808 Turk Il

Undated Dec 29 C H Hittell to JM p1

[Page 1] Muir Woods Dear Mr. Muir Mr. Kent has just written me that “The deed, title papers, and tender” of Muir Woods “have gone to Washington. Mr Pinchot seems confident that we can save the trees. Should the property be accepted the Messrs’ Magee and Newlands can hardly show that a reservoir destroying a park is a higher use than the preservation of the trees. The letters you have asked for will be braces to Pinchot in his asking Garfield and Roosevelt to accept the Park and the litigation. I am hoping for a telegraphic answer of acceptance within 10 days, and am holding a duplicate deed for record here.” Isn’t this fine of Mr Kent to offer so splendid a gift to the [page 2] Nation? I do hope that your letter will help the nation to accept this gift. No City in the world will have so fine a Park and we few San Franciscans can begin again to raise our heads and boast, in spite of earthquakes and fires and corruption and dishonest citizens. I think I wrote you that Mr Kent wants the matter dept secret so that Messrs Newlands and Magee should not make trouble until the gift is accepted by the nation. He writes “I hardly think anything that the barbarous ones can do will upset the plan but should rather not tell them about it.” [page 3] I hope you got my letter in which I begged you to write Mr. Kent “of the value of Redwood Canon Park in the City and Neighborhood.” In another letter Mr Kent also asked if “John Muir would write a letter speaking of the need of the Redwood Forest in ‘Muir Woods’ as a nature park near the city and stating that its use for such purposes is higher than for storing a little water.” Your sincere friend Catharine H. Hittell 808 Turk St San Francisco With love to you and Wanda and Helen and wishing you all – Happy New Year

Letter from John S. Hittell to John Muir, 1893 Apr 19.

1216 St[illegible] St. SF.April 19. 1893Dear Mr MuirWill you lunch with me on Saturday next at 12 30! I have invited Mr Keith to come with you. If that day should not suit you, I would be glad to have you name any day next week. If in the meantime I should not hear from you I will call at Keiths studio on Friday at [illegible] to learn what he knows about your plans.Yours SincerelyJohn S HittellPS. Only six at table including yourself and Keith and no formality[in margin: John S. Hittell]0165

Undated May 14 C H Hittell to JM p1

[Page 1] Dear Mr. amd Mrs. Muir Miss Eastwood and I thank you very much for your kind invitation to visit you this week, but we had already made all arrangements, to go to one of the Shafter Howard ranches at Point Reyes at the end of this week, and we can not postpone the trip, as Mrs Shafter Howard has written to her tenants to expect us on Friday. Miss Eastwood is very busy at present and can not leave the city for some time except on this one prearranged trip to Point Reyes. As for myself, there is no place [page 2] In California which I would rather visit than your home, and so I hope I can soon again have an invitation. We have several guest rooms in our house, and nothing would please me more than to entertain you and your daughters during the week of the President’s visit to our city, perhaps then I could return with you on May 17th or 18th or some day of the following week. We are very fond of company, and one of my hopes for several years has been that the Muirs would make our house their home during their visits to the City. Papa always [page 3] Tells me of the great pleasure he takes in his visits to your place. Hoping to hear from you soon I remain Your sincere friend Catherine H. Hittell 808 Turk St Dear Mr Muir Your telegram to the Governor helped us very much in saving the Meadowlarks as the Governor signed our bill. Now the larks are safe from everyone except the farmers, and I think farmers are usually too busy to shoot poor little meadowlarks. Thank you very much. I do wish Mrs. Muir and your [page 4] Daughters would visit us. Papa talks so much of Miss Wanda that I would like very much to meet her. Your friend C. H. Hittel

1895 Apr 3 Catherine Hittell to JM p1

[Page 1] Dear friend Mr. Muir I suppose Mrs. Myrick has told you how we ladies worked to get the meadowlarks protected by the State Legislature. The Sportsmen’s Convention, which met last April, incorporated into their new game law, a section protecting the larks and it was to urge that that section be make into a law, that we ladies sent petitions signed by fifteen hundred prominent persons, to the legislature. Mr. Brassford of Vacaville, chairman of the Game Committee in the Assembly cut out the clause protecting the larks from the new Game [page 2] Bill, saying at the same time: “The meadow larks can’t sing. They can only gallup out a note or two.” Of course we ladies, who had worked so hard for the larks, felt very unhappy over the outcome of our work, especially as so many larks and robins are sold in our markets every day. On Sunday, March 24th, a boarder of one of the boarding houses in the City, gold me that they had had lark pie for breakfast and as there were one hundred boarders in that house, it meant one hundred “slaughtered innocents.” Yesterday, I thought I would find out whether the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, had done something [page 3] For the larks, as they were requested to do, last year by the Committee from the Sportsmen’s Convention. To my great joy, I found the following ordinance of the Board “Order No. 2765. Section I. Every person who, in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, shall between the first day of March and the first day of October of each year, buy or sell, or offer for sale, or have in his possession, any red-breasted robbing, or any brush robin or meadow lark shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. “Section 2. This order shall take effect, and be in force from and after its passage. Board of Supervisors, San Francisco May 28, 1894.” +++++ [page 4] But this ordinance seems to be a dead letter at present as I saw robins in the Market, yesterday, and larks were eaten at one place at least a week ago; therefore some of the energetic women of the Century Club of California are going to take this matter up and try to have this law enforced. They intend very soon to have a meeting devoted to the discussion of the larks and of ways and means for enforcing that ordinance. They would be more than delighted if you would speak a few words to them about our birds etc and our duty to protect our natural beauties but I suppose it is out of the question for them to expect that of you as I know that you [page 5] Are overwhelmed with requests for speeches and that you make it a rule not to speak in public. If you should be willing to break this rule of yours in this case, I wish you would let me know. Anyhow, your letter was of immense help to us last year and I see that Miss Knapp has incorporated a part of it into her article, which I herewith send. I hope you will not be displeased at it being printed. I let Miss Knapp see the latter, as I count it among my best possessions and she printed it. I write this letter to you because I thought you would like to know shat we are doing to [page 6] Save “our divine midgets of songlarks.” Your sincere friend Catherine H. Hittell 808 Turk St San Francisco April 3d. P.S. At Christmas time I sent several of your books as Christmas presents to Eastern friends and the praise they received was perfectly delightful. One friend made New Year’s presents of the book to his friends. First I thought I would send you some of the words of praise but then I remembered that a noble work was its own reward and I refrained. C. H. H

1894 Apr 16 Katie Hittell to JM p1

April 16 1894 Dear friend Mr. Muir I thank you very much for your letter to me, on the meadow larks and it has assisted very much in our efforts to save the singing birds of California. The letter was read before the Sportsmen’s Convention where I think it did better work than thing else. I suppose you have read in the newspapers that the Sportsmen’s Convention has recommended the complete prohibition of the slaughter of singing and insectivorous birds. Again thanking you for your noble letter I remain Your sincere friend Katie Hittell 808 Turk St April 16t

1894 Apr 16 Katie Hittell to JM p1

April 16 1894 Dear friend Mr. Muir I thank you very much for your letter to me, on the meadow larks and it has assisted very much in our efforts to save the singing birds of California. The letter was read before the Sportsmen’s Convention where I think it did better work than thing else. I suppose you have read in the newspapers that the Sportsmen’s Convention has recommended the complete prohibition of the slaughter of singing and insectivorous birds. Again thanking you for your noble letter I remain Your sincere friend Katie Hittell 808 Turk St April 16t

1894 Mar 14 C H Hittell to JM p1

[Page 1] March 14th 1894 Dear friend Mr. Muir, Some months ago when I had the pleasure of meeting you at Mrs. John Vance Cheney’s house I heard you make a most eloquent defense of nearly all Nature’s lower creations even including the noxious rattle snake. That speech of yours gives me the courage to write to you asking your help to save the meadow larks. The markets are full of the poor plucked bodies of those beautiful songsters. (At most of the French restaurants, at present, a dish [Page 2] of larks is one of the principal entrees. Now that the closed season for quail, ducks and doves has begun, the massacre of the yellow throated meadow larks is going on. Can nothing be done to prevent this wholesale slaughter during the nesting period of the larks? I have been so wrought up over this subject that I am trying to see what can be done. I spoke to Miss Fitch, the daughter of Mr. Fitch of the Bulletin and this evening I see a fine plea for the larks in the Bulletin. I wrote to Miss Adeline Knapp who is well known as a champion of the [Page 3] defenseless lower animals and she has promised to have a series of articles in one of the great dailies of San Francisco on next Sunday, Easter morning. Everyone knows of your pure and noble reputation, of your love for the beautiful, for nature and for California and so I beg of you, will you not help in the cause? A few words from your eloquent pen will do more for the larks than anything else possible. Will you write a few words in favor of our songsters, either in one of the papers or for Miss Knapp to insert in the [Page 4] big article for next Sunday, March 25th? You could send it to me or I would forward it to Miss Knapp. Could you advise us what further steps to take to arouse the public interest in saving the larks? Would the Sierra Club do anything to prevent the extermination of our California songsters? You know, singing birds are all too rare in California. In a month’s time I believer there will be a sportsmen’s convention to revise the fame laws for the coming legislature. Each county is to send two delegates and twenty delegates [Page 5] will be chosen for the state at large. Can not something be done to interest this convention in including the larks among the protected birds? If I knew the names of the leading sportsmen in the City, I think I would be brave enough to go to them myself to ask their interest in the larks. The Meadow lark is an insect feeding bird and therefore the farmer should wish for its protection. I believe the Horticultural Society, of which my friend Mr. Ellwood Cooper is president, may help in this matter, so will the Academy of Sciences, [Page 6] and possibly the State Floral Society. I hope the Sierra Club will give its aid as its object is to protect and preserve the beauties of our Sierra, etc. Dear friend, will you help us? Your name is so connected with all that is beautiful in California, with our mountains and trees and flowers, that my first thoughts turn to you in asking for this help. The beautiful yellow breasted larks have lifted up their voices so many times for us that it is for us now to lift up our voices to save them, our benefactors [Page 7] from complete extermination. If you can think of anything that is in our power to do in this matter please let us know it. Sincerely your friend Catherine H Hittell 808 Turk St P.S. Miss Knapp lives at 568 12th St, Oakland. You know my father, the T. H. Hittell whom you have often met at Mr. W. Keiths. I mention this if you should have happened to forget meeting me at Mr. Keith’s studio, at the Sierra Club and at Mrs. J. Vance Cheney’s. I went to the [Page 8] markets this morning to see how many larks were at the poulterers and I saw several hundreds. The poulterers told me that there were not so many in the markets now as there were during the first week after the beginning of the closed season. I suppose they are being thinned out. The poulteres say, the Germans and French are particularly fond of the birds. Please pardon my addressing you and troubling you in these matters but I do love the meadow larks and I do love California and the little I can do is at my countries service. C. H. Hittell 808 Turk St

1894 Mar 14 C H Hittell to JM p1

[Page 1] March 14th 1894 Dear friend Mr. Muir, Some months ago when I had the pleasure of meeting you at Mrs. John Vance Cheney’s house I heard you make a most eloquent defense of nearly all Nature’s lower creations even including the noxious rattle snake. That speech of yours gives me the courage to write to you asking your help to save the meadow larks. The markets are full of the poor plucked bodies of those beautiful songsters. (At most of the French restaurants, at present, a dish [Page 2] of larks is one of the principal entrees. Now that the closed season for quail, ducks and doves has begun, the massacre of the yellow throated meadow larks is going on. Can nothing be done to prevent this wholesale slaughter during the nesting period of the larks? I have been so wrought up over this subject that I am trying to see what can be done. I spoke to Miss Fitch, the daughter of Mr. Fitch of the Bulletin and this evening I see a fine plea for the larks in the Bulletin. I wrote to Miss Adeline Knapp who is well known as a champion of the [Page 3] defenseless lower animals and she has promised to have a series of articles in one of the great dailies of San Francisco on next Sunday, Easter morning. Everyone knows of your pure and noble reputation, of your love for the beautiful, for nature and for California and so I beg of you, will you not help in the cause? A few words from your eloquent pen will do more for the larks than anything else possible. Will you write a few words in favor of our songsters, either in one of the papers or for Miss Knapp to insert in the [Page 4] big article for next Sunday, March 25th? You could send it to me or I would forward it to Miss Knapp. Could you advise us what further steps to take to arouse the public interest in saving the larks? Would the Sierra Club do anything to prevent the extermination of our California songsters? You know, singing birds are all too rare in California. In a month’s time I believer there will be a sportsmen’s convention to revise the fame laws for the coming legislature. Each county is to send two delegates and twenty delegates [Page 5] will be chosen for the state at large. Can not something be done to interest this convention in including the larks among the protected birds? If I knew the names of the leading sportsmen in the City, I think I would be brave enough to go to them myself to ask their interest in the larks. The Meadow lark is an insect feeding bird and therefore the farmer should wish for its protection. I believe the Horticultural Society, of which my friend Mr. Ellwood Cooper is president, may help in this matter, so will the Academy of Sciences, [Page 6] and possibly the State Floral Society. I hope the Sierra Club will give its aid as its object is to protect and preserve the beauties of our Sierra, etc. Dear friend, will you help us? Your name is so connected with all that is beautiful in California, with our mountains and trees and flowers, that my first thoughts turn to you in asking for this help. The beautiful yellow breasted larks have lifted up their voices so many times for us that it is for us now to lift up our voices to save them, our benefactors [Page 7] from complete extermination. If you can think of anything that is in our power to do in this matter please let us know it. Sincerely your friend Catherine H Hittell 808 Turk St P.S. Miss Knapp lives at 568 12th St, Oakland. You know my father, the T. H. Hittell whom you have often met at Mr. W. Keiths. I mention this if you should have happened to forget meeting me at Mr. Keith’s studio, at the Sierra Club and at Mrs. J. Vance Cheney’s. I went to the [Page 8] markets this morning to see how many larks were at the poulterers and I saw several hundreds. The poulterers told me that there were not so many in the markets now as there were during the first week after the beginning of the closed season. I suppose they are being thinned out. The poulteres say, the Germans and French are particularly fond of the birds. Please pardon my addressing you and troubling you in these matters but I do love the meadow larks and I do love California and the little I can do is at my countries service. C. H. Hittell 808 Turk St

Letter from Catherine H Hittell to Mrs. Muir [Louie Strentzel Muir], 1902 Apr 18

Dear Mrs Muir My brother left me a note saying that you had kindly sent an invitation to Miss Eastwood and myself to come up to your place next Saturday, April 26th. I fear very much that Miss Eastwood will not be able to go anywhere this month as she is working night and day to get ready her article, on the plants of King River Country, to be printed in the Sierra Club Bulletin for the use of the Sierra Club wanderers who go to King River Canon in June, and I will give her your invitation tomorrow. As I myself I have to finish a story and am in [ ] in other work for Mr Morrow, class, and I also have a debate for the 29th in which I must spend much work. Besides I have some Eastern visitors whom I must look after. You are very very kind and there is nothing that I would enjoy more than to hear you and Mr Muir talk and to see the lovely country round your place. I am hoping that you will allow me to make you a day’s visit in May and Mrs Ellwood [Cerfer ] of Santa Barbara may come to stay with us during that month and that will prevent me from going anywhere. When I came home this evening from a business visit it was too late to telephone to you and tomorrow morning I must go early with my Eastern friends on a trip, therefore I write you this note tonight. Please [examine] the hurry of it. If I find that I have read wrongly the note my brother left for me I will write you again tomorrow. I wish your daughters would come more often to see me, I love them very much. With love to you all I remain Your sincere friend Catherine H. Hittell 808 Turk [St.] April 18th. Miss Eastwood has the telephone in the Academy of Sciences if you wish to ring her up. Adding Academy of Sciences