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E. H all M ar tin . M O U N T A I N JA C K A N D A W A N D E R I N G M I N E R . 1850. O il o n can vas. 3 9 1/2" x 72". C o u r tesy o f O ak lan d M u seu m o f C alifo r n ia. G ift o f C o n co u r s d ’A n tiq u es, A r t G u ild . JOHN OF THE MINES: Mu ir ’s Pic t u r e s q u e Re w r it e o f t h e Go l d Ru s h N i c o l a s W i t s c h i W as Jo h n M u ir a G o ld R u sh w r ite r ? C e r t a in ly n o t . A n d y e t , h e h a d q u it e a lo t t o say a b o u t t h is k e y e v e n t a n d it s im p a c t o n C a lifo r n ia ’ s sce n e r y , so m u c h so t h a t h is p r o se w as g r e a t ly a ffe c t e d b y t h e e ffo r t . I n t h e 1 8 7 0 s, t h e G o ld R u sh st ill p r o v id e d t h e d o m in a n t n a r r a t iv e filt e r t h r o u g h w h ic h C a lifo r n ia n s v ie w e d t h e ir m o u n t a in s, a n d M u ir , w h o e ffe c t iv e ly b e g in s h is c a r e e r a s a n e n v ir o n m e n t a l w r it e r a n d jo u r n a list in 1 8 7 1 S a n F r a n c isc o , is v e r y m u c h fr a m e d b y t h is c o n ­ t e x t . H o w e v e r , w h ile t h e c r it ic a l lit e r a t u r e o n M u ir ’s a c h ie v e m e n t s a s a n e n v ir o n m e n t a l a d v o c a t e is q u it e v a st , n o n e o f it e v e n b e g in s t o a d d r e ss M u ir ’s w r it e r ly e n g a g e m e n t w it h t h e h ist o r y o f m in e r a l e x t r a c t io n in t h e Sie r r a N e v a d a .1 T h e p r o b le m w it h t h is c r it ic a l b lin d sp o t is t h a t it fa ils t o r e n d e r a fu lly h ist o r ic iz e d a c c o u n t o f M u ir a n d h is w o r k . C o n sid e r , fo r N...

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