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Show 408 Thus Muir converted Johnson, and allowed him to discover the solution; "Obviously the thing to do is to make a Yosemite National Park around the Valley on the plan of the Yellowstone." Believing that this was his plan, and that Muir was skeptical, Johnson had the enthusiasm which a man entertains for his own ideas. Certainly Muir had always hoped for such a plan, and had helped propose such a Park in 1881. Now Johnson persuaded Muir that it was a political possibility. If Muir would do the writing, Johnson would handle the political end of things in Washington. Thus Muir would write two articles, the first to attract general attention, and the second to propose boundaries, Johnson would get a new campaign for Century while Muir gained a highly effective ally in his battle for preservation of the wilderness. The close association Johnson and Muir formed in 1889 was important to Muir for several reasons. For the first time he had a professional editor, who was able to give good advice. Not only was Johnson a good editor in an influential magazine, he was also committed to the work Muir wanted to accomplish. With his knowledge of eastern sentiment, Johnson was the perfect medium between Muir and the East, because he shared and understood the sentiment of the eastern audience to which Muir would be writing in the nineties. Lastly, Johnson was in a position not only to publish Muir's work, hut also to assure that it got into the right hands, which is t° say the hands of Congressmen in Washington. Johnson's impact on Muir's writing was also significant. |
