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Show 424. KINGS CANYON, AND WRITER'S CRAMP The p o l i t i c a l success of the proposed Yosemite National Park depended on J o h n s o n ' s i n f l u e n c e in Washington. Johnson believed he had some sway with the House Committee on Public Lands, and a p p a r e n t l y he d i d . He gave himself considerable credit, saying, "The members had never heard of Muir, though they knew of the Muir G l a c i e r , but they responded with commendable unanimity to my p r e s e n t a t i o n of the scheme, and a b i ll was drafted on the l i n e s of M u i r ' s b o u n d a r i e s . " Muir's r o l e, in absentia, was t h a t of t e c h n i c a l a d v i s o r . Johnson had to establish c r e d i b i l i t y with Congress, though Muir's w r i t i ng was his primary e v i d e n c e . In t h i s sense, Muir was r e a l ly writing for l e g i s l a t o r s as much as for the public pressure on them, p a r t i c u l a r l y in " F e a t u r e s . " Johnson would take the proof sheets of Muir's a r t i c l e s to Congress, and when the committee acted favorably, i t would appear t h a t the a r t i c l e published in Century r e p o r t e d new, n e a r l y enacted l e g i s l a t i o n . Congress looked good, because i t was a c t i n g on the f a r - r e a c h i n g needs Muir o u t l i n e d , and Century gained by r e p o r t i n g so quickly on Congress' p r o g r e s s i v e a c t i o n. With the success of the Yosemite scheme, Johnson had the means necessary to p r e s s for more P a r k s . Not only had he established Muir's c r e d e n t i a l s with Congress, but he had met Secretary of the I n t e r i o r John Noble. So he wrote to Muir, asking for a map and w r i t t e n proposal for a Kings Canyon National Park. This was the second of the two proposals |