hey
Heyy I decided to be uber evil and post my history day project paper thing on my journal!!! HA!!! And you MUST READ IT!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!! At 2,105 words, it will BORE YOU TO DEATH!!! HAHAHAH!! I am so cruel. Have fun kiddies.
Valley of Dreams-- A REALLY BORING NATIONAL HISORTY DAY ESSAY BY SCHMO
President Roosevelt was an indomitable character, but as soon as he stepped upon that train with me close at his heels, I knew he had met his match. Though the man who quickly rose to shake my master’s hand, by appearance, looked like your average mountain man, with a weather beaten face, thickly calloused hands and hunched over shoulders, his eyes divulged his moxie.
During a time when conservation was not given a second thought, John Muir, the man who then loomed before me, communicated his firm principles and convictions that national parks should be held intact. He became the key to changing public opinion about the environment. During the time they were together, John Muir communicated the importance of the environment to my master, the President, who was already an environmental activist, but did not realize the extent to which our country was being compromised. Within the period of a few hours, John Muir convinced President Theodore Roosevelt that America needed something more than just books and manuscripts about the environment- the American people needed a presidential pioneer to show them the way to environmental justice. His understanding of the environment convinced President Theodore Roosevelt to create the first conservation programs, including Yosemite National Park.
The men exchanged quick greetings before perching on the edge of their plush velvet seats. Mr. Roosevelt, my companion and master, shooed all members of his entourage out of the small train cabin. I held my head high, knowing I was trusted enough to hear the president’s conversations. And so it began. The year was 1903, and it was a three-hour train ride, from Oakland to Raymond in the state of California.
Muir looked uncomfortable. He began in a husky voice, “Mr. President, I believe the Yosemite area is in grave danger. I am concerned about California. It is a budding area, and people are already pruning it, building fences and houses and such. They plow the land and thus rid it of natural plants and replace them with corn. Corn! What will the animals who depend on the buffalo grass do?”
Mr. Roosevelt responded with silence, sinking back into his seat. He touched his moustache thoughtfully. “Am I not doing enough for the environment already?”
I began to wonder if he was doing enough to preserve America’s natural wonders. He had made more of an environmental impact for the better more than any president yet, but couldn’t something else be accomplished?
Muir cleared his throat. “Mr. President, if you please, look out the window.”
We turned in unison to look out the cloudy window. Mr. Roosevelt wiped his spectacles off and looked again. Even though the train was speeding by the scenery, what we passed was plain to see…into the horizon, instead of magnificent oaks proud of their grandeur, stumps and twigs took their place. Muir gave Mr. Roosevelt a berating glance. Mr. Roosevelt remained benign. Without batting an eyelash, Mr. Roosevelt stated, “Convincing Congress to pass a bill protecting an area is not an easy task. The valley contains productive land that is very valuable. Persuading Congress to care more about the land than the money it is worth will take a propelling argument. I need more than just cut down trees to make a case.”
I thought of the logging lobbyists who, only the week before had met with Mr. Roosevelt and offered a large sum of money for California land. Would their interests
be more persuasive than Muir’s? I had a vested interest in Muir’s work in keeping the trees from being cut down because, after all, I am a dog.
“More than half of the United States timber has been destroyed either for inhabitation or exploration purposes.” Muir reached into his worn leather jacket and pulled some photos out. I studied them, taking in the images of abundant fir trees, deep valleys that looked like a giant’s foot prints, caves embossed with carvings, and a variety of odd looking creatures. “All of this,” Muir said in a voice just above a whisper, “will be gone unless we take action. I understand people wanting to live in beautiful places, but this is outrageous; people moving in with their cows and sheep, making themselves at home in a bear’s territory. And when the bear has no natural food left and tries to eat a sheep, it gets shot! People cut down trees to build homes of their own. A tree is not just a tree, but also a whole ecosystem! I am sure you, of all people, understand this!” Muir exclaimed, his voice trembling.
Mr. Roosevelt appeared stupefied, but immediately regained his affable composure.
“I do understand. And that,” Mr. Roosevelt said with a smile playing at his lips, “Is the kind of argument Congress needs to hear.”
Muir gave a sigh of relief. The rest of the train ride was continued in silence.
When the train came to a halt, Mr. Roosevelt and Muir were quickly ushered to a coach to finish the remainder of the ride to the Yosemite Valley. The vice president made an effort to sit beside Mr. Roosevelt but he would have none of it. “This is confidential business,” he growled, glaring at his attendants before slamming the carriage door shut. The coach lurched into motion.
The hush did not last long. Muir was on a mission. “It is not just the farmers moving in who threaten the valley. There is severe state mismanagement. The state can benefit from logging and mountain men’s hunting and trapping. In moderation, none of these activities would be harmful to the valley.” Muir paused to take a deep breath.
“However, this is not the case. The rampant exploitation of the valley’s resources is tearing up the land. Within twenty years, all of this,” Muir gestured at the photos, “will be nonexistent. Yosemite will succumb to excessive logging and inhabitation. Unless, that is, you take action.”
“How do you propose for the valley to be saved? While under state management, I can’t touch it,” Mr. Roosevelt responded with his bushy eyebrows arched.
“Precisely. I want the land to be transferred to federal control. While under federal management, the state cannot benefit from the abusage, and the federal government can make laws protecting land areas. National Parks can be made to hold land inviolate against human greed.”
Mr. Roosevelt looked doubtful, but as Muir spoke, his eyes lit up. “That’s it. That is the only way to do it,” Mr. Roosevelt said excitedly.
“So you agree? Will you make a case?” Muir asked Mr. Roosevelt, breathless. I noticed that I too had become caught up in Muir’s speech.
Mr. Roosevelt nodded. “You can make one hell of an argument.” He reached out his manicured hand for Muir’s gnarled one and Muir firmly shook it. “Bully!” Mr. Roosevelt exclaimed. The two strong willed men had reached an understanding.
I nodded off, as the conversation drifted back towards things that educated dogs such as myself do not appreciate, like talk of war and so on. Mr. Roosevelt woke me with a gentle pat when we arrived at Yosemite.
As we stepped out of the coach, Mr. Roosevelt looked around in wonder. “I can see why you don’t want this place to be ruined, Mr. Muir. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” he whispered in reverence. I took in my surroundings, mooning over the amazing smells and sights. The spectacular pine trees that towered overhead, the cathedral like rock formations, and especially the roaring waterfalls stupefied me. “Show me the real Yosemite. I want to see everything. Take me to all of the places you’ve ever been,” Mr. Roosevelt stated in a voice braver than I think he felt.
Muir chuckled. “That could take weeks.” But we set off, leaving Mr. Roosevelt’s entourage speechless. With me close at heels we hiked to a remote spot where a waterfall made a soothing back ground noise, trees subdued the rocks that jutted out, and a mountain that Muir referred to as Half Dome cast its shadow over our sleeping mats. Mr. Roosevelt insisted that we ride up to Vernal Falls, and Muir made no objection.
We rode into the valley, though prickly thickets, though lightly snow capped trails, and Muir made a point of walking though what used to be a forest but had surrendered to man’s axe.
By the time we returned to the campsite, the night sky displayed an eye- widening amount of stars. A moon that looked like the glowing eye of a mountain lion
illuminated the campsite for us. Mr. Roosevelt lit a fire and the men spoke late into the night. I sat watching the fire flicker and cast shadows around the valley. Then it dawned on me as to why Muir was so protective over the land. It was not a selfish desire, not for fame or control. It was for a love of this land and its natural residents. It was for wanting future generations to be educated about conservation and to enjoy a pristine, tranquil area undisturbed by man. I slept deeply, with a great peace knowing that Muir had succeeded.
In the morning a light snowfall had dusted the valley. The sun’s gentle rays were just warming up to the mountains as Muir, Mr. Roosevelt and I awoke. I could tell Mr. Roosevelt was awestruck by the breathtaking vision of the sparkling white snow lightly covering the expanse of the valley. Later on he boasted of this event, saying that if there was one thing he would never forget, it was that.
The men solemnly packed up the gear before mounting their horses and heading back to the coach. With a nod, their meeting ended and the men went their separate ways. But this was not the end of their friendship, which would last for many years.
Before Muir and Mr. Roosevelt met, Yosemite was on the verge of succumbing to excessive logging and inhabitation. The U.S. Forest Service was non-existent, and not
many people were aware of the environment. The importance of the environment was not being widely enough understood. Excessive inhabitation and exploitation of the
resources in new areas was becoming an increasingly large problem. By the time Mr. Roosevelt assumed office in 1901, half of the nation’s timberlands had been cut down, the buffalo and other species faced extinction, and special interests were teaming up to lay waste to huge tracts of pristine wilderness (TR and John Muir).
While they were together, Muir exposed the influence that people had on our growing territory. The president, who was already concerned but insufficiently informed, learned of the gross misuse of natural resources. After just a few hours, John Muir persuaded President Theodore Roosevelt to protect the precious land that so many were neglecting.
In the following months, I was pleased that Muir compelled Mr. Roosevelt to create the U.S. Forest Service, which, due to Muir’s perseverance, included the establishment of five national parks, twenty three national monuments, and two hundred forty eight million acres to the National Forest System. Roosevelt also took control of Yosemite Valley and transferred the state’s power over to the federal government.
After their meeting, John Muir’s research and journal recordings convinced Theodore Roosevelt that such places as Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest, and the Grand Canyon should be preserved. Significantly, Roosevelt extended the concept of democracy to include future generations, arguing that it was undemocratic to exploit the nation’s resources for present profit (TR and John Muir). When Roosevelt created The U.S. Forest Service, it sent a message to the public that sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations is vital (U.S. Forest Service Mission Statement). I was proud.
During a time when conservation was not given a second thought, John Muir’s firm principles resulted in the widespread conviction that national parks should be held intact. If Muir and Mr. Roosevelt had not had this meeting, the results might have been disastrous. Had National Parks and other sources of education about the environment had not been created, many people would still live in oblivion about nature. Mr. Roosevelt needed a strong nudge to push him in the direction of creating an official conservation program, and Muir needed a voice that could be heard. Mr. Roosevelt and Muir complemented each other and were able to do amazing things with their combined power. This meeting happened because two strong people who had similar visions and goals for the country they loved decided to pursue their shared dream. If Mr. Roosevelt and Muir had not reached an understanding, the forest destruction would have risen to a dangerous level and people would not be as environmentally conscious as they are today. They communicated through compromise and both got what they wanted- a stronger America.
Valley of Dreams-- A REALLY BORING NATIONAL HISORTY DAY ESSAY BY SCHMO
President Roosevelt was an indomitable character, but as soon as he stepped upon that train with me close at his heels, I knew he had met his match. Though the man who quickly rose to shake my master’s hand, by appearance, looked like your average mountain man, with a weather beaten face, thickly calloused hands and hunched over shoulders, his eyes divulged his moxie.
During a time when conservation was not given a second thought, John Muir, the man who then loomed before me, communicated his firm principles and convictions that national parks should be held intact. He became the key to changing public opinion about the environment. During the time they were together, John Muir communicated the importance of the environment to my master, the President, who was already an environmental activist, but did not realize the extent to which our country was being compromised. Within the period of a few hours, John Muir convinced President Theodore Roosevelt that America needed something more than just books and manuscripts about the environment- the American people needed a presidential pioneer to show them the way to environmental justice. His understanding of the environment convinced President Theodore Roosevelt to create the first conservation programs, including Yosemite National Park.
The men exchanged quick greetings before perching on the edge of their plush velvet seats. Mr. Roosevelt, my companion and master, shooed all members of his entourage out of the small train cabin. I held my head high, knowing I was trusted enough to hear the president’s conversations. And so it began. The year was 1903, and it was a three-hour train ride, from Oakland to Raymond in the state of California.
Muir looked uncomfortable. He began in a husky voice, “Mr. President, I believe the Yosemite area is in grave danger. I am concerned about California. It is a budding area, and people are already pruning it, building fences and houses and such. They plow the land and thus rid it of natural plants and replace them with corn. Corn! What will the animals who depend on the buffalo grass do?”
Mr. Roosevelt responded with silence, sinking back into his seat. He touched his moustache thoughtfully. “Am I not doing enough for the environment already?”
I began to wonder if he was doing enough to preserve America’s natural wonders. He had made more of an environmental impact for the better more than any president yet, but couldn’t something else be accomplished?
Muir cleared his throat. “Mr. President, if you please, look out the window.”
We turned in unison to look out the cloudy window. Mr. Roosevelt wiped his spectacles off and looked again. Even though the train was speeding by the scenery, what we passed was plain to see…into the horizon, instead of magnificent oaks proud of their grandeur, stumps and twigs took their place. Muir gave Mr. Roosevelt a berating glance. Mr. Roosevelt remained benign. Without batting an eyelash, Mr. Roosevelt stated, “Convincing Congress to pass a bill protecting an area is not an easy task. The valley contains productive land that is very valuable. Persuading Congress to care more about the land than the money it is worth will take a propelling argument. I need more than just cut down trees to make a case.”
I thought of the logging lobbyists who, only the week before had met with Mr. Roosevelt and offered a large sum of money for California land. Would their interests
be more persuasive than Muir’s? I had a vested interest in Muir’s work in keeping the trees from being cut down because, after all, I am a dog.
“More than half of the United States timber has been destroyed either for inhabitation or exploration purposes.” Muir reached into his worn leather jacket and pulled some photos out. I studied them, taking in the images of abundant fir trees, deep valleys that looked like a giant’s foot prints, caves embossed with carvings, and a variety of odd looking creatures. “All of this,” Muir said in a voice just above a whisper, “will be gone unless we take action. I understand people wanting to live in beautiful places, but this is outrageous; people moving in with their cows and sheep, making themselves at home in a bear’s territory. And when the bear has no natural food left and tries to eat a sheep, it gets shot! People cut down trees to build homes of their own. A tree is not just a tree, but also a whole ecosystem! I am sure you, of all people, understand this!” Muir exclaimed, his voice trembling.
Mr. Roosevelt appeared stupefied, but immediately regained his affable composure.
“I do understand. And that,” Mr. Roosevelt said with a smile playing at his lips, “Is the kind of argument Congress needs to hear.”
Muir gave a sigh of relief. The rest of the train ride was continued in silence.
When the train came to a halt, Mr. Roosevelt and Muir were quickly ushered to a coach to finish the remainder of the ride to the Yosemite Valley. The vice president made an effort to sit beside Mr. Roosevelt but he would have none of it. “This is confidential business,” he growled, glaring at his attendants before slamming the carriage door shut. The coach lurched into motion.
The hush did not last long. Muir was on a mission. “It is not just the farmers moving in who threaten the valley. There is severe state mismanagement. The state can benefit from logging and mountain men’s hunting and trapping. In moderation, none of these activities would be harmful to the valley.” Muir paused to take a deep breath.
“However, this is not the case. The rampant exploitation of the valley’s resources is tearing up the land. Within twenty years, all of this,” Muir gestured at the photos, “will be nonexistent. Yosemite will succumb to excessive logging and inhabitation. Unless, that is, you take action.”
“How do you propose for the valley to be saved? While under state management, I can’t touch it,” Mr. Roosevelt responded with his bushy eyebrows arched.
“Precisely. I want the land to be transferred to federal control. While under federal management, the state cannot benefit from the abusage, and the federal government can make laws protecting land areas. National Parks can be made to hold land inviolate against human greed.”
Mr. Roosevelt looked doubtful, but as Muir spoke, his eyes lit up. “That’s it. That is the only way to do it,” Mr. Roosevelt said excitedly.
“So you agree? Will you make a case?” Muir asked Mr. Roosevelt, breathless. I noticed that I too had become caught up in Muir’s speech.
Mr. Roosevelt nodded. “You can make one hell of an argument.” He reached out his manicured hand for Muir’s gnarled one and Muir firmly shook it. “Bully!” Mr. Roosevelt exclaimed. The two strong willed men had reached an understanding.
I nodded off, as the conversation drifted back towards things that educated dogs such as myself do not appreciate, like talk of war and so on. Mr. Roosevelt woke me with a gentle pat when we arrived at Yosemite.
As we stepped out of the coach, Mr. Roosevelt looked around in wonder. “I can see why you don’t want this place to be ruined, Mr. Muir. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” he whispered in reverence. I took in my surroundings, mooning over the amazing smells and sights. The spectacular pine trees that towered overhead, the cathedral like rock formations, and especially the roaring waterfalls stupefied me. “Show me the real Yosemite. I want to see everything. Take me to all of the places you’ve ever been,” Mr. Roosevelt stated in a voice braver than I think he felt.
Muir chuckled. “That could take weeks.” But we set off, leaving Mr. Roosevelt’s entourage speechless. With me close at heels we hiked to a remote spot where a waterfall made a soothing back ground noise, trees subdued the rocks that jutted out, and a mountain that Muir referred to as Half Dome cast its shadow over our sleeping mats. Mr. Roosevelt insisted that we ride up to Vernal Falls, and Muir made no objection.
We rode into the valley, though prickly thickets, though lightly snow capped trails, and Muir made a point of walking though what used to be a forest but had surrendered to man’s axe.
By the time we returned to the campsite, the night sky displayed an eye- widening amount of stars. A moon that looked like the glowing eye of a mountain lion
illuminated the campsite for us. Mr. Roosevelt lit a fire and the men spoke late into the night. I sat watching the fire flicker and cast shadows around the valley. Then it dawned on me as to why Muir was so protective over the land. It was not a selfish desire, not for fame or control. It was for a love of this land and its natural residents. It was for wanting future generations to be educated about conservation and to enjoy a pristine, tranquil area undisturbed by man. I slept deeply, with a great peace knowing that Muir had succeeded.
In the morning a light snowfall had dusted the valley. The sun’s gentle rays were just warming up to the mountains as Muir, Mr. Roosevelt and I awoke. I could tell Mr. Roosevelt was awestruck by the breathtaking vision of the sparkling white snow lightly covering the expanse of the valley. Later on he boasted of this event, saying that if there was one thing he would never forget, it was that.
The men solemnly packed up the gear before mounting their horses and heading back to the coach. With a nod, their meeting ended and the men went their separate ways. But this was not the end of their friendship, which would last for many years.
Before Muir and Mr. Roosevelt met, Yosemite was on the verge of succumbing to excessive logging and inhabitation. The U.S. Forest Service was non-existent, and not
many people were aware of the environment. The importance of the environment was not being widely enough understood. Excessive inhabitation and exploitation of the
resources in new areas was becoming an increasingly large problem. By the time Mr. Roosevelt assumed office in 1901, half of the nation’s timberlands had been cut down, the buffalo and other species faced extinction, and special interests were teaming up to lay waste to huge tracts of pristine wilderness (TR and John Muir).
While they were together, Muir exposed the influence that people had on our growing territory. The president, who was already concerned but insufficiently informed, learned of the gross misuse of natural resources. After just a few hours, John Muir persuaded President Theodore Roosevelt to protect the precious land that so many were neglecting.
In the following months, I was pleased that Muir compelled Mr. Roosevelt to create the U.S. Forest Service, which, due to Muir’s perseverance, included the establishment of five national parks, twenty three national monuments, and two hundred forty eight million acres to the National Forest System. Roosevelt also took control of Yosemite Valley and transferred the state’s power over to the federal government.
After their meeting, John Muir’s research and journal recordings convinced Theodore Roosevelt that such places as Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest, and the Grand Canyon should be preserved. Significantly, Roosevelt extended the concept of democracy to include future generations, arguing that it was undemocratic to exploit the nation’s resources for present profit (TR and John Muir). When Roosevelt created The U.S. Forest Service, it sent a message to the public that sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations is vital (U.S. Forest Service Mission Statement). I was proud.
During a time when conservation was not given a second thought, John Muir’s firm principles resulted in the widespread conviction that national parks should be held intact. If Muir and Mr. Roosevelt had not had this meeting, the results might have been disastrous. Had National Parks and other sources of education about the environment had not been created, many people would still live in oblivion about nature. Mr. Roosevelt needed a strong nudge to push him in the direction of creating an official conservation program, and Muir needed a voice that could be heard. Mr. Roosevelt and Muir complemented each other and were able to do amazing things with their combined power. This meeting happened because two strong people who had similar visions and goals for the country they loved decided to pursue their shared dream. If Mr. Roosevelt and Muir had not reached an understanding, the forest destruction would have risen to a dangerous level and people would not be as environmentally conscious as they are today. They communicated through compromise and both got what they wanted- a stronger America.