Existing comment:
Friends of Muir: William Keith:
"There's nobody like a Scotchman to see beauty."
-- Muir on Keith
Muir met Keith in Yosemite where he served as a guide for the young artist looking to gain access to the great vistas of the high Sierras. The two became instant friends and were calling each other "Johnnie" and "Willie" before the first night was through. Their love of nature and their deep friendship lasted for the rest of their lives.
After Muir left the Yosemite Valley and started living in San Francisco, his relationship with Keith grew. The two men helped each other build their respective careers. Keith put Muir in touch with The Overland Monthly Magazine, which put Muir on as a leading contributer [sic] and Muir helped his friend by writing articles of appreciation of Keith's paintings. Muir was incredibly nervous when it came time for him to deliver his first lecture, so Keith gave to him a copy of a great mountain scape that he painted. Muir placed it behind the audience, looked back at it and his bad case of nerves disappeared. |