The weekly Columbian. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne Co., Cal.) 1856-1???, 1856-08-23

ing the cradle" that could not be prevailed
upon to try it, although they produce much the
largest Jumps!
A number of agreeable surprises, following
each other in quick succession. made me feel
quite as much at home among the good people
of Columbia, as though we had been acquainted
for years. Nothing could exceed their gener-
Gus thoughtfullness in anticipating every COM
fort or in the getting up of little excursions to
places of interest and amusement. | shall not
soon forget the pleasant drives, and delicious
lunches eaten under the green trees, and that
perilous ascent On horseback where, three thou
sand feet above our starting point, we could
count no less than six villages, slumbering in
lovely and picturesque beauty at our feet; while
far away to the eastward rose the snow-covered
mountains of the Sierra Nevada, looming up
with strange and magnificent grandeur!
Immortal beauty invests these mountains.
surprising the soul with sublime thoughts, I'M
recognized before; and it is just as impossible
for me to forget how they look in their pure
robes of green and white, as not to think OF
. them with awe and admiration
Our return was by a more circuitous and less
rapid descent. About shutdown we entered
little sylvan retreat, and town, situated in
graceful and mountan-bound valley, known as
Sonora, where actually fell an Lore les-"In
love at last ?" exclaimed as we rode lesuely
through its clean wide streets, and looked with
delight upon its neat and tasteful appearance.
Among many other places of interest which
visited in Columbia. none pleased me more than
an exploring expedition into tunnel. worked
by the n. Y Tunneling Co. the urbane Dr. ..
| acting as my chaperon. This was commenced
| in 1854, and has averaged forty days work per
week. and as high as eight ounces to the pan
| has been taken from it. One thousand feet
| from the entrance. and about the same from the
surface. we came across clear running spring,
from which we drank, finding it extremely re-
| freshing.
! Nv next visit was to 'Heslep's Falls" The
remembrance of that ride and sight of those
towering hills are written in suabeaDas by memo
RVS loving hand.
'.Let us 60 to the Big tree" said my friend
c., one evening, as we were enjoying the star
| light, upon the verandah; lit is only thirty
miles. and the scenery the most beautiful IN
California; Of course l was delighted, moth
ing could afford me more pleasure. As If by
magic, everything was arranged for the Journey
| By sunrise the following morning sundry boxes
of delicious eatables. and very suspicious look
! ing bottles of drnkables, find their way into the
carriages. and everybody's spirits are a-tiptoe.
in anticipation of coming pleasures. Our road
presented an ever varying phase of hills, wales,
rocky canons and cliffs, and for miles the SOL
emn silence is only broken by the music OF
| clear stream, which crosses our path at lrregu-
| lar intervals and now and then forms most
romantic cascade. The scenery is SO beautiful,
so exciting and sublime. lighted up by the tlnts
of the morning. and displaying such variety
of shadowy depth produced an effect approach
ine near to enchantment! At Abbey's Ferry,
on the Stanislaus, the mountain heights are GER
| tainly the most sublime and wild my eyes ever
rested on-throwing all l had yet seen quite in
the shade. They were of hard granite, tower
ing two or three thousand feet above us, with
almost perpendicular sides. forming darkened
recesses from which foams and tumbes the rlv-
er: and at whose base is single cottage, miles
away from any other human habitation. Oh !.
| it was beautiful sight--sublime and awful J!
and could have gazed the livelong day; and
nothing could have reconciled me to leave 1t
but the thought that all California is one vast
scene of beauty, and wherever go, there would
be something new and wonderful The new
and fantastic shapes which Nature here puts on
bold. broken, abrupt, gloomy and sublime
while deep gOrges, opening 80 the right and
left. behind and before, were objects of thrilling
wonder to me, and fraught With Instruction.
Our path from this was pilgrims progress, up
| the long. steep ascent, of the hill difficulty,
winding around the mountain a carriage-way
Just wide enough to pass. One mls-step, and
we are lost. At noon we are entering the dense
forest. where grow, in solemn grandeur the
masterpieces of Nature-the mammoth trees.
We drove up to neat and well furnished ho-
| tel. where after making our toilet, we were
cheered by dinner that would have done cred
| it to any hotel in Sacramento or San Francisco
Our dining room is in she immediate proximity
of the big Stump"-ninety- feet in circum-
ference-which has been used for ball room,
and for stage; though | wondered very much
where the audience came from. as there is not a
house within twelve miles of it. The body OF
this tree (three hundred feet long) lies III the
rear of the house; over which is built fine bill
lard room and bowling alley. TWAS cut down
in 1852, and employed five men twenty-five
days in boring it off, with pump-augurs, to fell
it. Within an area of fifty acres nlnety-two OF
these trees are found standing, and without
doubt are the most stupendous vegetable pro
auctions on earth. They were discovered IN
| 1852 by hunters whose accounts seemed 1abu-
lous until confirmed by actual measurement
The Father of the Forest is one hundred ana
twelve feet in circumference. and Its estllhated
height, when standing. four hundred ana MY
feet. The Mother of the Forest IS ninety lee'
in circumference and three hundred and twenty
seven feet hich-the bark was taken Oil TINS
tree. to send to the Worlds Fair, one hundred
and twenty feet. The Three Graces, growing
in beautiful proportions, the exact counterpart
of each other, are three hundred feet h,gnceir,
cumference ninety feet. The Pioneers CABIN ,
is hollow at the stump, in which small 1am m ~
might keep house comfortably PROVIDED yie sne y
were good natured, and were no. u5p ot their
beantv. " symmetry and grandeur, and walk
round and round, scanning them from every
noint had heard the fame thereof, read OF II
IN R0 the newspapers, and listened to glowing oral
n;ctures but how widely different are my feel
mos now that faith has turned to sight. 10
describe them would be like an attempt to paint
a strain of awe inspiring music, or to mimic the
echo of tiny silver bell.
NV companions returned to the house and
left me to dream awhile, under their dark ana
shadowy green branches-the rich mellow u, aihls
| t1o1, ond Tho cnft TWILIGHT falling