San Andreas independent., 1857-04-25
LETTER FROM DR.. REYNOLDS.
NOTES FROM MY JOURNAL THE BIG
TREE ROUTE.
SAN JOSE, CAL, April 10th, 1857.


down during my journey with my family over
the Sierra Nevadas, last year. As think
NAV claim, without egotism, that my letters
have had the effect of calling public attention
to practicable and easy pass over what has
hitherto been considered the greatest bug
bear" with the emigrant over the Plains, viz :
the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and as others
who have the advantage of me in position in
being generally known to the people Ct being
comparatively strangely, and consequently in
influence, have taken up the pen in defence of
the New Roadn This number will close the
series I promised to write for the Independent,
promising that will be happy at any time
when called upon, to contribute my testimony
in vindcaton of the claims of the Z" Big Tree
Pass" to superiority, over any Pass ever travelled
across the Sierra Nevada Mountains within five
degrees of this latitude.
august 24h lS56-This morning we were
off at usual starting time; and, although the
road was little rougher to-day than yester-
day, we made about twenty miles, and camped
in good grass The scenery on the route to-
day has been all the time beautiful beyond de-
scription, and in some places sublimely grand.
The ladies and children of the train are in &C.
staces at the beautiful forests of majestic pine
and fir trees, and have enjoyed quite treat in
the thimble and other berries with which these
mountains abound. l saw yesterday some gen
tlemen who were engaged working a copper
mine near our road, which they represent as
being very rich They gave me a specimen of
the ore which would suppose from its appear
ance would yield large per cent. of copper
was also presented with piece of plumbago
procured in the same vicinity. Barometer
Is Bloc, Thermometer $50.
august 25M.-We travelled to-day over some
hily and moderately rough road; though fora
new road, and a mountain road at that, by no
means to be complained of. Our camp this
evening is about three miles east of the Big
Trees, in excellent grass. We have also splen-
did water, an article which we have found in
abundance all through this route Our friends
left us this evening. Barometer 25o, Thermom-
eter 69o.
26h. We were off moderately early this
morning, and few miles over good road brought
us to the famous g Big Tree the " Washing
tonia Gigantica" which has been described so
often that Californians would not be interested
in repetition by me- in this article. After a
short stop here, we travelled on, and arrived at
Murphy's early in the evening" This ends my
Notes Of this Road.
At the request of Judge Sheppard, while at
Murphy's, l wrote hasty article, giving my
views of the new road, which was published in
the Stockton Argus and San Joaquin Republic
can Since my location in this City, I havefre
quently thought of again calling public atten-
ton to the road, through some of the papers in
that section, but being only recently arrived in
the State, l waited in the hope that others, bet
ter known, and better qualified than to dis
charge the duty, might take up the subject In
the mean time, have, besides my letter to the
Missouri Republican, written privately to sever
al of my acquaintance, who speak of coming
through this season. recommending them to take
the Big Tree Route" over the mountains, and
l am sure they will do it. But from letters
have received as we'll as information derived
'SA
large immigration this year, and as among these
there will probably be several hundred who
know nothing of me, or any other who may
represent the claims of this road, it behooves
the friends of the Road to be wide awake, and
prepared to expose the tricks of those who will
be hired and sent on to Carson Valley, and
probably even to the Humboldt, for the purpose
of diverting the travel from the new to some of
the old Roads.
am glad to see the spirit which prevails
among the people of your section, with regard
to the proposed Convention. True Mokelumne
Hill is rather out of the range of country cal
culated to be benefited by the Road, and l fear
there has been some selfish motive in making
this selection; but it is to be hoped that no Sec
tion will be found base enough to allow purely
selfish considerations to influence them to at
tempt to subvert the objects of the Convention.
This is not subject of local or sectional impor-
tance only Some are situated, by position to re-
ceive greater amount of benefit from the Road
than others. This is natural and unavoidable.
But because few are so circumstanced as to
receive greater advantages from the Road than
other sections of the State, it is no reason that
the State at large should not be interested in
its improvement
The "Big Tree Pass" is to the land immi-
grant what the Golden Gate is to the immigrant
by water While the latter is safe and easy
entrance to the finest Harbor in the world the
former is practicable and easy Pass into one
OF the richest and most beautiful Valleys on
earth. And while l am willing to admit the
claims OF the former to the appellation of the
"Golden Gate" l think the latter might as just
ly be called the Golden Pass. Then let those
cities, towns and villages which hannen to he
located on this road, enjoy the advantages which
their nnsitinn oiyes them over otha, e..->4.