Daily national Democrat., 1860-06-16

a HARD SToRY.-The Marysville Democrat,
in a report Of the adventures Of "Col. }. r.
stevens in an expedi ion to the Black Rock
country in Western Utah, tells the following
hard story, which we Qhe writer OF tins, WHO
Travelled through the High Rock Canon IN
1919, and knows the country about II TO oe
exceedingly desolate and barren,) copy mere
ly as an example of strange yarn, aud not
because we imagine that il las any tounda-
tion ia truth:
Among the curious discoveries which he
Col. j. E. Stevens mentions, is that oi
petrifed tree, lying in desolate region
about 60 miles north Of Black Rock, and near
what is called High Rock Canon. 1t lay
across several small gulches, and was partly
buried in the soil. Its length, as far as meas
ured, the top being deep under ground, was
666 feet, and the general opinion OF the COM
panv looking at it was that it was from 40 to
60 feet in diameter. Enormous tree Capt.
Stevens thinks it Is of the same species as the
trees of Mariposa. Fragments of other trees
of the same kind, but smaller, are visible
here and there-stumps and butts OF thirty
feet length, all petrited. And it Is more than
probable that a little excavation would dis
cover a vast primeval forest there buried
This tree lies exactly where it fell centuries
ago, for there are the upturned roots IN just
the position they would most naturally be !;
and the prone drunk bears no evidence OF
having been disturbed '-Alta.
The Alta does not think that this story has
any foundation in truth. What right has
that sheet to dispute it? Capt. (not "Col }
Stevens is one of the most reliable men in
this portion Of California and he asserts this
thing as a positive fact The writer in the
Alta says he Travelled through the High Rock
Canon in lS49, and knows it TO be exceed
ingly desoate and barren, and therefore con =
cludes that the Stevens story is yarn.
Stevens also says that the country is desolate
and barren, but it does not necessarily follow
that, because the country is desolate and
baraen, there is no petrifed tree of the de-
scription named lie, the writer in the Alta,
did not see any such petriiaetion, consequent
ly he thinks there as none Stevens did see
such petrifaction, and kno~s that it is there
In reference to this same matter, the Car
son City Enterprise says can express from
Honey Lake reached there Black Rock the
24th, apprising the people of the battle at
Pyramid Lake. a party of 80 men being
north and unapprised Of danger, Stevens and
Totman went out to recall them. While on
this expedition they found a most remarkable
petrifaetion, in the case Of mammoth tree,
the tree was partially embedded in the
ground and was broken in sections by the
fall They estimated the tree to be 40 feet
in diameter and from 500 to 700 feet in hight.
The petraction was perfect, roots and all,
portions of the tree having been turned to
stone A few miles from there they found
pitch pine stump petrifed so perfect that the
pitch preserved all its chustaline beauty;
they also found the shin bone of man, the
jaw of grizzly hear and various other potri
factions in that region. The return party
of 80 men all make the same state
ment, and incredible as it may appear we
are inclined to credit them"