Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-01-11
From Our utah Correspondent.
sitvsa CRY, L. T., Nov. 18th, 1s6o.
MAMMOTH TREEs or CALIFORNIA.
fC0nciWded.)

(COWcfWu<0.D
Surrounding this fallen patriarch, and in
the vicinity of the "Mother Of the Forest
which stands near, we have the Family
Group" consisting of "a lusty sons and
daughters, all big and old enough to be "do-
ing for themselves"
Between the father and the Mother, stands
the "Salem Witch"-a knotty md scared
old bag, 27l feet high, and % in diameter. -
A little further on stands the Mother ofthe
Forest" three hundred and twcnty-seven
feet high, and nincty-one feet in circumier-
cncc. The bark has been stripped from the
trunk Of this tree to the hight Of 1l6 feet,
and in some places blocks Of the wood have
been sawed out. The bark was from two to
three feet in thickness, and somewhat soft
and spongy in texture. Segments Of the bark
from this tree were taken to England, and
exhibited in London, after being put togcth-
er in the same order in which they were ia
ken off-thc John Bulls, at least great
many of them, wouldn't believe there ever
was such tree. They supposed it to be ESQ
an English naturalist, whom l found at the
/" Grove" informed me,) patched up con-
Germ, something after the manner Of Bar,
NUNS mermaid, half monkey and half shark
The scaffolding used in stripping off the
bark, still surrounds the tree and most
ricketty and unsafe looking contrivance it is
with one great pole spliced atop of another
to giddy hight, dashed with withs and
braced and pinned in all directions. Here
We reach the most northern point in oul
path and turn again southwark toward the
hotel on the home-end of the drive.
Leaving the now nude and dead Smother
of the Forest" standing in the midst OF hel
soon-to-be motherlcss family, eight or ten Of
which we pass,--poor little fellows, too young
to be named, and only from ten to fifteen
feet in diameter, we reach lone tree
329 feet in hight, called the " Hermit" Ly'
ing near the Hermit" is fallen tree, the
trunk of which is surrounded by ladder Of
twelve steps, which we may imagine to have
been his bctrothed, stricken by death in her
time Of youth and beauty. Next, on the left
we arrive at the Pioneers Cabin" thirty.
two feet, or more, Of its top broken of, and
is now but about 200 feet high-a large hol.
low burnt out in the base, no doubt, suggest.
ed the name One may walk entirely through
the Cabin" as it has both front and
back door-a twin tree broken of at hight
of 100 feet supplies chimney, through
which one may look up at the blue sky above.
Passing on between two huge, nameless fel-
lows, we reach on the right the "Nighten-
gale and opposite stands the Marble
Heart" 4S feet in circumference and 800 in
hight Near the "Marblc Heart stands
three trees in row, and almost rooted to.
gcther, called the "Three -Graces." They
are almost precisely of the same hight and
size and arc beautifully proportional. Next
on our right, stands the Miners Cabin, y
twenty-one feet in diameter and $40 in hight
IL StbtluS, NS llliiaCt . CStDlu SIOuu, Win ~
door wide open to receive all who may seel
its shelter-three cheers for the fullest "mi
ner's cabin" in the mountains! On our lef
stands second hollow tree, some 90 feet ir
diameter, and near it a tree which lean.
slightly from the perpendicular unusua
thing with these trees, as they are generally
as straight as an arrow. We now reach OF
our right, group Of four, one Of which
some 800 feet in hight, is dead and bare o
limbs, presenting the appearance Of hug
liberty-polc reared bysgiant hands. We mex
find. on the left, and near the hotd, groul
Of three over 800 feet in hight, to couple o
which is fixed swing for the amusement o
visitors. We have at length, no doubt great
ly to the readers satisfaction, as well as m,
own, reached the hotel, from which we sc
out. There are other trees in the vicinity
that would be considered Of wonderful siz
in any other place than in the midst of thes
Monsters Of the Grove" In the neighbor
hood arc pitch and sugar pines of enormou
size, many being ten and twelve feet in di
ameter and 200 to $50 feet in hight-also
frs the tallest and most beautiful that ever
"eye beheld." There appears to be some.
thing in the nature Of the soil,.in this localit,
favoring mammoth growth in trees of al
species. In passing through the grove ON
finds huge burrows or trenches four to 81,
feet in depth and in many places two or three
hundred feet in length, which have beer
p!owed by these giants in their fall. The
+" Hotel" offers every accommodation t
parties, visitors and boarders A daily lin,
Of stages from Stockton, Sacramento City
and Sonora arrives at Murphy's, where ami
mails and carriages can be procured. and BY
good road the grove may be reached in twt
to three hours.
The following copied from register KEEP
at the hotel shows the manner in which som,
Of these trees received their names. g Tn,
Marble Heart was named by party from
Sacramento City, on the 18th of May, 1853
in memory Of Miss SUSIE NJ. HALL, of New
Haven Conn.,, marble slab with the name
is affixed. e..grE