The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-04-05
The MOmarchs Of the MaripOsa.
THE VEGETABLE TITANs OF THE CALIFORNIA
FORESTS.

Rev. Thomas Starr King, in recent
letter to the Boston Transcript, thus de-
scribes the celebrated Sugar Pines of the
Sierras
We were very tired when we dismounted
at Clarke's log hut and canvas dining tent
in the glorious forest, thirty miles from
Mariposa, tired in body aud in brain-tired
by our seven hours of horseback riding, and
by the perpetual feast of floral beauty and
sugar-pine magni6cence which had delighted
eye and heart. But it did not require
long time to restore US. Half an hours
rest under one of the stately frs that tow
cred above the cabin, and cup of tea with
our noon meal, fit for mandarin, put US in
good working trim for the afternoons ex.
cursion. We were only five miles from the
mammoth trees. An easy upland ride OF
an hour would lead US to the grove where
the vegetable Titans we had so often read
about with wonder tiDged with unbelief
held their solemn court.
And l confess that began to doubt, as
the time for mounting again approached, as
to the existence of the marvels. Was it
possible that, before sunset, was to stand
by living tree more than ninety feet In
circuit, and over three hundred feet high
Think what these figures mean, my hasty
reader, when transformed into solid bark
and fiber. Take ball of cord, measure off
hundred feet from it, cut and tie the ends,
and then by the aid of four or five of your
companions, stretch it into circle (if you
have parlor spacious enough to permit the
experiment., and imagine that space filled
,th ~ nyu
conceive this tree rooted on the common,
near the entrance. What do you say to
the idea OF looking up its smooth trunk to
point higher than the tOpmost OF any elm
on the fremont street mall, and of seeing
there bough thicker than the largest Of
those elms shooting out from it? What do
you say to the fact that its plumes would
nod hundred feet above the vane at Park
street spire? What do you say to the pos
siblity, if it lay hollow on the ground, of
driving barOuche and four through it
without their being able to touch the high.
est point of its curved ceiling with "ten-
loot pole ?" Then think of it cut up into
six thousand cords of wood. l forget how
much space the iron fence inclOses around
the great elm on the common. 1t is not
SO much as thirty.tOur feet in diameter; the
fence would not encircle the tree we are
speaking of. AT any rate, if such Colos-
sus should spring near the frogpond, the
old elm would look by the side of it like
General Tom Thumb at the knee of Her
cules.
The Mariposa Grove stands as the Crea.
tor has fashioned it, unprofaned, except by
fire, which long before the advent OF the
Saxon white men, had charredt the base of the
larger portion of the stalwart trees. We
| rode on Tor an hour, climbing all the time,
| till we reached forest plateau five thousand
feet above the sea. This, in New England,
is the height oil Mount Madison, where not
scrub can grow. Riding on few rods,
through ordinary evergreens with dark
stems, we at last catch glimpse of a
strange color in the forest. 1t is tree in
the distance of light cinnamon hue. We
ride nearer and nearer, seeing others of the
same complexion starting out in the most
impressive contrast with the s0mbre COL
unlns of the wilderness. We are now in
the grove OF the Titans. We sirgle out one
of them for first acquaintance, and soou
dismount at its roots.
/ must confess that my own feelings, as
first scanned it, and let them roam up its
fawny pillars, was OF intense disappointment.
But then said to myself, this is doubtless
one of the stripplings of the Anak blood
only a small affair of some forty feet in
girth. took out the measuring line, ias-
tened it to the trunk with a knife, and
walked around, unwinding as / went. The
liue was seventy ieet long. came to the
end of the line before completing the circuit.
foot xuor tod haH 10
mounted before structure eighty-four feet