The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-09


their saddles, and narrowly escaped pitching
over Their horses heads, we were IN the valley
entering 10y the Mariposa trail. The leugth otthe
valley or cleft is nine miles; is average width
three-ioutths of mile. The following dimen-
sions are in feet:--
Average width of Merced river ................ 80
II eight of Yosemite falls. Upper 1000;
hHpids, 43i; Lower, 600)
Width of these falls at upper summit, in
Height OF Bridal Veil $40
Height Of South Fork fall al.................... 740
Height of VeTnal fall $50
Heigl of Nevada 700
Width of Vernal and Nevada, at SUBMITS. 40
Height of El Captain rock. 5000
Height OF Three Brothers rock (three tur-
TelS
Height OF North Dome rock ............".....372O
Height of Cathedral rock (two turrets) ,.....3O0O
Height of Sentinel
Heip of Mount ColfaX.
Height of Mount Starr rKing,...,..............4500
Heiph of South Dome rock. 5000
Riding up the valley for five miles, past Bridal
Veil fall (On the brook entering the Merced from
the south, above Inspiration Point, Cathedral
rocks and the Sentinel, we dismounted and
established our headquarters at Hutchings.
This is two-story frame house, with interior
walls of 'soft fnish,"a local term, in contra
distinction to plastering of 'hard 6nish,n and
signitying only curtains OF white muslin for
partitions. They compel guests who don't wish
to give magic lantern exhibitions 10 eXtinguish
their candles before disrobing; but afford rarest
facilities for general conversation after every
one has gone to bed.
fat OF the land and the fruit of the water-sweet
milk and savory trout. In winter the sun rises
upon them at l o'clock p. NJ, and sets two
hours later. Then they receive mails and news
from the outside world once a week, through
adventurous Indians, who cross the dangerous
mountain SHOWS, twenty feet deep, to Coulter
vile or Mariposa
Hutchings is landlord and author; his Illus
trated "SCenes of Wonder and Curiosity in Cali
to1nia" is q creditable and valuable work. A
friend, visiting here for the first time found his
wife upon The river bank, with one hand vigor-
Ously turning the crank of a patent washing
machine, and with the other holding the latest
Atlantic MOnthty atsoT bed in one OF its articles
Only Indian labor is attainable. If Eastern
ladies who sutler constant martyrdom in respect
Of "belp," were compelled to live on the Pacific
coast few months, and employ Cinnamon and
Indians in lieu leu OF g servant girls they would
In front of HUtchings runs the Merced, fresh
from the Serras Delightful and eXarating,
though a little chilly for the swimmer, it is
so perfectly transparent as to cheat the eye and
begulle beyond his depth any one attem ptiug to
waGe it. Crossing it by rustic log bridge, we
are in a smooth, level meadow of tall grass,
Variegated with myrads of wild flowers in.
Cludlng primroses of yellow and crimson, and
lily shaped blossoms Of exquisite purple, known
as the Ithuriel spear.
The meadow is fringed with groves Of pines
and spreading oak, and on one side bounded
by the everlasting walls. The pines, like those
of Washington Territory, are simply height,
slenderness, symmetry. The delicate tracery of
the branch is beautiful beyond description;
but the trunk is comparatively small. Ipro-
cured a photograph of two wonder
fully regular and graceful, and more
than two hundred feet high, which dwarled to
a Child's block.house large frame dwelling at
their feet. In the evening" illuminated and
soitened by the full moon, the beauty of the val
ley was marvellous. The bright lights of the
distant house shone through the deep pines, and
the rivers low gurgliHg family disturbed the
air. At times immense boulders, breaking from
the SUBMITS, rolled down laundering, and filling
the valley with their loud reyerberations.
TIL rock mountains are the great feature;
indeed, they are Yosemite. The nEne granite
walls, which range in altitute from three to six
Thousand feet,Eare the most striking examples
on the globe OF the masonry OF Nature
Their dimensions are so vast that they utterly
| outIun our ordinary standards OF comparison.
One might as well be told of wall, upright like
the side of a house for ten thousand miles, as
| for tWo-thlrds of one mile. When we speak OF
a giant twenty-five feet high. 1t conveys
some definite impression; but to tell of one
| three thousand feet high would only beWilder,
and convey no meaning whatever. So, at first
| these stupendOus walls painfully confuse the
mind, By degrees day alter day, the sight of
them clears 1t, until, at last, one receives just
| impression of their solemn immensely.
Cathedral rocks have two turrets, and look
like some Titanic religious pile. Sentinel towers
| alone, grand and hoary. The South Dome,
| mile high, is really semi-dome. Cleft from too
| to bottom, one half of it went on the other
| side of the chasm and disappeared, when
the great mountains were rent III lWdlus
The gigantic North Dome is as round and per-
feet as the cVpola of the National Capitol Three
Brothers is triple pointed mass of solid granite
All these rocks, and scores OF lesser ones which
| would be noticeable anywhere else IN the world,
| exhibit vegetation. Hardy cedars, thrusting
roots INTO fmperceptible creVices OF their up
rieht sides apparently growing out of un-
broken stone-have braved thousand years
| the battle and the breeze.
Ell Captain is grandest of all. No TUT Of
beard shades or lringes its closely shaVen face.
No tenacious Vlue even can fasten its tendrlls,
| to climb that smooth, seamless, stupendous wall.
| There it will stand, grandeur, massiVeness, in
destructibility, till the heavens shall pass away
| with a great noise, and the elements melt with
| fervent heat. Its Indian name is Iu-tOch-dh-
nlt-lGh. Both this and the Spanish word signify
| "the leader;n but were applied in the sense OF
| the Supreme Being. II ought to be calleo
| Mount Abraham Lincoln.
| One noble mountain most appropriately @ cotn
| memorates Thomas Starr King. Another, lmIlIe- lm
/ diately in the rear of Hutchlngs', our putty
found nameless and, excepting only the sPsaAett ss'5t
himself, unanimously voted 10 chrslen ~ ~ ~ Iii
| Cofax. Whether the name SUCKS OI nUS I,. a. ~
| depend upon future writer's. But al an tnNjsts
will be perpetual If adhered 10 Dy az UrIntor
and journalists friendly to that 1rpuaI PS,t, Ph,nS
| boy of not many yeaps ago, WhOse lnususIJl
| taients, and perfect integrity nave won lor his
| early manhood the third place OF clVh rdsV ana
| honor I'm The gift of the American people.
| Hutchingsi affords perfect view OF yosemite
falls a mile distant. In April and May when
/ amoU the Rtfeam to a deem tor.