The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-20
YOSEMTTE.
Description OF the Famous California
Vallsy-ThS Mariposa Big Troes-rho
Finest Scenery In America.


Correspondence Of The Aaa California, June l8-
THE MARIPosA BIG TREES.
These magnificent growths, known to the
| learned as the Sequoid Gigqnted, are about SIX
miles up the mountains, on the right OF the
| Mariposa trail, and can only be reached by
! taking the branch trail at Clark's. They are
well worth seeing, and are generally visited by
the Yosemite travellers. The grove is scat
tered along over an extent of SIX miles or
more, and comprises about six hundred tlees.
Of these, the largest is the "Grizzly Grant,"
which is l02 feet in circumference, and stands
quite alone in its grizzled and savage dignity.
Others stand in groups of twos and threes,
4 over rolling slopes and sharp mountain spurs,
4 bearing for the most part, such absurd and
maladroit names as the vanity or shall0wnes5
of casual visitors appear to have suggested.
EX-Duke Gwin and other political celebrities
have left their names here only to be succeeded
by other and later stars OF the names bestowed
for those who are yet living, the most appro-
pirate was that OF q sturdy, shapely, 1esoute-
looking tree, nearly one hundred feet around
called "Grant." OF course, Washington and
Lafaye ette, and all the early worthless OF Ameri-
can history, are represented in the nomenca-
ture of the grove, but "Graces," brothers"
t'Siste1s," and such like are profusely scat
tered around with the ephemeral titles of poll
ticians. The average height of the Mariposa
trees is about $50 feet, and three or four
which exceed 100 feet in circumference. Seat
tered among these giants are numerous ordi-
= nary pines, large enough to attract attention
anywhere else, bat ludcrously dwarfed by
comparison with the vast columns of wood and
4 bark which seem to support the sky. One
seems TO be in some grand old cathedral,
arched and fretted with verna tracery
overhead and aisled in long vistas Of
mighty columns which lead away in
every direction. Taking one of these giants
separately, it does not appear overwhelming
in size, because one loses the idea that it
is tree; it seems more like some fantastic
enormity of an unknown origin. The trunk,
velvety with brown bark or SCARED with fires
and storms, rises massive and compact as an
Egyptian monolith, while above the rugged
and angular branches struggle wildly out
against the sky. So have they struggled for
a thousand years, defying tempest, hail, and
snow. So will they still brandish their arms
u above tue mountain tops, when the men
whose feeble names they hear for the brief
4 moment shall have been forgotten in dust OF
ages. The MaripOsa Grove is included in the
grant made to this State by the National Con-
gress with the Yosemite Valley, though the
trees and valley are not included in the same
tract. The trees are not now in the country
whose name they bear, but are in Fresno,
that portion of Mariposa having been set off
fran the original county some years since.
Galen Clark, of the hOmelike ranch where we
step, Is guardian of the trees and valley.
INTO THE YOSEMITE.
Leaving the hospiabe ranch of Mr.. Clark,
where we have had the wild luXuries of veni-
son, bear meat, and mountain trout, we cross
the South Fork of the Merced, and commence
the ascent of the mountains which intervene
between us and the famous Yosemite Valley
This is work in earnest, and is rough travel
ling, especially at this season, when little or
no labor has been done on the trails, and snow
is still lying on the mountains. Still, there is
something inspiring and invigOrating about
the pure cool atmosphere, the aromatic odors
of the pines and frs, the freshness of the open
ing spring, and the sunny face that nature
wears. He must be very poor sort of drone
indeed who can Withstand these cheerful inHu-
ences, and suppose our company would have
been an exception to every other that ever
crossed these sun-checkered, breezy heights, if
it did not break forth into singing-eXhaustiug
every popular air. from ancient opera down
to "Coal-Oil Tommy and "Marching Through
Georgia." which last is, for some occult
reason specially dedicated to this trip through
the mountains to Yosemite. We had twenty
six miles of horseback riding from Clark's to
Hutchng's hotel in the valley, and, while
would not say one word against the reliability
4 of the surveyors of these paths, must declare
that their miles are most generous and ample.
1t is Just so all through the region; on all the
trails the miles partake of the greatness OF
everything else, and are gotten up regardless
of expense or the small considerations of size
an undetermined quantity. Particularly long
were the miles through the snow. Passing uI
the summit, over sharp crests and ice-cold
mountain streamlets, we saw through sudden
openings the magnificent valley of the Sar
Joaquin, miles and miles beneath us, mapped
out in level verdure, and stretching away
laced with winding streams, to the blue
distance of the Coast Range, whose
peaks lay ike cumulous clouds upon
the horizon. Nearer, the dull level of the
plain bllowed up into the heaving foothills
and where we stood, on the sharp break o
this vast sea of earth, rock, and verdure was
foamy white with the SHOWS of early spring
We had left summer fruits and flowers below
us, but here were the swelling buds of tn,
alder and elder, the pale green catkins of the
maple, and the rosy young leaves of the oak
Over long wastes of snow, on which the SUI
rained its fiery arrows down, we now took ou
way. Blinded by the blaze of light, we ira
yelled over long swells of snow, which wert
occasionally broken by curious patches 0
marsh land, green and bEownwth new verdure
and sloppy and soppy with melted snow
guided on our uncertain trail by a feg
"bazed" trees along the route, we cautere
steadily over the firm surface, slid down tn
more sharp decivities, wound among the tai
trees, or wallUwed in the treacherOus drift
which gave way beneath the weight OF ou
animals, precpitating man and beast into
slough of despOpd from which it was not cas-
for them TO extrioate themselves.
But the longest day has an end, and afte
enjoying the novel pleasure of summer travel
ling in the snow, We passed out Of the coOe
f1,as 81 NUb oh nj IN