The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-10-30

CITY. 1t is within a few hundred yards
of Lake Tahoe-the lovliest sheet of
water in California. The lake, embOs-
omed by snowy mountains, has an alti-
tude of 6,2IS feet. 1t is twenty-three
miles long and fifteen wide. The boun-
derry line between California and Neva-
da runs across it longitudinally, leaving
three-fourths to the former. Lake
Bigler was formerly its name, but DUR
ing the late war the Legislature of Cal
ifornia changed it on account of Big
lei's sympathy with the rebellion. The
water of the lake reaches depth of
nearly 1,600 feet, and is so singularly
clear that its surface tints are of three
or four shades-light pea green near
the shore, deep sky-blne half mile out
and indigo blue in the center. The best
swimmeH can hardly keep afoat i,z its
] waters, SO pure are they and 90 ed
the mountain atmosphere. 1t is fed by
springs and melted snow, and in July
and August rises four or five. feet.
Prevailing winds visit it daily. and
more charming yachting is not afforded
anywhere. The superb mountains that
grid it round are clothed with royal
FORESTS of fir, pine, balsam. oak, and
even silver poplar. The fine groves
have attracted the enteprising Yankee,
and several steam saW-nills are planted
on the limpid margin.
Enhancing as Lake Tahoe is in re-
pose, it has seasons of wrath and peril.
On one occasion last winter it writhed
in its bed like a wounded tigress, and
flung itself on shore with Vehemence
like that of the ocean. 1t tore one saw
mill to pieces and damaged all more or
less. Even in summer, sudden squalls
come and go; so the pleasure boats have
an element of danger to spice their
scudding over the blue eXpanse. The
special beauty of Lake Tahoe is .Emer-
aid Bay, land-locked little harbor on
the west side, where the distant stony
bottom is clearly defined as exquisite
prismatiC refractiOn, and where a most
romantic waterfall comes leaping down
from the sparkling snoW-felds Oh the
summit. The climate here is one of the
most even, sparkling and invigorating
on the Pacific coast, and the future of
Lake Tahoe is to be a great watering
place.
We found the Glenbrook a pleasant
hotel, which it has a right TO be, since it
charges 1919 currency, or 81 gold, per
day. The guests we encountered num-
bered one man and twelve women. 1t
was trifie embarrassing to be conduct
ed to a table in the dining room, and
seated in the very midst of those twelve
unterrified ladies, all in grand toilets,
and all of particularly lively and chatty
tcmperaments. The fashionable femin-
ines of this region are petted and will
full creatures, afraid of nothing, least of
all of a man. or a champagne cobbler.
They dress gorgeously and make hotel
dining room, parlor and dormitary re-
sound with their clutter and chatter.
Their routine at the Glenbrook seemed
as follows: Storm breakfast-room at
10 a. IN. ride and drive till p. m. car
ry lunch by assault at l 80; billiards and
ten-pins from till 4; dress for dinner,
from till s; impressive descent at din
ner at q thereafter diversified evening
entertainment, opening with music and
vocalism closing with shouts OF laugh
ter and champagne or whisky punches
all round. Now, for q stray gentleman
tourist, or two. to break in upon twelve
ladies killing time after such a fashion.
amounts (tor the two, not for the twelVe)
to a visitation of shipwreck. / have
forgotten 10 say that the twelve ladies
are all married, and that their husbands
pay them flying Saturday and Sunday
visits. Even during those brief stays
the husbands yearn to know the prices
of mining stocks, so telegraph opera
tor is attached to the hotel. a Glen
brook drink costs fifty cents, game of
er has placard offering, i'll the most ge-
NAL and gentlemanly spirit, to carry
| letters to the nearest pOst-office for
twenty-five cents each.
The ten minutes walk from the hotel
to the lake is througha brook-embroid-
cred, fiOwer-spangled meadow, with
immense trees on either side of the
path. A bold, bare granite cliff thous-
and feet high is on your right-choice
groves OH your left. The cliffs called
| Shakespeare Rock, because a certain
metallic stain on its side is supposed to
resemble "a familiar bust portrait of the
! ''divine William" a white handker-
! chief is planted on the summit-the en-
blem left there by an adventurous and
! well muscled lady.
| The lamcness of words has never
been more forcibly illustrated to my
mind than when l stood on the brink OF
Lake Tahoe and attempted to reproduce
the beauties of the lake and its snow
crested mountain girdle. The dainty
| hues of the water can no more be de-
/ scribed than the .hues of an opal. A
harmony of clear, blue lake, of green
and mighty forests, of mountains hoary
! with the unmelted snow of centuries
of sky emptied of everything save
/ pure ether and brilliant sunlight, was
! before me; but it is one ofthose master
pieces that words may fret but cannot
! play upon. A little steam tug, named
! the Governor Blaisdell, plies on the lake
its business to tow logs and carry pass.
engers from side to side. 1t has the dis.
j tinction of navigating higher waters
than any other steam craft in the world
The Captain happened to have Other
timber to transport when we applied tG
have him carry us over, so we had tC
!. look out for a sail boat.
We found one, at length. owned ant
run by q fisherman named Mckinney. 8
big, red faced, robust, weather-beateI
man, with the constitution of buffalo
and no apparent appetite formuch man
ual labor. The wind failed during on
i journey, but as he rOwe2-and talked
! we scarcely missed it. well" said this
Mckinney, 81 came from Missouri, il
1850. I've mined, but never was luck,
at that. fishing pays me better. ge
twenty cents pound for trout and i
was TO sell two hundred pounds tina
/ brought me over now"
, DO you catch the trout with hool
, and line 20
"Ahem All, ye-e-e-s. You see gu
, trout amt equal to those in the States
, Not SO game, good favored, nor so pref
) tty speckled. Ours is covered with blac
! notifies. How's matters back in tn
/ States % s:-s,a .er
ttOh, prosperous enough 49,
ri sd like to go back TO Missouri an
: see some Of my old sweethearts. 1 don
Y bet q cent on California girls, ando tn
- Il 1t