Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-08-03
From the Mahoning Courier.
California Letter-.-Rev. ], Peate.
YOSEMITE, CAL, july 9. Is7O-

1 reached this most wonderful place
after more than two weeks Of almost
constant travel. l left home on the
2lst of June. Travelled in the COM
pany Of Red Cloud and his party
from Omaha to Pine Bluff, a distance
of nearly five hundred miles. found
the great railroad well guarded, as
trouble is anticipated from the dissat-
isfied Indians. The road is in excel
lent condition. The scenery is wild
some of It grand, most of it noun
famous. left themain line at Ogden
and went down to Salt Lake City,
and remained there two or three days.
The city is unlike any place 1 ever
saw, in many respects. The streets
are wide, and streams Of water run
down them. The houses are small,
Of unburnt brick, and mostly hid
behind fruit trees. Snowy mountains
rise around the city nine thousand
feet above the plain. l went to the
Mormon Tabernacle twice, and heard
a defence of their system, and saw
about two thousand of the poorest
dressed and most miserable looking
women ever gathered in n place. l
went out sixteen miles and took a
swim in Salt Lake. II is not so buoy
ant as the water of the Dead Sea.
Instead of going direct to San Fran
cisco, I left the cars at Stockton and
took the stage for the nearest point to
this place. The first two days we
rode over plains destitute Of verdure,
except the few scattered oaks, rs this
is the dry season. We passed through
John Jones' farm, on which he is in
the habit of raising ten thousand
acres of wheat. It was the hottest
and busiest day l ever experienced
in Americe. The second day we
| reached the foot hills and began the
ascent Of the pine-cOvered Sierra Ne
vadas. We passed, from time to time,
men engaged in mining for gold Up
the winding way our painting horses
toiled, amid glorious groves of pines
and cedars and ever-changing and
enchanting views. Gods thoughts
were not only expressed in the scenes
of sublimity all around us, but also
in the vast variety of flowers OF every
hue and shape.
We reached Clark ranch at eight
in the evening, and had the honor OF
being the second party that reached
that point in a stage, as twelve miles
Of new road has Just been opened
where a trail had been. The next
day was Sabbath, and we rested. At
Clark's we found about twenty tour
lists, some of them people Of note, and
some of them shOddy. On Monday
we went six miles to see the Mariposa
grove of big trees. They are at an
elevation of six thousand feet above
the level of the sea. There are about
six hundred Of them in this grove.
There were twelve of Us on horse
back we drew up our horses in q
line. around the "Grisley Bear and
found that it would take tene more
horses to complete the circle. In the
afternoon we mounted our horses for
a twenty-five mile ride through the
woods and over mountains for this
valley. After some hard climbing
we came to the first house, where we
lodged. The house is new, and stood
at an elevation above the sea equal to
Mount Washington. On arriving, L
was happy to meet the Esau OF all
this region, Mr.. Duncan. dressing a
fine buck which he had just brought
in. He is a man of much intelli-
gence, and has spent about ten years
hunting i'm these parts. He is a bit OF
a wag withal. l asked him if he had
a family. He said he had a family Of
five. l said, at can't be pleasant for
them to have you absent from them
so much" Said he, " 1 always take
them with me when I go on a hunt"
l looked at him, in doubt, and said,
is il possible ~ "Yes,n said he,
a mount one Of them, and all the
rest follow" I thought he was crazy.
He paused a moment and then said,
/" Don't Won know that the people in
these parts call my five horses my
| family.n Finding him thoroughly
acquainted with the country, We en-
gagged him to take us the next morn
ing to a mountain top called the Cen
final Dome, eight thousand three hun
bred feet above the sea. The view
from it is grand beyond description.
From thence we went about a mile
from Glacier Point, and had our first
view Of the valley from a perpendicu-
lar cliff three thousand seven hundred
and five feet above the plain below.
never before had such a mixed feel
ing of awe, sublimity, power, and my
own littleness. I was afraid to trust
myself to look over, there seemed to
1 be an awful and mysterious attrac-
ton. The abyss was drawing and
charming me. And yet a little, pale,
demonstrating woman of the party
crept out, and for a long time looked
over. until we urged her to come
away then ventured to creep out
and look down. 1t was less than a
mile to the cliff on the opposite side
of the valley; midway / saw what
----I =. - N wnwAnn in which /
saw two small, withdrawing OBJ
jects. I could not make u what
thew were until 1 looked at them
through my feld-glass, when l found
them to be a yoke OF oxen standing
before q pillow. This will give some
idea of the elevation at which we
stood. The little, Imprinted hotel IN
the valley was within a mile and a
half of US; it was nineteen or twenty
to follow the trail to the same point.
] said to the guide, Cant we get
dOwn at some point, and not have 70
endure so long a ride?" he said
there was a point about a mile from
there at which q descent could be
made. though he had never tried 1t,
but two or three had. So he went to
the place. 1t is four thousand feet
higher than the valley. The way
looked smooth, though very steep.
The guide said Il 1Uds possible for as
to 40 doUn. Who could doubt it?
But he could not 60 with US. he
must go on q hunt next morning.
Gen. Howard and wife were Of the
party beside him were three o of
US, three men and two women in all.
So we resolved TO 90 down the dread
full way. One of the women hesi-
tated, and soon all but myself aban-
doned the enterprise. SOthey wished
me success, and I began the descent
alone, little thinking what was before
me, but in full confidence that in an
hour 1 would be in the valley. 1t
was half past one. / went down rap
idly, as the first part Of the way was
easy. At the end of an hour l found
myself about, as l thought, half way
down. The sun at first poured down
on me. Then the clouds came over
the valley. 1 then came to a preci-
pice and walls of rock on both sides.
For a time l could see no way down.
I crept about, with all caution, on
hands and knees. 1 peered over
frightful places. To turn back l was
ashamed. / let myself down the
rocks by the branches Of bushes. At
one place 1 went down the fall Of a
rock ten OF twelve feet. At the top
it was about two feet broad and as
steep as agOthic roof. avail Of rock
arose on my right, and on my left a