The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-10-13
10 THE 70 sElGlfE VALLEY.

To d Ans~~ IL Lesa.r~sA 1i~s: 20
SANERA.c1so Aug !, 1870
Tnvjlers vlo VII to IKE Is trip yill
end Il = their davGnisage 10 san upon Ed
ward Harrison, Esq, At the Grand Hotel,
who is the authorized agent for this route,
and who will furnish all the information nee
es.zt fos an expediiioas trip II was writ
ten long time ago, "See Mecca and then
die, /" that Is, no one should allow the oppor-
tunity to escape him Of seeing Mecca, before
the final hour had taken him from earth.
The same may be said Of the wonderful and
enchanting Valley Of the 70 Semitic or N
the Indian had il in his own native tongue,
All wah ne. And but little less wonder
full, il any, Is the Cslaveras Grove Of mann
moth tres which he will take in his route
either going or coming, and which will re-
quire q detour Of several miles, increasing the
time of the journey two or three days. The
shortest route and the one in which is the
least horse back riding, Is BY the way of
Chinese Camp and Hodginss. From Stock
ton the distance is BY stage, about lls miles,
and eighteen miles BY saddle train. This
route was opened last year and passes through
the Tuolumne South Grove Of big trees which
is of no small importance to theeye of thetour-
list especially II he has no time to take either
the Calaveras, or Maripsa Grove, in his
trip. This route also passes through some Of
the oldest mining towns in California. In
some the mining has ceased and in some it is
still carried on. Knight'e Ferry is on STAN
islaus River; and was once very rich in gold
deposit, but is pretty much worked out.
There is no ferry here now, but a fine bridge.
You also pass through the following towns
where something is still done in the way of
mining, bnt as nothing compared to former
days: Chinese Camp, Jacksonville, Big Oak
Flat-the Big Oak was undermined for gold,
and is now dead, nothing but a few feet of the
stump remaining-Fimt Garrote, Second
Garrote. Jacksonville is on the Tuolumne
River, which is = fine stream and Of great
benefit to the miner. At Hodgtlen's the
stase-ride ends, and all are mounted upon
horses, the baggage being put upon pack
mules. Here the ride commences up the
mountains, in single file, and over a country
Of wild scenery, and through dense forest
Of huge pine and tamarack. The wind
signs through the pine foliage like the
wall of despair. The sound is lonely.
We have gone about twelves miles on our
way when We cross Cascade Creek where the
waters, loosed from the snowy heights of the
Sierras above, are struggling with desperate
effort to make their way through the i'm
mense rocks that lie in the bed Of the stream.
Beyond this and just before We commence
the tortuous and precipitate descent into the
valley thousands Of feet below, we find stand
| ing upon q high projecting rock which over
looks the canon Of the MERGED River walled
| in by rocks three or four thousand feet high.
| This IL known as prospect Point" And
| the prospect of the canon with the little inn
| prisOned river below and mountain piled on
mountain towering up in the distance will
not be easily efiaced from the memory. The
descent of the mountain is made In di$aoce
of about three miles, generally on horse
hack, though some prefer to walk it. The
bride path is winding, precipito,,s and some.
times 50 closed in with rock that it would
seem impossible for horse to descend with
a rider. But these horses are bred in the
mountains and are used to such trails. As
Won approach the foot of the mountains the
sight Of the most wonderful little valley In
the world break in upon you.
''Enter. its grandeur overwhcln,s thee not
And why: Il is not lessened; but the mind
Expanded by the genius 0f the SPOT
/ Has grown colossal.
As you turn your gaze up the valley there
pours upon your sight on every side new and
more exciting wonders. You are i'll the
drcamland Of romance, that requires you Il
reason with yourself to know that you arr
indeed awake. A new world il under youl
feet, around you and over your head. The
Valley Of the 70 Semitic is about ten mile,
long by two wide, lying in length nearly
east ami West. II is surrounded by nearly
vertical wall Of solid rock, from three to SIX
thousand feet in height above the valley
And through its centre runs the MERGED
River, or the River Of Mercy, which makes
its way out Of the valley through the canon
which We have seen from ''Prospect Point. u
II is more wonderful to see how this stream
with its tributaries enters the valley than how
it departs. 1t will be better to take an easy
start in the morning for the head Of tn,
valley, for as the sun mounts the heavens al
the break of day sea Of glory stream:
along the edge Of the mountain height.
that bound the valley in, and through tn,
azure air. There floats the sheen Of the sun
reflected from the waterfalls that leap tn,
rocks from peak tn Peak, thousands Of feet t.
the vale below. We will follow the princi
rial fork Of the MERGED until it enters tn,
valley. Its first fall oyer the mountain
towards the valley is seven hundred feet, am
no language or painting can do justice to tn
scene. Here think is the granlest sight o
them all and there are many. This is Ne
va,la Fall or YO-wi-ye, the water Of whicl
vasses through a narrow gorge Of rocks an.
then over a smooth surface Of granite will
terrible velocity, when it settles quietly in ;
small lake preparatory to making anOthe
plun re of three hundred and fit,
feet. and this is Vernal Fall or Py-wy-ack
about one half of a mile below the Nevad;
Fall. Cascades then follow for about mil,
and one half, when the valley proper ap
pears. Standing at the side Of the fall ant
looking down q beautiful rainbow is de
scribed. These falls are 50 beautiful ant
interesting that you quit them with great re
luctance. BY many It is thought superior t
the Nevada. Here in this vicinity and look
ing down from height Of over fou
thousand feet, stands erect and ma
iestically, the cap of Liberty" 1t is
lofty stone shaft sent upward and for sonl'
distance from its top it is separated from tn
surrounding mountain. 1t looks quietl.
down upon the troubled waters at its base
Back from Nevada Falls, stands Star Kin;
or South Dome, towering in the distance
From the south there is fork Of the Merce'
entering the valley with a leap Of 600 feet
1t is known as Tu-lool-we-ack and is CRANE
: sight, especially before the SHOWS are to.
far gone. BY the north also another forl
enters through canon, and just at the en-
trance of the valley it forms small LAX
! known as Mirror Lake. Before the beautie
of Mirror Lake can be know it will be neces
sarv to describe the surrounding scenery a
the beauty is not 80 much in the lake as il
what it reflects. On the left and on the mort
side of the valley is North Dome. which is
smooth and perfect dome at the top an
stands 300 feet above the valley; it is see
from almost all parts of the valley. In from
Of it stands Washington Tower, but separat
and distince from it, but not high so by ], 500
Near its summit is the appearance Of an ey
, from which the Indians know it as Hunto Q
Watching eye.
; Opposite to the North Dome stand, Hal
Dome which is said to be Inaccessible, n
mortal foot ever having reached its summit
Il Al n e q n