Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-11-29

At this place We made our fret change Of
horses, which heneeforth il regularly
made at about the sane interval. A iru-
ly humane provision is that Of these fire.
quent changes, as tOiling up a steep grade
dragging a heavy coach. well loaded,
over the rOughesi roads in the world and
in a choking dust, is trying thing for
the poor brutes. |
Continuing over much the same count
ry, We arrived late in the afternoon at
the lively little town Of Murphy's. How
queer il is that in a land where such out
land sh names as Poker Flat, Yuba Dam,
Red Dog Gulch, &C., &c, arc so common,
We should fiud town with the simple,
hOniely name Of Murphy's! Yet Mur-
phys il was, and We shall ever remember
il gratefully for most bounteous supper,
aud its delicious wines, Of which We par
took while our driver busted himself in
completely Transforming our whole outfit,
preparatory to a yet more steep and rug
ged sscen, than we had hitherto expert.
euced. 1t is from this point that the real
ascent bogus for although we are now
within onlI ten miles OF the Big Tree
grove, we have in that distance to mount
10 the hight Of over twenty-three hundred
feet. So it becomes necessary that all
superAuous weight to discarded. We
therefore change the heavy, lumber
ing coach for that peculiar contrivance,
the California stage, which possesses all
of the bad qualities Of the other none Of
the good. .... .... ..r
Our route now lies along the steep de-
clivity Of a canyon through whose rocky
walls rushes and punges in thousand cata.
racts the water OF the Union Ditch Co.,
which is obtained by diverting the head
waters of the Stanislaus river, hundred
miles above, and carried 10 bitches, pipes,
raceways and fumes around, over and
through the rocks and gulches of the
mountains, and at last discharged into this
canyon to be carried down into the foot
T hills and valleys below. where it is used
for mining and irrigating purposes. We
had scarcely begun the ascent of this can
yon ere we noticed marked change il
the surrounding vegetation, which became
more and more abundant, larger o.
growth, and of greater variety as We adj
vanced until we were at last cncompassec
by forest of such marvellous growth al
to strangely contrast with the absolute
want of timber futher down. | learn i
is characteristic of this section that thu
| nearer you approach the summit of thu
{ Sierras to within a defined limit, tn,
, larger becomes the growth of timber
! There seems to be zone along the ives
tern slope with which all the favorable
, conditions Of soil, temperature, moisture
: &C., contribute TO excessive vegetable pro
$ duction. | am sure, were | to descrb
E the number aud size Of the different varie
e ties of trees that saw iu the course Of a
: ascent of this range, hould be Charge
t with exaggeration. The timber is mainl
e yellow pine, although fir, balsam an
h cedar are lhickly scattered throughout
: anI of unusual growth, 1t is no unusua
circumstance to see pines six to eight fee
in diameter, and from l50 to $50 fee
;, high, clustered in groups or distributed il
n regularly in dense groves over the slope
9 or in deep defiles. So gradual and col
e stant is the increase of size in the timbc
!, as YOU ascend, that the mind becomes pre-
Y pared in a measure for the miraculou
# rowth Of the big tree grove, and the efieC
! upon the traveller of this giant forest
It much lessened by the gradual increase j
,. magnitude to which the eye has thus be
= come familiar. ' fi.n.l s.rla4 .t|
/. Just as the last rays Of the sun glide
the distant moutain tops, we entered th
ir great grove Of Celaveras. The entranc
II into the grove is be6tting one, the roa
5. passing between two of the large tree'
n called '.The Sentinels," each being neal
j. ly 26 feet 10 diameter and over 800
/. height. taH
i. So familiar had | become with the i'll,
e sions of magnitude and distance in tn
D. country that had somewhat prepare
N my mind for that feeling of disappoin
s. ment SO universally felt by travellers whc
lie they first see these trees; so if | did NJ
f. share in that prevalent feeling, it may
:, due to the fact that had studied II
e. causes and was prepared for the effect )
in symmetrical are these huge trees in the
h proportions, SO gentle and regular the
of taper upwards, that one fails to be in
r. pressed with sense of their magnltud
er vet by continued observation and groN
ling familiarity their true size is gradual
is realized. While at first they do not il
at press us with their unusual size, yet Il
,e singular want of correct proportions
of other and familiar objects is apparent,
n that the real effect of these trees might
II said not so much TO cause an appreciate
ds of their actual magnitude as TO dimini
ne in size objects of ordinary proportio
ne around. 1t is strange sight and ava
lie ems peculiar feelings. Horses, men al
of other objects appear singularly smi
of when in close proximity to the trees. Il
,e horses attached to our coach, which befo
ds appeared OF good size, suddenly dwindl
re to mere ponies in the presence Of the
ly mammoths, and / looked with bewilder
te senses upon the altered proportions Of 4
re comrades as they walked around thu
m ample base. This grove is not, as
C. popularity believed, composed exclusive
of of these trees crowded together within
re small compass; they are, on the contra
of scattered over the an extent OF Sol
ms eighty acres, and rarely are more than thr
ss, of them found near eacho ther. They .
in. distributed irregularly throught a. del
IL g,rao, of mines and cedars which are the