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

merges into aud forms what are called the
loot bills Of the Sierrs Nevada mountains,
strictly the transitional link between the
mountain elevations above aud bordering
valleys below. When about twO-thirds
Of the distsDce from Stockton TO Milton, l
6rsi beheld. projected against the sky far
in the distance, the faint profile Of the
Sierras that wonderous range in whose
hidden reeesses are contained so many OBJ.
jects Of grandeur aud sublinity, the works
OF Nature in long past aud unrecorded
ages. -...
On arriving at Milton. our baggage and
other accOuiremeBts were speedily trans |
ierred TO the poDderoUs Concord coach
which is ever iu readiness at the station
for its victims. On presenting our cre-
dentials we were at ouce assigned the
choisest seat by ths busy aud aecommoda.
ting managers of the line. Now il must
be borne in mind that while the adjective
choice applies rather ludicrously to
Onything pertaining to a western stage.
yet there are few seats that possess a
preference over others not, however, for
the comfort they yield that the others do
do not, but the tortures inflicted are mild
er iu degree aud more within the bounds
Of human endurance--a merit rather of a
negative than a positive nature. This
seat Is on top of the stage aud adjoining
the driver, who, as general thing, is OF
a jovial nature, with vast fund OF au-
ecdote aud humor, which serve much to
enliven what otherwise would soon become
II tedious, mOno.onous journey. Having
thus satisfactorily embarked, we soou
were ON our way over dusty plains,
through rocky gulches and ravines, and
Milton, with its scattering houses and dis
NAL, streets, was soon hidden from view.
On our slow, toilsome way up the ever
increasing rugged mountain slope, We
found abundant leisure to indulge in
dreamy speculations as TO the far-off geol-
ogic history of this land. The whole face
of the country bears written record OF
the changes wrought by the mighty ele.
ments primeval ages, and we can trace
with ease the last finishing touches Of the
final subsidence of oceanic waters, which
nodded aud carved this vast extent of sur.
face into thousand varied forms and
shapes of beauty, grandeur and sublimity
High up toward the summit eau be seer
the denuded peaks Of primitive rocks
still the same as when ceased the strife Of
battling elemeuts, plainly bearing the
. marks of the freely lashing waves; ant
U as we descend we fnd rows and piles o
: broken granite, ground and worn by The
. action Of the water, decreasing in size anc
number, here and ever increasing quaint
,, ty OF finely conminuted rock, mixed will
growing proportion of argillaceous mat
; ter, cementing into hillocks and ridge
. until, reachin2 the valleys below, th,
!, subsidiDg waters at last deposit there tn
rich aluvium gathered from the inhospi
y table regions above, as if bya providen
Il economy, for the future use Of man, err
II they take their final departure througl
the Golden Gate, to 6nd their last resting
u place in the broad bosom Of the placi
l. Pacific.
l. Before reaching the foot hills proper
o the whole country becomes one succession
l. of verdureless. gravelly knolls Of varying
T. sizes, which, while being to poor TO Civ
: life and growth upon their surface, ye
L prove that nothing is created in vain b.
" affording beneath their surface homes TO
S !. multitudes oil burrowing squirrels much re
u sembling the grey squirrel of the eas
n both in color, size and general appearance
5, Almost every hillside is literally honey
g combed by the burrows Of this active lii
u tie rodent.
'e They are BY no means alone in thei
rs habitations. They seem to have tina
s. same communal instinct which in Nebra'
'e ka and other eastern sections guides theI
e. to fl rm social compact, kind of &C
D operative society, on the very human b'
N els of mutual protection. Here in Cal
a tornia can be found that strange tripl
y combination of bird. reptile and quadrul
> cd, except that the squirrel has here bee
10 substituted lor the prairie dog of the ca
RS tern plain. 1t is curious spectacl
L. which thus presented, of creatures so di
r fercpt in their habits and natures as owl
a squirrels and snakes, associatlng so peac
le ably together bu, suppose each finds
81 the other some compensatlng quality whIc
ul contrbu es to the welfare aud safety
r. all collectively, aud judging from the pc
lt feet quiet Of their homes, they form att
IA all, perhaps, very happy family.
'd From Milton the Calaveras grove it
e. one continual ascent (siuce the grove is
a. an altitude Of some 4, 300 feet absve Il
IL sea) varied with occasional descents
~ sometimes considerable distance, whit
OF are the adherence of the traveller, for we
al be knows that every foot he descen'
Sc must sooner or later, BY slow. toilson
OF steps, be remountcd The route for tt
at first forty miles is of the most steri
an character one can conceive; no growth
be vegetation except occasional clumps
'rs Manzaneta and scattering clusters Of SAG
We brush, to which the dry, barren soil yiel
hd an uncertain support, and which a
at found sustaining feeble existence on
N, in the more favored spots. So compile
rd and universal is the paucity of moistu
or and verdure that one would naturally co
as clude that nature had defrauded this Sc
les ton Of the necessary substance out
he which the Yosemite and big trees we
* produced, After four or five hours
10. wearisome ascent which, reduced to teri
is of distance, means ten or twelve mil'
"a we alighted much fatigued and very hu