The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-08-09


size until days after, when, by constant
[ association and comparison with other
/ things, they seemed to grow in my mind
and show forth, hour by hour, in still
/ greater magnitude.
We drove up to the hotel, having been
I two hours and half on the way from
I Murphy's, and waited impatiently for
I lunch, which, when served, repaid the
delay. I found a number of people
/ there, some Of the most intellectual and
! refined, rs well as many OF the most
I fashionable people in CalifOrnia--in all,
4 pleasant company. As soon rs lunch
was over, Mr.. Perry brought round "Se-
I lim," the renowned saddle horse, and
prepared to ride through the grove. On
| my first visit Mr.. Perry himself accom-
panied me, to show me the way, but af-
ter that | made my pilgrimages alone,
and almost lived in the grove ever
since.
THE GROVE.
As you enter the gate that encloses
the grove you only perceive a forest oil
trees. A shadow of green, strange,
wierd whisper from the pine branches,
telling the secret of the abiding place of
these giants of the world. y smooth
brown road leads with gentle curves,
and winding through a labyrinth of col
umns that support the great blue arch
of Gods own temple, for these living
columns, crowned with verdure, seem to
reach 10 the very roof Of the azure dome.
The trees are nearly all named, and af-
ter some general, minister, botanist, or
poet, and so many that / have no space
TO particulaTiZe nOr in fact do / wish
to, forit seems to me almost PROCLAMATION
10 bestow the names of perishable hu-
manity upon these almost imperishable
monsters. Who would think of naming
the thunder rs it rolls through the heav-
ems, or the mir we breathe, or the center
OF the earth after some man or woman
who had acquired some short-lived To-
cal celebrity? And DO not these almost
immortal giants seem too grand and
eternal to be so demeaned? Going
through the forest, we came to and
passed 80 many of these wonders that
began to feel sick and faint as one after
another seemed 10 tower higher and
higher, TO look more gigantic aud terri
bic, until | felt panic-stricken at the
terror Of fear that one might fan
trembled and shiyered, and did not dare
look up for u long time, and when /
did my first glance fell on the "MOther
of the Forest in her grand white desc
lation, like some mother bereaved of
her children-stripped bare by the lev
hand of death of all that made her life
on earth. Stripped Of her bark, drop
ping to the earth piece by piece, dead
and decaying, still she is queen and
mother of all, and young pine tree has
taken root near the top, and j. growing,
fresh and green, an emblem OF life after
death. Riding around this wondrous
tree, one begins TO feel something of the
sense of magnitude, but the hpman
mind is almost incapable Of realizing
the awful size Of these trees; the spirit
refuses TO recognize their grandeur other
than in the overwhelming sense of
mans inferiority. One bows in breath
less awe at the thought of the shortness
Of human life when this great growth of
thousands of years stands before them
in their silent immensity. What awful
changes; what great confusion OF years;
what exhibition of the ineXhaustibility
OF Gods power, shows in these giants Of
the forest world
SIZE OF THE TREES.
Some visit these trees and with rule
in hand 90 laushingly from tree TO tree
and dare to measure them, and some
say they are not so great or grand rs
they had expected, but / from the first
urement, and / felt their grandeur and
wOndrous size with my first sight, and
each successive hour spent in fearful
worship at their feet increased my belief
in the glory and power and wisdom of
God, who raised this mighty work, and
who doeth all things we'll.
Years ago, none can tell how many, a
great fire swept this forest, and though
many must have fallen, these stood be-
fore it, though they still bear the
wounds and scars of the fiery conflict.
Through one of these fallen monarchs,
whose heart has been eaten out by the
devouring element, n person can ride on
horseback over a hundred feet. Mount
ed on "Selim,n / rode into the black
cavern and through TO the other end.
When about half way through, the
greatest terror of my whole life over
powered me; l felt that / was going
through the dark portals of the grave,
and the chill of death was i'm my heart
as my horse carried me on through the
darkness, and when / perceived the first
ray of light again my heart bounded
with thankfulness such as Christian ex-
perienced, after he had been down in
the dark valley, and had begun to rise
on the other side. / then returned 10
the root Of the tree and looked up at the
top of the great stump, which was 50
large that | and my horse were pigmies
beside il. And starting thence followed
the prone giant some $50 feet, to where
another ponderOus column had fallen
directly across this, and buried the rest
in the earth. At this point the trunk
was twelve or more feet broad. as where
the road passes over il saw that it
was broader than the whole length Of
"Selimr by considerable. | then went
back again TO the opening that led
through the tree, and looked again at
/ the great black cavern, rayless and dark.
where hoTseman can easily ride. and
| through the trunk of a tree! Caverns
in the earth ! can conceive of, but n
cavern of this magnitude in a tree seems
even vet beyond me to acknowledge.
/ Trees there are also in South Grove
where fire has followed out great places
where from one to sixteen horses and
their riders can enter at once and turn
without trouble; and in this grove is
one tree which | rode into, turned and
came out without even touching the
sides.
! BY the time l had seen all these II
was nearly dark, and / rcgretfuIJv
I turned my horse back to the hotel i
splendid supper, well served, was ready.
and after doing il more than Justice /
went to my room, where / fell aslesn
listening to the music evoked from tba
piano by one of the loveliest Girls .,,er
saw-as perfectly delicately beautiful rs
n lily.
CANNOT COMPARE THIN WITH Any.
THING ELSE.
In the morning "Selimf was bro,.,t,,
nm | was off auaiu "a a..