Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-09-12
Grace Greenwood Among the Big
Trees

save eggs.
Grace Greenwood Among the Big
Trees.
Grace Greenwood has just closed 9
d delightful visit to California. From 8
deeply interesting letter in the New
York Times we copy the following
sketch of her visit to the giant trees ol
ICalaveras:
Mrs. Whitney gave me a vivid reali.
zation of their height by saying that
when she looked out upon them from
Iher chamber window at night she saw
s'the stars entangled in their branches, !,
lin entering the grounds you drive be.
Tween two superb trees, standing like
: gate-posts. and called 'sThe Sentineis. D
lHoy grand it would be to see these
lstately old monarchs bowling to each
lother in an earthquake! You drive
lpast the stump and section of the
trunk of the immense tree felled several
wears ago. Il was in its prime-only
iabout /, 800 years old--and sound to the
heart. Its fall shook the grove, as
Caesars fall shook Rome. 1t took half
la dozen men with pump-augers and
wedges twenty-five days to do the
: ldreadful deed. Over the stump is built
Ii pavilion, dedicated to religious SER
vices, political meetings, dancing and
itea-parties. 1t is thirty-two feet in di-
ameter-large enough to hold all Presi-
ldent Grants unfortunate relations and
laiI the patriotic, disinterested politi-
lciaus of the congiomerate Democracy.
| Were it in Rhode Island, it would be
large enough for all campaign purposes
YOU could ''swing round the CIRCLE
on it, and stump the State. 80
! The taIlest tree now standing is the
l'sKeystone State, y 315 feet; but one OF
the fallen trees, the, largest end best
preserved, looked to be much taller
perhaps from its position. Abraham
Lincoln never looked so tall as when he
LAY under under the dome of the Capt.
ltol, dead. This grand old tree lying in
Istate. under the blue dime of the sky,
had for me something of the rugged
majesty and awful repose of that un-
calmly, pathetic figure, which we re-
member with smiles that soften into
tears. and tears that brighten into
smiles. The sturdy tree must also have
gone down in or after great tempest.
lit fell up hill, bnt is very little broken.
4 By a ladder at the root you can mount
the trunk, and walk all the way by a
good trail to the topmost branches. 1t
Is like following the Nile to its source.
In truth, it is rather fatiguing and
perilous expedition, as portions of the
tree are very slippery. A railway upI
there would be an imprOvement-a|
grand trunk railroad. The route SEEM
ed to me quite practicable grade is
not heavy; there would be but little
itrestle-work required at the breaks and
Dnly few sharp curves, around knots.
The larger limbs could be tunneled.
There are here some curious hollow
trees-snug retreats for disappointed
spirits. flying from the more hollow
outside world, and there is one dead
tree yet standing, called the "Mother
of the Forest" which presents a peeu-
liarly melancholy, not to say ghastly
appearance, it having been actually
fiayed alive some years ago. Think of
a Skin eighteen inches thick, cuticle
and cults, being stripped from 116 feet
of poor old mothers body, and in this
climate, too! Of course she died. The
impieus spectators took the skin to the
ISydenham Crystal Palace, when it was
burn ed-and served them right.
The only woman besides this uDfor-
tunate smother" who has been distinct
ly henored by having tree ded icated
to her, is Florence .Nightengale, whose
name naturally associates itself with a
The Church is nobIy represented by
Henry Ward Beecher and Thomas
Star King-the State by Webster, Clay,
and Golden, the literature by Bryant,
the Presidedcy by Washington, jack
son; Lincoln, and Grant. The last is a
solid, stately tree, 261 feet high. Iti
seems perfectly sound, and may stand
agood 1--WE hundred years, unless fay
ers, choppers, and augufers prove too
much for it. zssffo t.i~ -aras $50
Here, as at Mariposa, we noticed the
diminutive size of the cone of the Seq
lnola Gigantia. If proportioned to the |
tree it would be about as large as flour
barrel. But nature, who showed 81 |
tender regard for our heads in declining |
to hang pumpkins on oaks instead of
aeorns, has shown equal consideration |
lin this case. AS looked up into thel
lofty gloom of the dark branches |
wondered If little birds ever nested as |
high up. It seemed that only eagles |
belonged there, 1t was breezy day, |
yet / listened in vain for the sea-like
surge, the seughiug of the wind among |
those mighty branches-lateral trees.-I
NJ distinct piney murmur came down
to me, and / do not believe that theE
Sound they give forth in their upper
solitudes is in proportion to their size, |
SO unbending and immutable they
iseem. Sorrowful, but majestic, elect,
apart lonely, lordly monuments of the
solemn, silent ages. they surely do not |
make the ado of lesser coniferS-an-l /
swering every impertinent gust, COM
planning of every summer storm. But
Iif we were lifted up nearer to their
dark tops we could perhaps hear sad,
incessant monotone, low murmur of
WEAKNESS and unrest, out of the midst
of rigid stateliness and somber grand |
ure-the low sob Of a passion of strug-
gle and aspiring, spent centuries ago.
| a aplaint, fervid but patient, that were
| like asigh from the burdened heart of
the earth. We might hear at twilight
mysterious whispers of old elemental /
tragedies, of primeval portents and
and convulsions, of the blaze of comets
and the murk of eclipse, OF star showers
and tornadoes that never had human
lchronicIer in all the wild continent.
About five miles from the hotel. is
the South Caleveras Grove, but lately
made accessible by trail. 1t contains
more than thousand Segnolas, some
of them of stupendous size. Here, it is
said, sixteen horsemen may be seen
slowly ascending a hill and congregat-
Ii ing in the hollow of a single tree at one
time. Did the genius Of James ever
Econjure up scene more novel and
stranger was grieved that time did
not,ailow my seeing this wonderful
grove, being obliged to return to Muir
phys that night. This is the best place
to procure tarantula's nest, curious