Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1877-07-28
THE GRn OF THE sIERRAs.


0Iveo W htn Oeo0.
From the Salt Lake Herald.l
Truckee is q thriving railroad town.
and the starting point for Lake Tahoe-
called the "Gem of the Sierras." The
road from Truckee winds along Truckee
River up canyon bearing tho same
name. 1t is fourteen miles long, and
succession of fine views tho whole
length of the road. The snow-caad ST.
erras are on our right, and beantifully
timbered hills on each side Of the river
A few miles up the canyon . sucoaazful
fish farm is in operation, where toas Of
thousands Of trout can be seen in every
stage of trOut's existence. A. we
read of the canyon we find we aFU also
at the outlet, or head of tho Tfuckes
River, whose waters, like all To other
rivers of Nevada, are lost in sinks. None
Of them have an outlet into the ocean.
The view rs we emerge from tho oan-
yon is beautiful. The broad expanse OF
the majestic lake lies before u, eacir-
cled on all sides by towering mountains.
Half of the lake is in Nevada, Tie other
half in California. Il is rs miles long
and from II to 16 miles wide, and has
been sounded to a depth of l,600 fset.
Its waters are beautiful ultranarine,
and it may be called the purest wster in
the world, containing by analysis only
4 per cent. of impurities. 1t is so light
and mobile as to be easily iAshed into
foam, or Gained to mirror-like sur
face. In the early morning it Is like
loOking-glass, with surrounding objects
reflected in it with surprising accuracy
Several steamers of small tonnage are
used in navigating it. Its altitude is
about $500 feet, it is always Good and
pleasant in the hottest weather. The
lake never freezes, and never gives up
its dead. No person that was drowned
has been known to rise to tAe sur
face. Wood, rs soon as it is satarated,
sinks to the bottom. The watM , a.
clear as a crystal, and hugo rocks fifty
feet down are plainly discenlSae. In
fact, it is a marvel and the very ooatrast
of our own Salt Lake; for that = 50
dense and sluggish as to offer greak re-
sistance to the human body, aaA every
thing else that will float.
| The finest place on the lake Is Emerald
Bay. Ben Holiday owns beaatiful
place at the head of ia very neat rosi-
dence in q shady nook with the saow-
clad SUBMITS of the Sierras for . back
ground, and magnificent waterfall for
the middle distance. The foreground is
every thing an artist can desire Near
by is the beautiful little islet called the
Emerald Isle, on which an old salt call
ed Sailor Dick built home and grave
where he intended to be buried sRould
he die on land, but 1 am csodihly in
formed that he got on drunken spree
and sunk, to rise no more, in IL lake.
The property is now in charge Of sa0th-
er seaman, called Sailor JACK. He may
properly be called the hermit At Hmer-
aid Bay, for there in the deep receases
he lives without the society a any other
human being, his only c0mpani0as be-
ing three dogs and four cats. He IL In
deed q curiosity, but the sOd a good
nature. Old Dicks fate seems 70 have
set him thinking, for he is . tod alb
stainer now. The story Of his o0aver-
sion is worth being told. He relates
that ON one occasion, when crunaing the
lake, squall upset his smaA 6ost.
Down he went with it, he says, seven
feet. He swan TO- the saffnss and
grasped firmly his demijohn Il wAisky
in one hand and the upset host h the
other. He thought, 50 Now H. night
be my last drink, and - it Is c0l1 I will
take a swallow" He then took look
at the favOrite bottle and hasitated 70
throw away 50 much good liQ.os. and
thinking ii was cold thought he would
try yet another, and there, a . cold
dark night, with the Prospece q death
staring him in the face, he vowed - take
his last drink Of fire-wster. IL rsso-
luton be has firmly kept.
| A cascade Of surprising beaulg = seen