The Portland daily press., 1877-11-20
M. G. Nh. A. COURSE.
Lecture by A. f. Lewis, Esq

The third lecture in the Maine Charitable Me-
chanc Association was delivered last evening
by A. f. Lewis, ESQ.,, of Fryeburg. The hall
was packed and many were turned away for
want of even standing room. The lecture was
descriptive of the beauties of California, and
proved very interesting throughout.
IN opening, the speaker remarked that il the
time has ever been when Americans deemed it
necessary to cross the Atlantic, or leave their
own country to see grand aud magnificent seem
cry, that time happily has passed away. Though
California for twenty years has been we'll writ
ten up, to most tourists it is practically terra
incoRnita % 1t is known to most of US simply
as a land of gold and earthquakes, of overgrown
beets and squashes, of rough miners with bowie
knife and revolver, and a tolerable sprinking
of the "Heathen Chinee." The speaker dwelt
at length upon the peculiar California climate,
natural productions, social customs and the
pleasure resorts of tourists; and he also gave
an exceedingly humorous account of his three
hundred mile stage-ride to the Big Trees and
70 Semitic; when they were packed into Con-
cord coaches like poultry going to market-pro-
miscuously 10 bag; riding in this way nearly
a week in the dry season, the dust rolling upon
them 10 clouds, actually shutting out the light
of the sun, being compelled to chew, to eat and
sneeze it, till it required but little faith to &C.
knowledge the fact that they were made of
the DUST
Mr.. Lewis gave full and minute description
of the famous Calaverus Grove of mammoth
trees. His descriptions of these wonders was
most thrilling, and were it not that the lecturer
is gentleman OF integrity, one would be in
cined to place his stories along side of those of
Baron Munchausen and Capt Gulliver.
AS we move about among these vegetable
giants the inevitable underestimateiof the first
impression soon wears off and the reaction is
intense.
One of these monarchs was felled by means
of boring it off with long pump augers and its
PROSTATE form and broad stpmp shows the
character and gives deep impression of its
huge proportions. To fell this required the
constant labor of five men for twenty days; and
after being completely severed. owing to its
broad base of over 30 feet, it stubbornly refused
to fall. To throw it over, two and half days
were used IN driving in immense wedges with
gathering ram, when this noble monarch of
the forest, which for over 5000 years had crown
ed the heights of the Sierras, was Frustrated to
the ground.
The latter portion of the lecture was devoted
to description of the wonderful Geysers. The
Geysers are situated in mountain gorge about
l0O miles north of San Francisco and 40 or so
miles inland from the Pacific coast. The ride
IS then through the Napa and Sonona valleys,
the richest and most beautiful series of fields
gardens and vineyards the eye ever beheld.
Bret Harte says, far back in her history, Cal
ifornia had golden age" when even luna
tics hadn't reached such depths of imbecility as
willingly to tide in California STAGE" When
within two or three miles of the famous canon
one begins to sniff most villainous stencil of
birthstone. After tea we are anxious to make
a TIP through the canon, but are told that the
morning is the time for this, as during the day
the warm rays Of the sun dissipate the steam
from the springs in great degree; SO we con-
tent ourselves with distant view, and then
rush for the famous baths, of which we have
heard so much. At 4 o'clock our guide calls
us, and after cup of coffee, we take our cane
and walls for specimen drinks, anodyDes and
ink, not forgetting to take some eggs to boil in
the Witches Cauldron;" and now we are
ready to enter Pandemonium. What an up
roar there is! Clouds of steam roll upward and
hideous bellowiDgs smite upon our ears. Boil
ing cauldrons of almost all the substances
known to the chemists nomenclature sur
round us; some of green and yellow color,
others of inky blackness Confusion worse
confounded is upon us. All around are
springs; sulphur, blood-red with iron rust
black as the Prince of Darkness himself; some
cold, some bnbbng aud kissing aud intensely
hot. Steam jets spirit with terrific force from
every crook and crevce. Scattered over the
ground are carloads of sulphur and soda, and
EPSON salts sufficient to dose all the children
in the state OF Maine. Seventeen varieties of
salts are found, and what Is more wonderful
these are all within few feet of each other; SO
near that it seems that they must come from a
common reservoir. Each spring has voice If
its own. Some hiss and sputter like water
poured upon red-hot iron; others remind one of
the singing of a teakettle, or the purring of
cat and others seethe and bubble like SO many
cauldrons of boiling oil. Bat the most start
ling OF all the various sounds is continuous
subteIranean roar, similar to that which pre-
cedes an earthquake. The awful figures of
Dante and Milton here impress one with
weird power. Scientific zen are not agreed
as to the probable cause of this boiling. bub-
bling and Kissing; whether it is due to ehemi-
cal action alone, or, 10 part, to volcanic heat.
Whatever the cause of the heat the great va
riety of chemicals, ia such close proximity, and
yet separate and distinct, render it,. indeed, a
wonderful curiosity.
Mr.. Lewis closed his lecture with humorous
anecdotes and dramatically recitng Burns
celebrated address to the Dell"