The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-02-02
FROM CALIFORNIA.
How We "Didn Mount HEamsI.

tom.
EDITOR EMPoRIA NEWS " GU have
doubtless heard of Mount Hamilton,
the proposed location of the great
Lick observatory. The late James
Lick said. to the people OF Santa Clara
county, sit yeu will build q road to
the top of Mount Hamilton / will give
$3.50, 900 for an observatory to be built
there" From San Jose to the peak
is 26 miles, and 20 miles of this read
had to be built along sides Of noun
tain ridges. The road has just been
finished. On its completion an ex-
cursion party consisting of the Lick
trustees, the county supervisor and
q number of citizeus OF San Jose
started fer the Summit. 1, accempa-
MED by a friend fernerly s'school-
marm" of Emporia, left the city at
seven o'clock, an hour In advance of
the party. L, contrary to my usual
custom drove q horse not remarkable
for his goaheadativeness. He was the
source of a great deal of amusement
on the road as team after team after
team passed US, but we jagged aloug
the picture of sublime Indifference to
fast horses, in happy ignorance of tho
nany predictions shat we would "nev-
er reach Mount Hamilton with that
horse" We had set out On the trip
imbued with the spirit of those who
strated for Pixies Peak in early days.
It was q beautiful morning, the air
bracing and the san clear. The sun
made his appearance above the noun
tain tops as we began their ascent
some five miles from town. Here ia
stead Of aAding the air cooler As We
rise it grows warmer. This is called
the warm belt. It begins at the feot
hills and extends two miles In the
mountains. It is not visited by frosts.
Most of the tropical fruits can be
grown in this BELT. They raise the
very finest oranges here. The noun
tains are well watered with never
failing springs. 1t is one of the finest
climates In the world for iBvalids.
1t is warm, yet inVigorating 1t is a
luxury to breath such an atmosphere.
The new road is called Lick Avenue.
1t is one of the NEST beautiful roads
over which to drive for a pleasure trip
that could be devised. There Is con=
slant shifting of scenes, one continn-
al change of beauty, as we go higher
and higher, viewing at each height
still one higher. The Avenue up the
mountain turns and twists like cir
cNlar stairway, doubling on itself In
places, three or foHr times with only
few feet between. 1t was as with
the charge of the light brigade at
Balaklava, mountains to the left of as,
mountains to the right of us, noun
tains in front of us, "while of beyond
in'the blue distance still rose the snow
capped hills with which earth prepped
heaven" Rarely have we seen lovli-
er pictures of nature than laid before
as all along the drive.
The li1hts and shades were exquls-
it. The beautiful blue tints losing
themselves in the dark shadows, the
velvety browns, shading off into hazy
purple the evergresns that grow on
the mountain sides, the grand old live
oaks, pines hung with gray moses
and mistletoe, the bay How In blossom,
and holly with its bright red berries
and rich green lea yes, enhanced the
beauty OF the scenery. In places the
steep roadsides were covered wish
beautiful ferns nesting underneath
the belly, and we coald hardly realize
that it was the month OF January.
We had passed two mountain
ranges and were half way up the third
at the top of which the road terminate
ed, as we climbed the hills and turned
the curves our hearts began to sink
within US. The question was would
our horse be able to reach the summit |?
But he as yet had not wet hair, aad
showed no signs of fatigue. He kept
on Sin the even tenor of his way"
showing as great Indifference to the
whip as to the scenery around him.
Bat he might be one of those heroic
animals that "die and give no sign'
We thought Three miles from the
summit We came upon . camp where
many of those who had passed US
were stopping for lunch and to rest
their horses, intending to walk the
remainder of of the way. We kept
on, being invalids if we reached the
top We must ride. A mile and q half
farther we came upon others who had
stopped, left their horses and were
walking, still We drove on. A mile
farther and the foot of the peak was
reached. Here we left our horse In
charge OF one of the workmen, and
after ten minutes walk We stood on
Mount Hamilton, 4,450 Ieet above the
level of the sea. Such a grand pic
ture Of wild mountain scenery lay
spread out before US as seldom greets
the eye of mortal.
As we stood there entraneed with the
sublimeness oftae scene, we were star
tied by hearing At our side, 1sTisn't so
dreadful nice after all, . and the reioin-
der, 1No, it don't pay We turned
and beheld two befurbelowed misses.
with fatigue and disgust pictured On
their faces. Never before did we real
lie so fully the comIn4 down from the
sublime to the ridiculous so suddenly.