The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-09-15
e The Gem Of the Sierras.

TRUCKEE is thriving railroad town,
and the starting point for Lake Tahoe
called the "Gem of the Sierras." The
road from Truckee River up canon
bearing the same name. 1t is fourteen
miles long, and succession of fine views
the wholelength of the road. The snow
clad Sierras are on our right, and beau
tiful timbered hills on each side of the
river. A few miles up the canon a sue
cessful fish farm is in operation, where
tens of thousands of trout can be seen in
every stage of trout's existence. AS
we reach the head of the canon we find
we are also at the outlet, or head, of the
Truckee River, whose waters, like all the
other rivers of Nevada, are lost in sinks.
None of them have an outlet into the
ocean.
The view as we emerge from the canon
is beautiful. The broad expanse of the
majestic lake lies before US, encircled on
all sides by touring mountains. Half of
the lake is in Nevada, the other half in
California. 1t istwenty light miles long
and from twelve to sixteen miles wide,
and has been sounded to depth of six
teen hundred feet. Its waters are
beautiful ultramarine, and it may be
called the purest water in the world, con-
tainlng by analysis only 4 per cent. of
impurities. 1t is so light and mobile as
to be easily dashed into foam, or calmed
to a mirror-like surface. 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 cool and pleasant in the hottest
weather. The lake never freezes, and
never gives up its dead. No person that
has been drowned has ever been known
to rise to the surface. Wood, as soon as
it is saturated, sinks to the bottom.
The water is as clear as crystal, and
huge rocks fifty feet down are plainly
discernible. In fact, it is marvel, and
the very contrast of our own Salt
Lake; for this is so dense and sluggish
as to offer great resistance to the human
body, and everything else that will float.
The finest place on the lake is Emer-
aid Bay, Ben Holiday owns beauti-
full place at the head of it-a very neat
residence in shady nook, with the snow
clad submits of the Sierras for back
ground and a magnificent waterfall for
the middle distance. The foreground is
everything an artist can desire. Near
by it is the beautiful little islet called
the Emerald Isle, on which an old salt
called Sailor Dick built home and
grave where he intended to be buried
should he die on land, but am credibly
informed that he got on a drunken spree
and sunk, to rise no more, in the lake.
The property is now in the hands of an
other seaman called Sailor Jack. He
may properly be called the hermit of
Emerald Bay, for there in the deep re-
cesses he lives without the society of any
other human being, his only companions
being three dogs and four cats. He is
indeed curiosity, but the soul of good
nature. Old Dicks fate seems to have
set him thinking, for he is a total alb
stainer now. The story of his CONVEX
sion is worth being told. He relates that
on one occasion, when crossing the lake,
a squall upset his small boat. Down he
went with it, he said, seven feet. He
swan to the surface and grasped firmly
his demijohn of whisky in one hand and
the upset boat in the other. He thought,
Now this might be my last drink, and
as it is cold will take swallow" He
then took look at the favorite bottle
and hesitated to throw away so much
good liquor, and thinking it was cold
thought he would try yet another, and
there on a cold, dark night, with the
prospect of death staring him in the
face, he vowed to take his last drink of
firewater. This resolution he has firmly
kept.
A cascade of surprising beauty is seen
at the head of the bay 1t is over 100
feet high. The towering masses of rock
on each side make beautiful setting
for this shower of pearls,-SaH Lake
Herald.
A MINNESOTA paper notes the death of
N Of