Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-09
Oy AND NOTES
TIE YOSEMITE IN 1850.


BY the new carriage road to the Yosemite
Valley from MADEIRA, a station on the Southern
Pacific railroad. the amount Of staging Is con-
siderably reduced, as well as the fatigues Of the
trip. At the same time the trip has not been
sirnplified aud shortened to anything like the
extent stated In the newspapers and the guide
books For instance, "Crofutt's Pacific Coast
Guide which Is the current guide-book for
overland tourists this year, tells how, by this
route, the Yosemite trip rncluding the Mari
poSa Big trees and two days In the Valley can
be made in less than five days from San Fran
cisco This Is the program laid down Ia the
''Guide-:
Take sleeper and les<e San Francisco tsay on
Monday at y. M. dine at Iathrop at p m,
in sieeper until $50. breakfast. take stage and
leave at 8 a arrive at Clarks at 3 p ~ and
sfs. e L3h,g e. ddaFeR f Msafrs q
d HtS 2OP Retmrnnf esye the valley at p M thurs
day; arrive at C'aTk's at 6 p. IN leave Oarks Fri
at y. m, and take sleeper; leave MADEIRA Saturday
Is a. m reach Lathrop for breakfast. and arrive
Now this is all right, so far as the raIlroading
is concerned, but IL Is not true that one Can get
into the Valley from MADEIRA by stage In single
day; OF that there is but IS miles staging from
MADEIRA to the valley, or that the road from
MADEIRA to the Valley runs through the Big
treee. In the first place IL takes the oest part
valley. Ii Is fully 90 miles Instead OF 81. from
MADEIRA TO ClarkS, styled the Big Tree Stttl ~
and though the road Is Well graded. Is a good
mountain road, and is well stocked. il re- iireS
the active work OF a capable driver 10 get
loaded team over 20 miles OF mountain rnti in
less than twelve hours or from a. m 70 d o. m.
The twenty-five miles trip from CiaTkS 10 the
Valley + over a worse and more heavily
graded road must b. taken by daylight, and OG-
cupies from five TO six hours OF the next day.
No such schedule as this quoted has Oeen at
tempted or IS practicable. What the tourist
can do. aud does do under the working schedule,
Is as follows: He leaves MADEIRA at 6 q. m. and
reaches ClarkS at or p. ~, and amazingly
glad he is to get there, too. The
next day he goes into the Valley
via Inspiration Point remains as long as his
time permits, leaves the Valley on his return In
the morning, reaches CIark'5 By p. H.. takes
stage for the special trip TO the Big Trees which
occupies four or five hours OF the afternoon, re-
turns 10 Clark'5 for the night, and the next day
goes on from Clark'S to MADEIRA and the rail-
road Although the trip In and out from the
railroad by this route occupies four days instead
OF two. as asserted by the "Gude." IL Is yet
much the quickest and easiest mode of access to
the Valley. The fare for the round trip from
San Francisco TO the Valley Is $50 by this route.
Our trip 10 the Yosemite Valley was made by
this route. with the exception that we reached
MADEIRA over the new Southern Pacific road from
Los Angeles instead OF by the way of San Fran
cisco. The first part OF the route, after leaving
Los Angeles, Is through the fertile and weilcul-
tivated Los Angeles valley. but after passing
through the san Fernando tunnel, nearly 1908
feet IN length, under the San Fernando
mountains the country begins TO assume the
desert look. vegetation growing scantier every
mile and soon appearing only In the shape Of
stunted pines In the distant gloomy valleys or
canyons and nearer Ia the curious Yucca aim,
species OF cactus which grows up in tree-torm
frequently 10 the height OF fifty feet and with
diameter or from two TO three feet. This tree
cactus occurs with such frequency On portions
OF the route, and has such a resemblance to
some kinds Of fruit trees, that the train seems
to be passing through an immense orchard
planted out and growing in the middle of &C.
sert. sometimes the mOnOtOny Is varied by the
appearance OF whole acres OF small bright-cOl-
ored flowers that seem somehow TO thrive on
these parched, barren wastes; and frequently a
bare hillside Will be dotted with specimens OF
the spanish bayoneU," bearing Its beautiful
white flower twenty or thirty feet high at the
top OF It's slender, graceful stem. The signs OF
human habitation are few and far between
but occasionally a hut or cluster OF huts In the
vicinity or some water-eOurse or spring shows
where some OF the native MexIcanS st1ll retain
foOthoid On the soil; the barren country not
afordfng temptation for the invading AmerI-
cans TO displace them. Everything about these
haDitattonS Is or the rudeSt and most prtmI-
tive description. The children OF both sexes and
some OF them pretty well grown, were running
around perfectly naked A dismal looking gorge
In this part OF the country Is pointed out as the
haunt OF the famous band Of Mexican robbers
whose chieftain Vasques was captured and hung
In 1915. and many others or whom have since
suffered the same death, with Maryland CELEBRITY
at the hands OF their captora We took supper
at Mojava, station on the Moiava (Mo-ha-vey)
desert, from which freight Is shipped on wagons
10 the mining country in InyO county. The
amount OF freight-hauling between Mojava aud
the mines, $50 and 300 miles distant, is enorrn-
Gus, Judging by the number OF teams: and the
sight OF LGtse great caravans moving across the
OtherwiS perfectly deS0late and barren waste
seemed OF the oriental order.
THE '.AOHAyEYs ZgPHYR.
Another peculiar feature of this station I'm the
desert is the force OF the wiad blowing here
This blast is a steady thing aud has acquired
the tronical name or the '.Mojava Zephyr /
have experi6nc wind-storns in a good many
quarters, and especially on the top OF Mt
" ashington, where it is said to blow sometimes
at the rate or II5 miles an hour but / think
never knew the wind 10 raUe as IL did that eve
ling across the Mojava desert. 1t was anus
ing, as long as no bones were broken. to see the
way the passengers were shot of the plank walk
Leading 10 the eating station and into the din
lng-ro0m, by The wind, and yet fulner to wilt
ness the time they had in getting back to the
cars AFTER supper. one OF the Pullman porterS
"a new hand on the road) who was verdant
enough 10 undertake 70 carry cup OF coffee
nom the eating mouse TO the train succeeded after
superhuman eXert1onS in reaching the cars with
The cup and saucer. but every drop OF the coffee
meantime rocked upon the track in a way that
indicated the possibility that we might b. blown
nom The rails. Altogether We were treated TO
convincing test OF the force of one OF these
western ''Zephyrs." Just why the wind snOuI1
rake these plains with such force Is not ex
planned. The theory that IL may be the trace
WHO coming up the funnel OF the bay OF San
francisco does net seem 10 explain the fac5
that II Is so much more powerful after travelling
$50 miles IRON the Golden Gate than 1t Is
at It's source. As IN the case OF the incon-
prehenslbie ''nOrthers,' the California Iaut
winds that, Ike tie European mistraI
Dnght and shrtyel every thing in their
track, the M0Java zephyrs must be put down
among the meteorological mysteries on :he Pa
cine slope, where everything goes by contra
tits. shortly after leaving MoJava the traia
begins The climb up 70 the Tehachapt summit
S,st4 feet, the highest point OF The road aud
then approaches that unique feature in railroad
engineering, THE Loop or Tehachap! pass
where the road absolutely crosses Itself to gain
eitltpGe. Passing through tunnel, Zone or a
series or seventeen occurring in a Few Inlle5)
the road circles around along the crest OF one OF
the curious mountain rrtgeS that are utilized so
extensively In mountain road making IA
1auIorn1a- and finally passes over itself
az an elevation or = feet higher than its track
lhfough TIE tunnel below. Next we come TO
BeaINll!e, station named for our Gen. Beale
VINO OWLS or did own some aG, 900 acres OF land
hereaoout IL locks Ike pretty poor land 70
pay taxes upon, but Is said 10 have consider
able amount or toierable paSturage. Passing
On, however, we speedily reach a streak OF
perhaps. The richest land In California the
Kern valley and MusSei Slough districts, where
according 10 reports Indian corn grows twenty
feet high, sweet potatoes are raised weigh
Ing twenty pounds each, pumpkins Z25