Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-09


rude sleighs or sle1s. used until within few
days to convey passengers over the mountain
SHOWS.
THE NEW ''INsPIRATIoN POINT"
For considerable distance the road runs In
sight OF the deep canyon Of the MERGED river,
at the foct of the Yosemite valley proper, and
the traveller is apt to mistake 1t for the famous
gorge itself, but 1t is only on reaching loop In
the road running ont upon the face OF great
precipice bearing the name OF Inspiration Point
that the first view is obtained OF that wonder
full combination OF the sublime and beautiful,
the Yosemite. The Inspiration Point Of the
carriage road Is, however, some ! 800 feet lower
than the locality OF that name on the old bride
trail. Still am not sure that the lower point
does not give better general view OF the
valley. Since visiting the Yosemite eleven
years ago l mad Travelled through the
grandest and widest OF European scenery
and was little afraid In revtslting the valley
that / should find its wonders somewhat
dwarfed by comparison; but momentary glance
at the well remembered scene was reaSSurlng
and satisfying: The Yosemite is unique and
unappFoachaSle In Its way as combination OF
towering preC4piceS, mile high waterfalls pas
fOral green Meadows and beautiful pellucid
streams. There is charm about the atmos-
but which is felt, believe, by every visitor. In
one respect the aspect was quite different from
that ON my previous visit. Then 1T was late In
the summer, and the waterfalls and streams
were about at their lowest Now, with the
melting OF the great SHOWS OF the past winter,
everything was flooded. Not only were the
n numerous falls Of the valley greatly swollen,
styled by the guides "Wid0w's Tears" from
their ephemeral nature. Casting four or five
Weeks) were fiuttering down the great preci-
piceS In rtbbon-like bands. The Yosemite fall
which makes the almost inconceivable leap of
2,640 feet, or more then Seventeen times that Of
Niagara, was swollen now In way to cause
its breadth to bear some proportion to Its as
founding height The Bridal Veil fall was,
however, rather injured by Its increase of VOL
ume. Instead OF sway1ng in the air and dis
solving In pearly mist before reaching the
ground, after the manner that caused its name
TO have certain Appropriateness 1t now fell
In rather stiff, formal column OF the m1ll-dam
order. Descending to the Valley, we found the
MERGED river overlooking its bounds every
where and for mile or two our road was al
most continuously under water. AS we pro-
eeeded up the valley TO our hotei,-the Old
Hutchings house, now Barnard'S,-Solid ground
was reached but still one could not go far In
any direction without striking flood or mud
hole.
DIsGRACEFUL NEGLECT OF ITS TRUST BY CALI
FORNIA.
Since visited the Yosemite In 1869 the VAL
ley had been given to the state Of California by
the United States to be preserved as national
park, and under that trust commissioners had
been appointed to have charge of the valley and
attend TO the preservation and improvement of
the property. 1t was natural to expect to find
great and much needed improvements made In
the valley under the state management, but
this expectation is disappointed. In most re-
spectS the condition Of affairs Is not so salts
factory as was the case years ago when the val
ley was In the loving charge OF It's vir-
tual C1scOyeT6r, the enthusiastic HutchfngS
The valley roads except the trails kept up by
private enterprise are disgrace to The state
and the commissioners. UnderbruSh has been
allowed to grow up in every direction, anu thus
u a r6 fsIh 10
cess for ladies to the foot or the Bridal Veil
Fail, the Yosemite Fall, and the base OF the
great cliffs almost impracticable. The six
horses OF stage team have to exert all their
strength to keep their footing and drag the car
rage through the numerous rocky b0ttOmed
fords OF the streams In the lower part OF the
holes In the upper part OF the valley. Compare
this condition OF things in the Yosemite the
great natural marvel OF the continent and the
especial boast Of Its custodian, the rich state
OF California, with that In the Valley OF Cha
mouny or any OF the Alpine valleys, where
the carefully tended roads are as smooth
as house floor and the impetuous streams are
Kept within bounds by stone dlkes which, like
the roads, are mended daily California, In &C.
cepttng the trust OF the Yosemite, should have
appropriated and expended at once not less
bridges: in ditching and draining the foul-smel-
ing frog-swamps In the vicinity OF the three
hoIels; In clearing up the musquito-infested
paths to the foot Of the falls and precipices, and
free trails to their tops; and generally, In I'm
proving the valley district, according TO the
terms OF the trust, and making access to it
easier and cheaper TO the pubic. At present, it
costs more to visit it from the east than it
does absolutely TO cross the Atlantic
and make, the tour Of Europe including
Switzerland and Italy. The state should
long ago have abolished all the enormous tolls
that are levied at every step In the valley and
make Its tour so expensive For less than
$4,000 all these trails could Be bought from the
"a c1nCf a1 and a en- lli RI
expenditure would keep them In repair; Yet the
state OF California allows the tOl.-nuisaac. to
be kept up and the tourist VINO goes TO Glacier
Point, OR Sentinel Dome, Or the head OF the 70
semitic Fail, or Eagle Point, or the Cascades or
Nevada Fall, or Clouds Rest, or over any OF the
many trails has TO pay dollar toll IN each case.
to the Yosemite, and In that way prevents very
many from visiting the famous valley.
THE YOSEMITE MINT FOR CALIFORNIA.
Up to 1880 there were 24090 visitors TO the
Yosemite valley since IT was opened to tourists
In 1855. These visitors left tn California about
eleven million dollars; estimating their indi,
y1dual expenditure In the state at the low ave
rage OF $3.50. Therefore, If the state has no
price In the Yosemite, its business instincts
should prompt it to care for the goose that laws
the golden eggs One hitch seems to be that
the other counties OF the state are jealous OF
Mariposa county Qn which the Yosemite is) and
80 higgle about appropriating money for the
Improvement of the valley. AT the same time
the commissioners appointed to the charge
OF the valley have shamefully neglected
their duty. The most OF them are
mere fgureheads, who are absorbed In
business or politics In san Francisco. and 40
not care to bother themselves about the great
works OF nature, except a5 exhibited In b.
nanZa vein. They have turned the whole Yo-
Semlte management over TO one OF their num-
Der, person Dy the name OF ASl0urner who
In tAfn seems TO have deputize0 a llduOr.
seller by the name OF Saith, 10 control matters
III The valley. IL IS a curious feature OF the
Wnoie diagraceful business that this man Smith
who has about as much taste for the sublime
and beautiful as cow, should be held In SUCH
favor by AShburner, tnat he has not only been
given the exclusive privilege Of selling liquor in
the valley, whereby his saloon makes more
money than all the hotels together but his rent
has been reduced from $500 10 500, white the
hotel rent is maintained at 81 500 q pretty stiff
rent, considering The SNAIL size OF the hotels
The sA0rtneS5 OF the season, and the fact that
there Is 50 little profit on eatableS as COMPARED
Win drtDkaole5. Ii should be added that Clark
the nominal Guardian or the valley, appointed
by The commissioners, Is an Old man in his
cottage. who has lately married a Tortune-teller.
'.JOoST TOoMBLKD HoFF."
Ramsdell may like TO know that E ailey the
Yorkshire guide, who caught his horse fof hin
on certain occasion On his visit to the Yose-
nte Valley In 1869. is now toll .gatherer On the
Nevada Falls trail. Bailey says he remembers
perfectly We'll the Horace Greeey-l looking chan
who ''joost tOomb!ed hon his oss, and then pre-
.cDAN, r.