The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-29

these are excellent representatives. OF tue
seouoin family. The Sismese Twins, grow
inc from the same root, and uniting lew
feet above the base. are thirty eight feet IN
diameter and one hundred and fourteen feet
I'm circumference at the base. unique
niece of rosd.making Is here seen. In the
construction Of the highway Tor coaches
and wagons TO the Yosemite the engineers
suddenly found themselves face TO face with
one OF these monster trees, and. not choos-
ing 10 build around II, they cut through ",
Tins forming a tunnel the like OF which can
scarcely be found elsewhere In the world
The diameter of the tree being over
thirty feet, there remained an abundance
O, material on each side OF the cut
IN retain the tree In standing position, ana
The hole. ten feet high by twelve feet wide,
Is sufficiently large 10 allow the passage OF
anv coach or team. A Yosemite teamster,
while chatting one evening with our party
a few miles from tie spot, rciIaIked that he
had noticed when passing through Inc Tree
with four-borse team that the beads OF the
frou. pair OF horses emerged from the one
side OF the tree about the same time the rear
part OF the wagon entered the other, or, III
other words. that the diameter OF the tree
was about equal in length to his four-hoise
team and wagon.
THE CALsvERAs GROVE.
This grove is about six miles in north.
westerly direction from the South Park
grove. which IL in turn the next grove IN
por,hwesterIy direction from the Tuo-
lumne. The South Park grove contains
| $50 big trees over foot in diameter, aud
these, in oil sorts Of pastures and condi-
lions. become almost bewiIdering. One tree
here 10 feet from the ground has diane
ter of IL feet another, named the "Grand
Hotel,v will hold forty persons within its
hollow trunk: another has held sixteen
horses: n fourth, named Eve" has
breast.like swelling Z feet in diameter 100
feet from the ground; and the cir
conference OF anoiher, named ADAM"
is said 10 be 1903 feet at distance
of thee feet from the ground. An
indefinite number Of other trees OF similar
proportiops might be named. The Calaye-
ras grove is the most northerly one yet dis
covered, and lS the one best known. Ii is
situated on the Stockton and Calayeras trail
to the Yosemite, and Is distant 164 miles
from San Francisco, 123 from sacramento,
73 from Stockton, and 1G2 from the hotels
IN the Yosemite. The number OF trees OF
larger size is not far from one hundred,
with many smaller ones on the outskirts.
Mo Of these have been named, and tables
have been published giving The exact height
and dimensions OF each. Here are at least
TWENTY-FIVE trees above go feet in height,
and thirty trees over go feet in
height. The four highest trees IN the
grove, and perhaps on the Amer;-
can Continent. are the "Keystone State"
- General Jack,on," Mother OF the For
esr,0 and "Daniel Webster" The height
of The first-named is 325 feet; Of the second.
$40 feet Of the thrd, 3l5 feet; and Of the
fourth, 800 feet. While column might be
filled with description OF such like monsters
as s.Tbe Husband and Wife," pair OK trees
gracefully leaning against each other, 230
feet high, and each 60 feet in circumfer.
ence: .'The Hermit" solitary specimen
of great proportions; " The Old Maid"
disconsolate- spnstPr, 80 feet in cir
conference; 1.-The Old Bachelor" rough,
unkempt old fellow, nearly 800 feet in
height "The Beauty OF the Forest" with
graceful foliage and symmetrical trunk;
- Uncle Toms Cabin" in the interior OF
which twenty-five persons can be sealed
vet only brief mention OF two
or three Of the most prominent can here
with be appended. 1.-The Father OF the
Forest is PROSTATE, hollow, llmbeSS, and
without bark yet across the roots the dis
lance is 2S feet, and the extreme length
to where any sign. Of top could be found
is 800 feet. Into the tree the tourist can
ride 80 feet On horseback. "The Mother
of the Forest" has been stripped Of its
bark to distance of ZIG feet; yet the cir
cumference at the base is >till 81 feet. The
tree is estimated 10 contain $4,000 feet OF
sound isch-lumber. II twenty-five cords
OF vood will keep the eastern readers
chimney roaring through an entire win
fer. such tree as the above would fur
nish fuel sufficient for nearly twenty
yearS. one of the largest trees in this
grove not macy years ago was cut down.
Five men were employed twenty-five days
in the work. Even after the trunk had
been entirely severed from the stump by
means of pump.augers, three days were re-
ouired BY The men with wedges to throw
the monster over. The stump has been
smoothed off, aud on the same is room for
thirty.two persons TO dance four sets OF
co,illons at tue same time. The feat has
often been performed. Between and 6
feet from the ground, across the solid wood
of the stump, the distance is % feet, and,
with bark included, % feet.
THE MARIPOSA GROVE.
The Mariposa grove comprises tract
about two miles square, and is The property
of the State OF California. Ii Is situated six
miles distant from the Big-Tree Station, on
the MaripOsa trail 10 the Yosemite, and
about sixteen miles due south of the hotels
in the valley. The average size OF the trees
is greater than that OF any other grove in
the State, but the average height i inferior
TO that Of the trees OF CalaveraS. Here are
in realty two distinct groves-tbe upper
one containing 365 big trees and the lower
about One.half as many. IN the upper grove
are at least ten trees over 80 feet in cir
conference, and l25 over 40 feet in cIrcum
ference. Several trees here. badly burned,
were originally over 100 feet in circum.
ference; while others, yet in the full vigor
of their growth, show proportions but little
inferior. Most Of the trees have been num-
bered, instead Of named like those OF Ca
layeras: and complete description would
show wonders the half of which has not
vet been told. The principal tree in either
grove is that one known as the "Gllzzly
Giant" and the eye and sense OF the spec
tltor are at once bewildered by the sight OF
its mighty proportions. Al the base OF this
tree the carIiage.r0ad stops, and the trail
for horses begins. 'fGolly, that's a whop-
perl" said one OF our party as we APP
preached; and soon we all named this
mighty wonder the grandest OF the Mari
posa grove. Carefully measuring the cir
conference with line carried for that
purpose, we found it TO be over 93
fee: at the base, and this not counting
the burnt-away portions, which would have
10 ha tnfa al Of mo al