New-York tribune., 1880-06-27

NEW
pIty. Ten minutes on a mountain top for q hve
ho1rs' tramp fs usually the rule brt IN iIo$e e
minutes one may get view OF the Valiey WHICH 10
\ unsurpassed from any other point
THE TRIP TO CLoCD's REST.
| Guides discourage one from taking the trip 10
| Clouds Rcst-fourteen miles away by the trail-as
| itconsumes an entire day, and is hard on thelr
beasts Fol- the very that the ascent IS sell
| dom made VIC "hankered after wrestle with It,
The start was madc at a. m., with one horse pro
vded for the heavy of the party should ne sue
cumb to the steep trail. Leisurely climbing
| brought us near the summit soon after midday
| In the last grove of scrubby pines from which we
caught glimpses of the Gro @n of the mountain
we found two large beds of snow which the sun
shone upon without apparent effect. The air was
| painfully thin and to recuperate we mdulged III
Roman puncll-brandy poured on balls OF snow
then We pushed on toward the summit, which con-
sisted of huge slabs of rock arranged like cause
| way leading to n small mountain citadel This we
stormed and carried amid wild war-whoops and
then performed dance around the flagstaff stuck
IN n crevIce Of the rock. Even had not descrlp-
tiOn been tabOOed it would be Impossible 10 give
any conception of the awful view from TINS noun
tain. The rocky citadel iuts ont into space so at
yon seem isolated 4om the woiiu, anu hrd bor
zOn of mountain peaks with the great Val!cY IN
the centre, its walls dwarfed to pgmy proportions
The lesser mountains and barren rolling, ridges
resemble nothing so much rs stol1n-tossed ocean
turned to stone. more absolute deSOlatl0h
could not he conceived YOu feel the weight OF the
centuries that look down upon you from the lone,
some peaks of the SieTras The spectacle 1rmlnded
lie strongly of maps of the moon; 1t gave the same
impression of fclcsS repOse after giant upheavals
of mountains and rending of rock-buttressed walls
Thomas Hill, the artist. told me that ne once
took days camping nrcs@n "TGnt gar tnG
Russia. At all the other peaks the Prince found
some nOunain in the Alps or the Himalayas the
view from which surpassed the one before MN.
But when the summit of ClOuds Rest was reached,
he took of his hat and said: IL salute the grandcst
view i'll the world"
soNE BITTER REFLECTIONS on MIRROR LAKE
Mirror Lake is memorable in my annals for q
very absurd joke perpctrated upon me- With
Southern gentleman / started ont for the lake
bright and early one morning. After q short drive
VIC reached it-a small pond rejecting perfectly the
mountains that seemed to have it in their keeping.
1t looked small TO us, but we sat down to await
patiently the appearance of the sun through q
cleft in the face of South Dome. By schedule time
the sun should have appeared at half-past o'clock,
but it didn't come. We grew ravenously hungry;
with infinite pains clambered upon large
boulder near the margin of the lake, and there sat
watching the play of images IN the water. Near at
hand we heard the footing of cracked cornet and
soon after two wagOn-loads OF tourists drove ny.
Hunger gnawed at our vitals but we set our teeth
and swore to see out, The face OF Sonth Dome
we had read is marked by many curious figures.
BY the help of q vivid imagination brought out
tile lordly rhinoceros, the 6ald,headed eagle, the
sleeping beauty in the wood, and the overland emil
grant train: but my companion could not sec
them and finally Just as the SUMS face flushed the
gSsfn@ Me was S%d Uf Of he @ %
tude. The next day my companion r0used me
early and drove over the same road TO search for
valuable knife which lie said he had lost by the
lake. He didn't stop at the pond where we had
rPOSted on the stone, but drove around the bend N
Mirror Lake flashed upon us turned disgnsted
face to his, and found him far gone IN commissions
of laughter. We had sat two mortal hours gazing
into paltry little pool, and had conjured mp me-
nagerie which did not exist.
FEATURES OF VALLEY LIFT.
An article might be written on tho curious types |
of people about the valley, but q single sketch |
must suffice. brace Of female agents Of photo |
graphic views nfest the hotels. One is well known
to ovcry dweller in the valley by the familiar name
of Sally" She has spent many Summers There |
and great is the power of her tongue. To clinch |
bargain, she will chat, nirt. dance, drive with |
you--a most :" amOosin'Ip and versatile girl. The |
old resident of the valley remarks to the new
conner. with knowing wink, ms she passes: There |
goes Sallyj that gal is the smartest salesman IN
Calforny. She'll euchre a jew pawnbrokGrr and |
caution. She's a credit to the State. and the |
valleys proud of her." Sally is tall, 1.-the, re-
piercing black eye, and q face brm-full of viva |
CITY. Her rival is blonde of the strawberry" |
type with yellow hair who wins mucli custom by |
q pertinaclty which would Iput to shame Niagara |
Falls uackman. And how the two rivals do stab |
each others regulations with innuendO and |
sarcasm how they dsparage each others wares |
and make bitter gibes OH mutual bemlshes IN |
beauty and honesty!
In the valley arc many delightful spots for |
lounging away Summer day. The Merced River. |
shallow, swift flowing stream Of ice-coll water,
gives picturesque views but little piscatOria sport.
The trout are small, and only the patience of
Pute may triumph over their coyness and their |
vagaries Of appetite. Then the Yosemite Fall is
a constant delight to the eye. Falling half mile |
at three bounds it scarcely SOC feet in height
so utterly is the eye without measuring rule. |
Before 1t has passed over a third of its fearful |
plunge 1t is shattered into foam and spray. Tho |
picture of the LOtOs Eaters land seems drawn from
this spot as lying at length upon tho roc ks at the
foot of the falls wonder whet er the gates |.
of dreamland have not opened wide for one long |
Summer day; or swinging in hammock under |
the broad hotel veranda there is borne to yOur |
drOwsy ear the hOarse growing OF Yosemite the !
big grizzly bear. To who has Teveled in |
enjoyment of this Fall under the moonlight or In |
the glowing MONDAY haze, when it seems oppressed /
by the languOr of the sleepy air. the picture will |
always fash at will upon his inward eye' should |
he reach the age of Methusalch
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