Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-18
BLUE cANYor.
An Enthusiastic Account of the Charms
of Mountain Retreat.
Blue CANYON, August Is, 1851.


ramento people, for among the throng that
crowds the vine. porch of our hotel
there is a decided majority in favor of your
charming city. To the casual passer-by
there comes feeling of wonder as he
vainly imagines what there is here to lend
such superior attractions to the place, for
the number of guests at the overtiowing
hotel seems to indicate most unmistakably
that there is something which possesses a
magnetic power sufficient, even, to charm
from their lovely homes the denizens OF
your beautiful city, as well as those who are
famed by the humid winds that come in
from the sea. Few things, however, are
hard to understand when once they are
fully explained and when the veil is
lifted that obscures the minds of some, no
cause of surprise or wonderment will exist
with its popularity.
THE ELEVATION
OF this place is about 4, 500 feet above the
level of the sea, thus giving it an incom,
parable climate, which acts like a balm
upon the impaired vitals of the invalid, re-
storing to the young twhere malady has
robbed them of the BOOM the pristine
vigor of their youth, touching with magic
brush and natures daintiest hue the fading
flush of beauty's cheek. Thus, as sani-
tarium, it deserves a rank among the first
The air, in its matchless purity, is unex-
celled the springs, that force their way
from earth's high reservoirs until they find
the light, burst forth from rugged rock
and woody glen to quench the thirst of
passers.by, and then roll on in ripping ca
dences until they reach the rushing brook.
But the attractions are not all OF a
sanitary nature, although this impression
might gain hold upon the mind of the new
arrival as he sits in front of the bustling
hostelry and gazes upon the prospect be-
fore him. It is not beautiful, am sorry
to say but it is not the fault of nature,
for wherever the work of natures hand is
left untouched the silent gaze of those who
look upon the scene speaks more eloquently
than could words of theirs or mine. There
is nothing so capricious as nature; it re-
veals to the delighted gaze a scene OF
matchless beauty, and you stand and look
in wonder. How useless it is to say,
Surely, there is nothing more beautiful
under the sun p for if you will follow this
trail awhile, until you turn the curve ol
yonder mountain, you will certainly then
exclaim,' d" Indeed, nature in this has ex.
ceeded herself!" No, she has not for il
you proceed you will only find continua.
tion of inspiring scenes, each successive
one exceeding in magni6cence the last.
THE POPULARITY OF THE PLACE.
This may be applied to our immediate vi
cinity; and the popularity of the place,
slightly foreshadowed in its name, lends a
soft, hazy charm to the more distant noun.
tains worthy, indeed, of Camphell's i'm
mortal verse. 1t may be imagined by some
that this place received its name, not from
any natural phenomenon, but that it was
bestowed upon it by some wag to indicate
the normal state Of the dweliers here. But
no such is not the fact and we, its tran
sient denizens, rise en- masse and meet
the libel face to face. Among the natural
features most worthy of note in this vicin-
ity is the ditch. But, upon reflection,
a ditch is not considered natural fea.
ture." Indeed it would be novel sight to
look at nature, armed with a pick and
shovel, digging ditch forty miles long
hewing around the mountain side, cutting
through finty rocks, telling lofty trees and
spanning mighty chasms with leaky and
precarious aqueducts.
NOVEL SIGHT,
/ say, indeed. But, if nature did not
make the course, she smote with her magic
wand the ancient rock where mountain
top and sky unite, from whence leaps forth
asparkling, purling stream, worthy, indeed,
of its celestial source worthy, indeed, to
fill the chalice of a god. Sad it is to say,
however, that after this beautiful stream
has toiled along for forty miles, curving
around the mountain sides, the sun shin
ing brightly upon its dimpled face, now
running slowly through some dark, dank
tunnel, and now over a high aqueduct,
with the verdure far below reaching up to
catch the diamond drops that fall, and
here on this rugged mountain side, dashing
and crashing down in a turgid, boiling
cataract, whirling around the rocks it has
torn from their places, climbing over trees
it has felled across its path, kissing and
seething and foaming along, even as " the
water comes down at Ladore ;" it is sad,
indeed, say, to contemplate that the sole
end and ambition of this beautiful, spark
ling, dimpled stream is to ultimately force
its entire volume through a threeinch
nozzle. Regardless of its sad fate there
are many delightful walks along its banks,
as its source lays through
MOST ROMANTIC
Portion of the mountains; and, indeed,
am inclined to think it would be popular
lovers walk but for one objection-it is
necessary to proceed along it "Ingin file, y
or else walk very close together, which
would not do, of course not From an
adjacent trail many majestic view pre-.
sents itself to the admiriDg eye. The one
which most impresses, and the one have
now in mind, is scene of such tremendous
grandeur that the vision fails to grasp its
mighty scope at once, and all the functions
of the mind suspend, save one, and that ia
wonder. Beneath me yawns chasm of
such awful depth the eye declines to fathom
it. On either side the tall, majestic pines
stand in regal pride, and as far away as
the eye can reach, over mountains. trees
and valleys, mantle of the most ethereal
blue is spread, while far above,
Becalmed along the summer sky,
The argosies of cloud-land le."
How impotent are words and human
skill in portraying the beauties of Nature
This was the burden of my thoughts after
had vainly attempted to translate il
words the grandeur of the scene; and ever
now, as recall the reverie in which in
dulged, the invocation that l uttered at the
time is still fresh in my mind: "Oh,
most gracious muses., from thy enchanted
Tyres strike but one inspiring note, that
may catch its melody and tune my song tc
tit the glorious scene; that all the world
may hear that it may find immortal
fame 1t must have been
A HOLIDAY FOR THE MUSES.,
Or they must have left their Tyres at home,
for did not hear note but as the wind
rustled the leaves of an adjacent oak I i'm
agined I heard them shake their gauzy
wings and soar defantly and scornfully
auav Spurned thur hv the canricio us