National Republican., 1881-02-19
THE GOLDEN STATE.
A JOURNEY THROUGH CALIFORNIA.
The Chinese as SerTsnts-The Yosemite Valley and
the Big Trees-Girand Canyons and Nag
nifleent Sights-The Big Oak
Flats-0ther Places.
SPECIAL Corresponding Of The Republican,.

Special Correspondence Of The Republican.
Los ANGELES, CAL, Feb. 10.-Your cor
respondent has crossed the Wahsatch range of the
Rocky Mountains and the Sierras, and realized a
day dream in seeing California. The relief and
delight of looking upon woodland and harvest
field once more after long and weary ride of over
a thousand miles, through most of Nebraska, Wy
oming, and Nevada, surrounded on each hand as
far as the eye can reach with arid, brown wastes,
is as great as looking upon the verdure of the En-
erald Isle after a monotOnouS sea voyage. Wheat
fields as extensive as the famous Dalrymple lands
of Dakota, golden with the harvest, lay all about
Sacramento and the vast pear and orange orchards
and vineyards stretch mile after mile Then we
reach the borders of San Francisco Bay which is
so extensive as to be be able to hold 1t is said,
every vessel, great and small of all the world at
once, and then we come to the famed City of the
Golden Gate. We had rather a cold greeting in
San Francisco, although we arrived in the middle
of August, and heavy winter clothing became at
once necessity. 1t is never warm here, as the
Philadelphians would call it. The beauties of the
city have often been described that your readers
would surely not be interested i'll having them
again set forth here. Even our trip TO China
town which, by the way, lies in the very heart
and centre Ofthegreat tmetropolis-would not seem
a novelty. We had been many days in the city be-
fore this visit. My travelling companion for the
time being and myself had been very assduously
labOred with by gentlemen formerly Of Pennsyl-
vania, who used every known argument
AGAINST THE CHINESE
and against further immigration, many of which
arguments we had heard in the East and We're
now emphasized as much as possible. When we
endeayored to rebut some of these arguments with
views that seemed TO us sound they would say,
"Well, wait until you can see for yourselves, and
you will think we do" Every evil was held up
in its most offensive light and We were prepared
to witness sights of filth and degradation and
squalor such as we had hardly dreamed Of So.
under a sergeant of police, instructed to give us
the full benefit of the worst sights, we went into
cellars under pavementS, into sitting places, and
into garretS, bywayS, opium dens gambling hells,
Joss House and every other kind of house, into
eating saloons and back yards and whereYere we
were led by good sergeant for felt perfectly
SAFE even in the presence of scOwling ruffians,
under his care. IN some rooms only ten By twelve
feet i'll size we were informed that as many as
thirty men slept. My companion i'll this trip, an
influential Philadelphian, whom L mentioned in
my last letter, and myself were convinced fully
that there is not people ever met who in such
abject poverty these would be SO courteous,
so cleanly, SO free from everything objection
able as far as outward appearances go. To
be sure we did find some sitting places.
The opium smoke in some rooms was very
dense, and in many houses the tenants are hud-
died together like cattle in a car; but a walk
through the privacies of Alaska street, methinks,
would reveal more distress. more filth, and more
promiscuous huddling together. Then, is not the
American landlord TO blame partly for this Has
the board of health no responsibility? Every one
with whom 1 have talked acknowledges the
Chnaman to be faithful, industrious, patient, So
Der, and cleanly, i'll short,
The BEST OF SERVANTS.
But as the President has so recently made a trip
through chinatown the country will doubtless
in time know his opinion Of the great Chinese
question. 1 have not very much hope for
the evangelization of the Chinese in this
country, although many denominations, as
we'll as the ROmanists, are exerting them
selves to the work. There are too many adverse
influences There is too little Christianity in the
families and in the factories where these people
work. San Francisco is very wicked city, with
very little regard for the Sabbath and too great
greed for wealth, and while Christians with a
here and there, i'll a feeble way teach
one thing, the mass of citizens of called Chris
tan city are by example loudly teaching another
way of living And yet the missionary work
should go on of course. 1t has been my privilege
to visit that grand, great gem of nature
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY,
and i'll company, too, with its discoyerer to the
world, Colonel J. NJ. Hutchings. Starting from
San Francisco in palace car We were soon in
Stockton, where We remained over night. A
gentle Englishman, young lady, and college
boy from New York were the others of our party.
The next night, after good jOlting and a dusty
ride in q stage, We arrived at the Calavras big
trees. And such big trees! On the stump of one
that was thrown over by the first eomers four sets
of couples have danced the lancers, with plenty
of room for the musicians. Through one of the
fallen monarchs, whose heart was burnt out by
campers men on horseback can ride. The OPEN
ing in the side of the slain giant is ninety feet
from the stump, and entering it 1 walked nearly
a hundred fee! toward the top. and finding lad
der leading through knot hole, 1 climbed out of
the tree, which had been nearly four hundred feet
high. We spent nearly two days among these
Hondrous trees, and became moro and more i'm
pressed with their colossal size.
IT TOOK TWo DAYS
from here to reach the valley. The route was via
the Big Oak Flats, and very charming route it is
too. 1t is hard to persuade ones self that rain
not one drop, has fallen since last April. The
foliage of the trees and shrubs is fresh and bcaut
ful and the yellow grass, scattered over hill and
EdlS, gives Olle IIG Oh ndENSSl-Helu
Enormous fig trees, oleanders orchards, and vine
yards come frequently in sight, and many evi-
dences of mining, past and present, continually
appear. About noon of the second day we stopped
under the trees, beside running water to take
lunch and rest the horses before the last pull UP the
heavy grade that would bring us TO the brink of
he valley And when we came to this brink
Stop moment! Forget that we are in a stage,
Look over the rocks which we stand, and take in
)nly that enchanting view. That little silver
hread is a river. So says our charming Colonel
who marshalS this little company. That valley
contains great oaks, although from our standpoint
hey seem merest shrubs. Yonder in the distance
stands old El Captain silent yet majestically elo-
luent of by gone ages; and that fairy fall far to the
light is the Bridal Veil. Now you can realize
what genuine rd's-eyeSriew is, and you can al
most imagine you are out in space. lowering above
newly discovered Garden of Eden and breath
ng what one SO fittingly calls champagne at
All, this view alone is worth two
lays tossing III stage over dusty road, and it
: the crowning advantage of this particular route
nto the valley. would advise all your readers
Who contemplate some time visiting the Yosemite
Valley, by all means take this route via Milton and
he Big Oak Flats, and don't let interested agents
persuade you that any other route new or Old is
lalf as good.
But JUMP INTO THE STAGE AGAIN.
You cannot fly down into the valley, and to get
here by trusting yourself in the hands and under
he guidance of our strong armed 20 whips" is the
afest way. If you can help being enthusiastic,
both as regards the splendid views and the ad-
nirable management of the six horse team as the
narrow roadway hugs the mountain -side twisting
n and out making Z-shaped turns where IT would
eem impossible to keep from flying OFF into space,
rou can do more than 1 could. 1t sometimes
made my blood tingle to see no road ahead of a
harp turn, but instead a precipice thousands of
eet below, and have the driver crack that ten
DOT lash of his and send the horses at full canter
lown, down, with whirl round the corner and
he stage itself groaning as though conscious of
langer. The young lady of the party had made