The Dillon tribune., 1881-05-14
LAND OF WONDERS.
4 Visit to One Of the Most Remarkable
Places I'm California Natures Mar.
yelOus Work.

The road from Calistoga to the Fortified
Forest Is one Of the widest and most pic.
tnresque In California. It is rs crooked
altogether as the n,anz,niti shrubs which
fringe Il on either side; it il as narrow as
Foss' celebrated road to the Geyscrs, and
1t Is almost as steep as the trail from the
dollhouse to the summit Of St. Helena. The
effects Of the late copious rains are also
well marked, and u !shout, landslide or {,
disabled bridge is met with at almost every
turn. The level spaces are narrowed into
ribbons and then lost sight Of altogether.
On the one side tho range Of the eye is I'm.
limited, save by the distant mountains and
the horizon, while the slopes on the other
re covered with dense foliage Of varied
hucs. The Forest itself is snugly situated
on the lower sl,,re ri u Lofty hill, AND was
discovered accidentally by hunters. 1t is
within easy distance Of San Francisco, and
can BE- examined in day from s ,nta Rosa
or Calistoga. 1t is also distant five miles
from Mark West Springs, which are pleas
ant'y located in bend Of Mark West
creek, and which, are noted tor their sui
phur waters and the beauty Of their sur
rounding hills. Until ten years ago the
Forest was but little known. Then it was
visited and described by Professors Marsl,
and whitney, and soon afterwards the
ground was located by Charles Evans or
by Pc:r.fvd Charley, as he was better
KIN WI.
PETRlFIED CHARLEY.
An old imam OF Swedish birth, he saw
grains Of gold in TIE solid rocks, and will,
hard struggling and patient endurance he
continued the work Of excavation until |, )
death Living alone in his cabin! with
neither friends or companions, save his
faithful dog ard goat, he toilcd day bv day
With his pick and shovel and having part al
~ cleared the thirsty and asl.cn sol. he re.
maincd until last August the old sexton CT
the cemetery he had ,h,earth,d. Now he
himself having gone, a neat little house. has
taken place Of the once famous c:.bin, the
,yarl has b:en l.arej Of it, brush and a
Young Swedish lady, II niece Of the old man,
acts as guide to strangers ard guards the
trees with the care o. Il shephcr<less Tor her
pet limbs. Near the gate aud just in the
rear OF the LITTLE cottage it museum, and
like that one just inside The gate, Of Pom
leii, here are r. tanned most Of the curiosi-
ti,s which in the neighl<rhecd have b.en
h.. ck,,.1
While coil>d, with blood vessels distinct and
with every detail perfect, was sold BY Char.
ley soon after its disco, cry, b,. there still
remain sp"cn. MS OF the mos; urique ID
wonderful Kind. Pieces OF quartz, rhalcc
don,v, opal, pstritird fragments, blocks o
'nta and other volcanic products are gath
cred IN neat little case, and the nucle,,.
tfa fur more valuable collection in the fl,
tnrc is thereby Termed.
RELICS AND TIE REGISTER.
Here, too, ote may purchase II n,a,,zanit
stick as crooked as a boys first proposition
l" Euclid, and one Of the chaparr..l with
more knots than there ARE trees in the for
est, and us timber as Il stick of India rubber
In the same room is Il tourists book, i,
which arc seen names from every part %
the world, and like the Grand Register q,
Yosemite, furnishes reading SO "reiculou.
Us to BE- lu'licrous, infinite rlatituee, rh, me,
thick as sleighbe!ls in New England win.
tors, flashes Of wit and who'll. nights OF
stupidity" Between the cov>r> are read
the names Of lords, barons, co,li.ts, mem.
lMr> Of Parliament, statesmen, savants and
generals, While :lc nobod;cs fill The Lody
ct the book, and are almost innu,ncrable
nike the custom ut ho:.ls. the tolris,
writes his Maine ;.S hc l,uvCs:, AID t.,en paws
E'r what he has seen. Nine hundred names
were added to the long list last season, and
u 'b,' Il as mat, mere will come during,
the season just q cncd. O,.c n.r>t leave
the museum ard pass through small gate
tn enter the forest. The admission fec is
fifty ccnts'and no one can enter Without Il
guide. Probably ii hundred trees were
wholly or Partially e>cu,a'cd by Charley
before his death. How many vi remain is
unknown. Hose Viii Il. ;,e Nlos.d lie
III two tiers, the area OF tie entire section
Icing onc ttu r,hs of IL mile from ne. III t,
south and one ,n.ly t! GIN cas-: 70 west.
SITUATION OF TIVE THEEs.
The 'rccs Ii. in,b. ded in ,ut;,, >.lrani,
rodurt granular in structure. gray in color.
md If consider bic thieknt S. they arc on
>,.rera! levels and dip generally on an an.
:le.t;b cu, thrt: five degrees. III. dip
i. ne;,rl. the same on every level, ard The
direction varies from umt,, to so,th To
,.r;!.e.st md southwest. Mos, Of ,l.c trees
a,c troll en- a.:>t fray mems are scat. rcd in
Great confusion arom 4. These are gath.
cred up ~ enthusiastic tourists. ard it is es-
t.u.atcd that several tons of rock ar. eacl,
season carried oil. In C::l;>."ga petriitt
wo,t' is seen in almost every yard, and il,
S.,,.ta Rosa Ind ut Mark West Springs i
j. even used to ornament t.>h ponds AN.
;.urtain>. The tire. y. hcM,vtr, should b
carefully protected III the position in wh,c|
they liz, and ii this be done in the fstu,
the demand .Ir relics Nil h. largely in OK
c>,s oi the supply. Tbs :::::,,es. tree wh:e