Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-05-25
The roads should be built thoroughlv an.

The roads should be built thoroughly aud
well. The material of the best kind is at
hand. As to the details of construction, Mr..
Hall makes some valuable suggestions. AS
to trails. he points out the necessity for con-
Meeting trail from Glacier Point to Shows,
around the rim of the valley, by way of the
lllouette Fall, and also for {. trail up the
lllouette canyon, from below, to the foot of
that-fall Excepting these, he saw no neces-
slty for more works of this class, for there is
so much else to do of more impoI tsnce. There
Is deplorable lack 10 the valley of good foot
paths to points of interest, and nothing in a
small way would add SO much to the comfort
and enjoyment Of heightened sojourn in the
valley. Walks good and clean there must
be; main ones, away from the roads and gem
orally in shady locations, and avoiding straight
lines, and so laid out as to insure good drain.
age and those on the hillsides should be
paved with stone to prevent washing away in
winter and dust in summer. By all means
abolish or hide all plank walks
BRIDGEs-eRossINGs HOUSES
Should be solid and massive in character in
this valley, of all other places in the world,
and stone is preferable to all other material.
Mr.. Hall describes in detail crossings and
bridges for the Bridal Veil Fall stream, the
river below the Illouette branch, the Teneya
Fork, on the Illouette, and the channels OF
the Yosemite Fork, the latter to be COM
passed by stone causeway or dam across the
whole spread OF waters, its surface to be used
as ford. The waters would thus be dis
tributed, and be but a few isches in depth on
the paved surface, while stepping stones
would afford passage for footmen, or plank
walk on stone piers would answer. The
lower iron bridge he thinks out of keeping
with its surroundings. All drainage under
roads and walks should be by stone culverts.
On narrow roads on bluffs and river Drinks,
he would have stone guard walls. AS there
must be shelter for visitors there must be
houses in the valley, but they cannot add to
the scenic effects. The ideal house for Yo.
se2ite should be of stone. Cottages should
not be in conspicuous places, and no houses
should be near falls or main points of view.
The source OF the present water supply is
approved.
GENERAL TREATMENT.
About the buildings do not attempt any
urban or suburban garden or bed work effects.
Have good clean firm front yards, without
tences with native trees, and with grasses
and shrubs and native flowers further away
and on either side. If there must be fences,
let them be of wire, or heavy rough timber
and not painted. Permit no whitewashed or
white painted fences, posts, poles, or tree
trunks. Hedges there should be none; ave-
nues or rows of trees do not permit. Plant,
where at all for landscape effect, native trees
and shrubs. There should be groupings of
native trees and shrubs about hotel surround
iDgs, to familiarize the visitors with their
names and appearance. Most of the heavy
growth OF pines, willows, etc., occupying
space unprohtably, should be thinned out
and cleared away, leaving clumps OF willows,
slders, and other suitable soft wood trees in
the low grounds, in disconnected irregular
lines, so as to divide the meadow land into
the several tracts which it naturally appears
to be divisible into but the great body of
the low land of the valley should be returned
to grass, and not suffered to become an i'm.
penetrable thicket. So. also, the higher plain
timber in the valley should be thinned out
judiciously. Where young trees Of decidedly
different habit have grown up together in the
same group or small woods sndit is desired to
clear some away, determine beforehand the
character which the resulting group is to
have, and cut accordingly,
OTHER MATTERS.
Mr. Hall next treats of agricultural use
and development, and thinks the chief growth
should be hay grown in available land by
irrigation, and he would convert much of the
natural meadow and fern land into grass
meadows for utility and beauty alike. The
problem of forage supply is one of the most
important the Directors have to deal with
He thinks !, 800 acres in the valley may be
cultivated and made to yield two tons of hay
per acre and afford much pasturage besides
The meadows should be sown with a good
mixture of the hardy grasses grown for hay.
Water meadows are the main stay of stock
raising, and with proper preparation as to
disposition of bitches and drains, and form of
surface, the labor of conducting the irrigation
is but little else than simply turning on and
turning off the water, and repairs to the
meadows are seldom required but unskilled
irrigation on large scale in the valley might
and probably would detract from the salubrity
of its climate and purity of its air ; whereas,
if the lands are properly prepared and drained,
Lo such result will follow. 1t will not do to
attempt irrigation in the Yosemite valley by
simply flooding the natural meadows and
other low lands. It will not be necessary to
bring all or half the meadow lands under cul-
tivation for some years 20 come, but plans
should be made with view to extension.
OVERFLOW.
Finally the engineer considers the de-
structive tendency of the river, and what
steps should be taken to prevent overflow,
which annually occurs on a large portion of
the available meadow lands. He would not
build levees, but would first bring the river
into good condition, clear cut distractions
channel that should be deepened and straight
ened, and to that end would use training
walls of stone and fine brush and spurs and
cross dykes, all inexpensive and simple, but
to be systematically and judiciously located
and cared for. He would Iot advise the
spending of much money on any river work
until it is determined just what disposition
is to be made in detail of the whole lowland
property. He believes detailed plan neces-
sary, and, in conclusion, says: "Our prob.
lens are greater, necessitate more exact
treatment, and cover more of range, topo-
graphically and technically, than l had sup
posed. l can only recommend that you have
Typographical survey made of the valley
lands. and regular project drawn up for
their development. Without it you may go
on spending money and never be satisfied
with the result; with such plan you should
be able to make every dollar effect its pur-
pose fully and efficiently towards the desired
end"