Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-15

THE OILERS PARADISE.
For the last few days we have made
very little progress on our journey toward
the big canyons. In fact, we have made
none at all. Nature never devised a finer
resort for lazy people than this same spot
where we now eat and sleep. The balmy
atmosphere, the shade of the giant pines
the sounds of birds beating the air, coupled
with the drowsy notes of insects, all tend
to make a man put away from his mind
the baser things of earth, among which
may be classed the annoyance of living in
town where you are pestered with social
concerns and business bothers, to which
are incidentally added the pests who are
continually asking you to make political
predictions nd:outline the stock situation.
The spot where we now rest Is 5000 feet
above the sea level, with a stretch of
scenery before US which rivals the gran.
deurs OF Yosemite, or. at least, the popular
and ubiquitous chrome Yosemite, which is
thrust under our nose everywhere.
PECULIAR WATERFALL.
a selid wall of rock rises perpendicu.
larly behind us where, three hundred feet
abeye, the trees appear but a green fringe.
We have all settled on the idea that the
rock is three hundred feet high; but Mac,
the matter. of.faot Scotchman, answers us
that the last measurement which was
made by Professor Piummer makes it but
about half that hight. A waterfall comes
down this rock, not shooting clear of the
brink, but following the messy surface all
the way, sometimes spreading out in thin
foam, which clings like lace to the flat
stone, and then gathering in white masses
where the moss is thickest, or gust Of
wiad disturbs the flow. In places the
yellowish and green moss grows in i'm.
mense clusters, and some of the
punches project at least ten feet
from the rock. In August this fall
generally runs dry, and the moss grows
steadily all winter, adhering to the rock
with great tenacity and attaining a stout
growth. The sight of the water sifted
through the notified colors is novel and
beautiful, and something to which nc de.
scription can do justice. Every time
look at it feel that would give all my
interest in the North End mine Ter pho.
tographic whack at this rarest and lowell.
est of all waterfalls. 1t is so far away
from the ordinary tourist routes, and only
accessible by bad roads, that few reach it.
The average tourist who visits Colorado
thinks that he is under bonds to 90 over
the advertised routes, where the thieving
hotelkeeper lieth in wait for his victims
and the gigantic bsd.bug maketh no dis.
tinction between the blue blood of Massa.
chusetts and the baser vitality OF the
wandering Nutmeger from Connecticut.
The man who follows the beaten paths laid
down in the guide books will think life a
burden In few weeks, and after wrestling
with india rubber pies and gutta- percha
doughnuts for trip, will rend his garments
and call upon the mountains to fall on him.
a MOUNTAIN STORM.
Colorado is subject to sudden thunder.
storms which fall literally "from clear
sky" Last Friday we had royal exhibi.
ton of this kind. Up to 9 o'clock there
was no warning. The sun had gone down
In banks of scarlet, the air was still, and
the horizon tremulous with the electric
glow which only tells OF the heat of even.
ing. Even the old pine forest. which
breathes with a steady respiration, seemed
stiffness was presently interrupted by a
rush of wind which caused the branches of
the pines to clash together, and sound
was given forth such az comes from man
Just about to rouse from heavy sleep.
The old forest had awakened. A few
seconds later clap of thunder fell from
the sky, so near that it came almost stimuli.
taneously with the fash of lightning that
caused 1t. There were none of those pre-.
hminary gatherings of rain, or smothered
growls of distant thunder which usually
forerun the storm the tempest had fallen
upon us without note of warning.
and have no doubt but that such an affair
of nature could have stolen march upon
the barometer. At first the rock which
rose behind us was shelter from the wind,
but the direction of the tornado, for such
it grew to be, was changed and the wind
flung the rain against the face Of the rock
until it seemed that each drop of water
must have left its mark upon the granite.
In an instant our tent was mass of col
lapsed canvas, not folded up after the
manner of Longfellow's Arabs, but
bundled along the ground by the wind, and
only caught sight of when the lightning
sent its glare from above. After few con.
tortions and somersaults it was fattened up
against the rock, striking it with sound
that was as loud as the explosion of gun.
AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT.
The lightning which played all over the
sky embraced every known variety that 1
had ever heard or read of-chaip, sheet.
zigzag, and balls of fire. We watched it
as we crouched under the trees. On the
eastern side we had an unobstructed view
OF the heavens which hung over the valley.
It shot up from the horizon and spread
over the sky like q mighty tree, and its
ramifications were met with similar form
alton of fire, which streamed down from
the dome OF the heavens. Cimeters of
flame Glove the black atmosphere. making
the circle of the horizon in a single sweep,
followed instantly by successive relays of
thunder, each Of which seemed to mount
the scale higher and louder than its fell
lows. 1t was literally the voice of God
speaking in tongues of fire. Added
to this was the crash of
the tempest through the forest,
at times rising to prolonged
yell much as the rebel army gave forth at
Shiloh. Occasionally big pine, overpow-
cred by the wind or paralyzed by the thun.
derbolt, would leave its base and crash into
the surrounding ranks. carrying down half
dozen trees with it. The peculiar crack
ling sound caused by falling tree and the
initial notes of the thunder were almost
identical.
EXIT THE TEMPEST.
The row of the elements lasted two
hours, and vanished almost as suddenly as
it came. From pandemoniam of thunder
claps, hurly- burly of lightning q torrent
of rain and confusion of shattered trees,
came, within five minutes, ALMOST the
stiffness which had haunted the woods be-
fore. Little patches of moonlight were
succeeded by starry sky, the trees be-
came again motionless and the old forest
was again asleep. Nothing save the cease.
less drip of water from the branches was
left to indicate what had just taken place.
Hold forgot the old tent and camp uten-
sils which layup under the big rock TWAS
morning when we got these things straight
ened out, and we thanked heaven that the
big rock was there TO stop the tent from
making journey of fifteen or twenty miles.
s. p. d.
DEAN STAyLEY.-Of the late Dean of
Westminster DR.. Field says, in the Euan.
gelist. g / once asked Dean Stanley. who