Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-03-03
YOSEMITE VALLEY AND BIG rRERs

Senate Bill 34s, which grants special an.
preparation of $4,000 for continuing the
work of improvement and care of the Yo-
semitic Valley and Mariposa Big Tree grove,
is now upon the special file of the Senate for
the second reading, and viii probably bs
reached to-day. In this connection it is not
smiss to report the wotk already done by the
present Board of Commissioners, the main
! items Of which are as follows
| The Legislators OF the State of California,
/ by an Act passed March 4, 1881, sppropri-
| ated S25, coo to purchase the trails AID gem
| orally to improve and preserve the territory
within the limits Of the grant of the Yosemite
| Valley and Big Tree grove THE specific inn
provepents indicated in the Act being the
construction of avenues, roads, trails, walks
and bridget, and authorized the present
| Board of Commissioners to receive, receipt
for and expend this sum so appropriated.
The Commissioners at the date of their re-
| port to this Legislature. throagh the Gov
ernor, December Is. 1892 had expended the
appropriation of S25 600 made on March 4,
1881, 10 the purchase and repair of Glacier
Point and Vernal Fail and Nevada Fall
trails, which have bsen made free TO the trav-
cling public; in the building new trail ton
the opposite side of the MERGED river from the
old trails) TO the Vernsl and Nevada falls,
which is nearly completed and opens up new
and rare views of indispensable sublimity in
the repair of old roads, and in the construction
of new road twelve and half miles in
length, around the floor of the valley, includ-
ing eight substantial bridges with massive
stone sbusments and walls, and twenty nine
stone culverts by which TO drain ard provide
egress for the streams crossing the course Of
iris road. all che work done by the Com
uissioners is Of the most substantial ard dur
able character, and the carriage road on the
floor Of the valley, now nearly completed,
affords the graadest drive on earth.
Much of the region through which these
roads and trails have been built was entirely
inaccessible before their construction, because
of the immense deposits of rocky talus lying
in the way; but the siupendous rock and
water scenery they open up 30 the tourist is
an ample recompense for the outlay Of money
required to make them.
The State has now on hand the tools,
horses, mules, wagons, carts, etc needed ia
and purchased for the work already done by
the Commissioners, snd no further outlay is
needed in this direction. II may be here re-
marked that the above improvements and
trails purchased, all of which has been &C.
complished during the past two years. is
many times more than the former Board &C.
complishsd in sixteen years.
The following is q synopsis of the necessary
improvements on the Yosemite trail recom-
mended in the report Of the Yosemite Com
missioners to the Governor, November 1882,
and for which appropriation of S25, 600 is
asked for the next two years Com pletion of
the grand carriage drive the floor of the
valley. to cost, say 81 500; building of the
Illouette fall trail, from the MERGED bridge
up the canyon of the South Fork Of the Mer-
ced river to the top of the Illouette fall, S.
hill IN
building trail from the grand drive on the
floor of the valley TO the foot of the lower
Yosemite fall, $780, building permanent
c4useway from Blacks Hotel to BsrnsId's
Hotel, on the south side of the valley, with
proper culverts. So GOO; widening and i'm
proving the carriage road to Mirror lake, and
carrying it past the chaly beate spring, 81 eco;
building fish hatchery, $500 constructing
bridge across the MERGED river, on the floor
of the valley, nesr the location Of the old
Folsom bridge, now unsafe, S., 900 opening
and improvement Of Indian canyon trail,
$1,000 improvements at Mirror lake, $3.50.
In addition TO these it is desired to purchase
and improve the road from lower iron bridge
to Cascade falls, as q part of the grand car
risge drive CD the floor of the valley and in
the canyon Of the MERGED river-sum paid to
be determined by the Commissioners the
completion Of the Anderson trail, from Mer-
csd bridge TO foot of Nevada fall, So 600;
building trail from Glacier Point, past the
head of Illouette fall, along the rim Of
the valley and MERGED river gorge, to
the head of the Nevada fall, 81 600;
bridge, on las.-nsmed trail, over Iilouette
creek at the top of Iloue.te fall, $500;
bridge over the MERGED river. on sstuamed
trail, at the top of Nevada fall, 81 600;
building trail from the head of Nevada fall,
crossing the Washburn trail, end by the
foot of Cap of Liberty TO South Dome, 50 600;
building steps to top Of South Dome, 81 900;
shortening trail between South Dome
and Clouds Rest, $500; building trad from
SHOWS, up between the Cap of Liberty and
Mount Broderick to inteTsect trail from top
of Nevada fall to South Dome, SO 600;
preservation of Mariposa Big Tree Grove
from destruction by forest fires, for two years,
81, 500.
1855, when the valley was FIRST known, has
been, in round numbers, 80 900. It is a fair
statement that fully two-thirds of this mum.
Der were from the old States or foreign coun-
tries-brought here, perhaps, more to see
Yosemite than from any other attraction on
the coast. These-ssy 000-yisitors to
Yosemite from abroad, each spent in Cali
fornia on an average, it is safe to estimate,
S3GO-wkich would make a grand aggregate
thus brought to and left in the State Of So
GOO, Goo
There were $500 visitors to Yosemite in
1882 Of this number there were from the
old States and from abroad probably not Jess
than 1. 500 These $50 Yosemite visitors
from the East and from abroad each spent in
our State, say S500-making tOtsl expend-
iture in California last year by Yosemite
visitors from abroad, of $3.50, 600.