Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-08

The next morning we repacked our goods
and chattels, leaving three or four hundred
pounds of freight at farm house near
where we camped. at lone City we
stopped while our hunters made few pur-
chases, and while waiting heard our rig
highly complimented by observing parties.
That day we took our lunch underneath a
large oak tree, whose spreading branches
gave us lovely shade. On our right was
a large orchard containing, as nearly as We
could Judge, one hundred acres, wi5h not
particle of fruit, it having been killed by
frost. We passed through Buens Vista,
fording the Mokelumne river az Lancha
Plana After we had taken lunch at that
point and were getting ready to ford the
river, grandpa went on, we supposing he
would wait at the river and cross on the
wagon but he preferred to paddle his own
canoe, and as we reached the brow of the
hill we saw him with his pants rolled above
mis- knee wading the river. As he got
across he flourished his cane above his head
and quite crowed over us. The scenery at
that point is
VERY WILD AND ROMANTIC,
And as the wind made it's mournful music
among the tops of the pines, thought of
dear friend saying once that she was home
sick to hear the wind among the pines, and
we too enjoyed it. We travelled very lei
surely, and so could enjoy and drink in the
beautiful and varied scenery of dark can.
yons and high mountain spurs, with here
and there small valleys that showed culti-
vation, until stopped by the PERCEPTIONS
side of some hill or mountain. All along
our way are scattered these foothill farms
and worthy of all honor are the brave men
and women who are building up these
homes where they are partly, and, in many
cases, almost wholly deprived, at present,
of communication with the outer world. |
wonder if we, on the plains, can realize
the hardships they encounter in wrestling
the soil from the grasp Of trees and the
persistent chaparral. At times our road
was anything but good, and grandpa would
insist on walking down some of the worst
hills, saying he did not wantto go to eternity
| from any such country as that. The rest
of us walked up and down the worst hills
to tighten the load, and one of our horses
got SO he would stop at the foot of hill,
look around as if to say, "Out of there !"
and then strike out and pull bravely. As
we rode
| ALONGSIDE BEAR MOUNTAIN
Our driver told how some twenty.ti years
ago he lost his way while crossing that
mountain, but, after wandering about for
several hours, found Mexican cattle
herder who directed him on the right trail
and to safety. We expected he would sea.
son his recital by giving some hair breadth
escape with bear, from which the noun
tain got It's name, but he humanely spared
us. We reached Murphy's (ifteen miles
from the Big Trees) little psst noon on
the DIST, and were directed to a lovely
camping spot about one mile beyond on
tho 50 Big Tree" road. Here we enjoyed
two days rest. All along our way we found
the people exceedingly kind, extending
cosrtesies with generous hands. There
are lovely orchards around Murphy's but
no fruit, it having suffered by frost like
the whole section through which we
passed. It is the first total failure, and
the people feel it keenly. Timothy hay
and red clover grow there finely. On the
morning of the 24th we broke camp, and,
with lighter wagon, started up the grade
to the goal of our ambition" The Big
Trees" The road up the grade is quite
steep but in good condition, and we very
much enjoyed the ride with its
EVER. CHANGING SCENERY
OF rushing streams, canyons that looked
refreshingly cool in their deep, dark depths,
and riffs in the mountain sides through
which we could look out upon the world
beyond. AS we neared the end of our
Journey we were surprised at the size of
the pines, and felt that sight of them
alone would repay US for all our trouble. Su-
gar and pitch pines from eighteen to
twenty.three feet in circumference, and 30
straight and tall that they seem TO pierce
the very sky. Reliable authorities say
they range to the hight of two hundred
and seventy-tive feet. A railroad through |
this country would open up one of the |
richest lumber sections of the Sierra Ne |
vadas. | think that as one enters the Big |
Tree grove the first feeling generally is that |
OF slight disappointment, but the longer he |
stays tke stronger grows the sense of won
der, admiration and awe. The road lead |
ing to the hotel passes between the 1.-Two |
Sentinels" over three hundred feet in hight. |
The larger of the two is twenty three feet |
in diameter. The eye at first disbelieyes,
but actual measurement dissipates the |
doubt. There are ninety-one named trees |
in the
MAMMOTH GROVE,
Besides number of young ones, that, bar
ring accidents by fire, ETC., are expected in
a thousand years or so to be we'll grown
specimens of the Sequoia Gigantea family.
A dancing. room is built on the stump of
one tree over thirty feet in diameter. We
thought it pretty good sized room
ninety-two feet in circumference. Taking
the actual measurements of the Pride of
the Forest" it is found to contain over four
hundred cords of four.foot wood, and it is
not the largest tree. The Pioneers
Cabin" had large burnt cavity, which this
year has been SO enlarged by workmen,
that stage could easily pass through it
with enough of the tree left on each side
to support it in health. The Father of
the Forest" fallen tree, measures over
one hundred feet in circumference az its
base. 1t was broken In its fall three hun
dred feet from its base, and there measures
sixteen feet in diameter, and taking the
taper of the other trees this giant must
have been four hundred and fifty feet high.
Is it wonder we felt as if we should go
into their presence with uncovered heads
' Emerson is a beautiful tree 1--WE thought
it the finest in the grove), near where we
camped, and it seemed like parting with
a friend when we left. Six miles south
of Mammoth Grove is
THE SOUTH GROVE,
Containing one thousand three hundred
and eighty of the Sequoia Gigantes, some
of which are larger than any standing tree
at Mammoth Grove. The largest is thirty.
five feet in diameter. One of them has
burnt cavity that will hold sixteen men on
horseback. All the trees show marks of
fire at some remote period. Although we
were at the Big Trees between two and
three days, it was very reluctantly we
turned our feet homeward. All along we
had been told we would have to pay exor-
bitant prices for everything we needed at
the Big Trees, and that the people there
had horror of campers. On the contrary,
we found the prices of all things very rea-
sonable, hay being the highest-SS0 per
ton by retail. We bought bread at ten
cents loaf, milk at ten cents per quart,
l. - L 4