Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-09-19
WHOLE NO. I0,429.
NOTES OF A SUMNER TRIP.
Legends and Dissertations of Travel
EeYnnl tho Sinrrns

Legends and Observations of Travel
Beyond the SierraS.
Eps. RECORD UNION l wonder If YOU
valleyites will condescend to listen to one
who has passed by the delights of Archers
Camp, ignored the attractions Of Blue
Canyon, neglected Sacramentos fAvoritc
" Soda Springs" rolled down from the sum
nit and lodged in tins little rocky glen"
in Nevada, which, being as different as pos
sible from its low, tropical, fertile, mala-
rous, sea-girt namesake, is called Cuba. 1t
has lis history and It's legend, as every
mountain glen laying any claim to interest
and reSpectability should have.
THE LEGEND OF CUBA.
Long, long ago, farther in the past than
any one can remember, by one ofthose grand
geological disturbances it sunk down among
the mountains, and, lost to humanity, be-
came an abode for the fairies. who, by
some of their mystic spells, tapped the lake
and drew shining river down the rocky
reccsSes. charmed the fish till swarms Of
them We're enticed within It's waters, caused
the sta.eliest pines to grow, planted the
daintiCst grasses and freshest ferns in Sc
ciuded hooks charmed away the winters
cold and tempered the summers heat, IN
short took up permanent quarters here
Right happily they lived, until Uncle
Sans children took il into their heads to
flock westward. and party uf cm grants
drittcd into the vale and, delighted with its
peace and plenty, c4mpcd for lha summer.
IheE was there
CONSERVATION AyoN5 THO FtWIE-.
Then the fairy king summoned the god
Of storm 20 his aid and s-rewej the glade
with rocks, destroying It's grasses and her
yics the rocks still rumaiu u- evidences OF
his royal wrath. Constantly recurring
floods and showers drove the enemy away,
leaving The fairy tribe for the time We
toriouS. But when, few years later, tho
Pacific Railroad persisted in leading its
snoring, putting iron horses through the
select AMI secluded nook and bridsingth their
dear river. the disgUsted Sprites gave up the
contest and retired up the nights, where
they are Suil intrencbcd behind rocky
parapets on Witches Cliff" a steep preci-
pice rising some thousand feet above the
river on the sunset side of the glen. Far up
on its face can be seen the walls and spires
of their stronghold, where, on moonlight
nights, they fit about among the shadows,
and during storms the lightning turns
pine tree into 4 column OF flame, while they
dance around the magnificent torch. On
the top of another cliff you can see fairy
ship fully rigged showing that they are
preparing to sail away.
The legend adds that once only once,
human being ventured into their charmed
precincts. A wOman-a Boston excursion
ist l think, though the legend does not
positively state-impelled by the curiosity
of her sex, spent weary hours climbing to
their abode, only to be seized. chokcd TO
IL. - l. u. =
rock hanging above the river. where il still
| remains, the strangling clothes plainly
visible, petritied warning to oyer-zealous
! curIOsityseekers
EVIDENCES OF HUMAN THRIFT
are in the asccndency now, though as [
have said, the scattered rocks and barren
ness invoked by. the enragcd sprites are
| still apparent, rs is the rocky city standing
| out of the face of &" Witches Cliff" and il
| requires no great stretch of imagination to
| distinguish the petriiied women and the
! fairy ship, while a cave up the canyon,
! doubtless once the residence Of a fairy
| prince, is now a battered palace. a great
| dam across the mouth OF the canyon open
! ing into the glen, holds q reservoir ofwater
| whose chief business it is to freeze in
winter furnishing supply of ice TO the
| Mountain Ice Company while the People
| Ice COmpany's reservoirs are q little way
up the river. Altogether acres of ice are
ready by winter to be harvested-plowed,
| if you viii believe it, in squares to facilitate
| cutting, then sent flying down a tume to
the four great warehouses. where an end
| lcss-chain elevator run by steam
slows it away, under its sawdust
wrap ready for sumner shipment.
! The harvest is over long since, and this is
| the dull season. still, the glen IS by no
| means deserted. The heart of the settle
| ment seems to beat in Bocsy Glen Cottage
the home Of the Jolly byijge-watchmar.
Father Mosher (5ette- known to Sacra-
mentans as former pro; .etgr Of the Blue
CANYON House ~, and his wife and black
eyed daughter and fun it radiates
geniality and hospitality always char
iStiC of mountain communities ShN
that their icy occupation has not rciite. .
on the hearts OF the people. IL IS the
gion where
ICE-CREAM AND TROUT ABOUND,
Through the latter seem still under the
| protection of the fairies, 50 shy are they
and 80 hard to catch. But when you do
get one, what q beauty he is with sea-mOss
tints on his speckled skin and sweet, white
meat within it. We have bad several
thunder-storms through the summer,
and q special exhibition in the
shape OF q cloud G-DuISt destroying TWO Ice
dams and bridge, covering the glen with
debris, the railroad track with logs, and the
men who guarded the threatened dam with
glory.
BOCA AND VICINITY.
A few minutes ride up the road brings
US to Boca. of beer notoriety. Really from
the piles OF lumber and tanks of beer ready
for shipment from this point, one would
think that both the human family and the
pine-tree family were in danger of being
extermnated The extent of the beer
business is something to wonder at. Such
stretch of great buildings; such quanti-
ties of barley; such . lot Of machinery, and
such a crowd Of workmCn The BOCa
Hotel, situated upon pleasant rise above
the town, makes pleasant home for sum-
mer tourists. A ycr6nda, smooth and
broad enough for moonlight dancing, over
looks the town, the river and wooded
hillside. The house is well kept and
during the summer entertained a number
of Sacramento people A Saturday
party was the attraction just then-a reg
Ular country bell-where stereotyped
phrases and set smiles were unknown,
and quiet iollity ruled the day-or night.
TOURIST.
Marked Trout.