Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-08-21
Big Trees of Calayeras.
From the PortIand o. west shorl

The ,SequoiHd Gigdnted, common
ly known as the Big Trees, are
one of the greatest instances of nam,
moth growth to be found in the world.
With six feet as the accepted standard
for the height of a large man, one
eight feet tall is exhibited as a giant
How wonderful then, must tree seem
which Is $50 feet high and over 100
feet in circumference at the base. be-
ing three times the altitude and ten
times the thickness of ordinary trees
of large GROWTH The first recorded
discovery of the SequoiRa giants was
made in the spring of 1852 by A. 7.
Dowd, who was employed to supply
wild meat for workmen engaged in
constructing the canal Of the Union
Water Company, of Murphy's Camp,
Calaveras County. He suddenly came
upon the grove while pursuing
wounded bear, and instantly lost all
thoughts of his chase in amazement
at this wonderful forest growth. His
story of what he had seen only evoked
shouts Of incredulity and dcrision
from his companions, which were
turned into EXPLANATIONS of astonsh-
ment when ne conducted them to the
grove to behold the wonder for them
selves. 1t was not long before lovers
of the marvellous began to make pill
grimages to this mammoth grove, sec
tions of its bark were exhibited, the
story of their immensely was spread
far and near, and later, when the
overland railroad was built, tourists
FROM the East and Europe became
frequent visitors to the Calaveras for
est.
Covering an area of fifty acres are
1913 trees, twenty of them exceeding
eighty feet in circumference at the
base. One of these known as the
Mammoth Tree, =" was felled by Dor
ing it off with augers, the task
requiring five mems work for twenty
two days. This tree was 302 feet high
and SO in circumference at the base
Upon its stump, which had been made
as smooth as floor, four sets of CO.
tillions have danced at one time
leaving plenty of room for musicians
and spectators. Other trees which
are still standing are equally enor-
nous The -" Mother of the Forest
is 32l feet high, aud measured 30 feet
around its base before the bark was
removed for exhibition 1t is 1877 feet
from the ground to the first limb. A
short distance from this lies the pros.
trate trunk of the Father of the
Forest, the largest of the group The
circumference at its base is 10 feet
and the FIRST branch is 2G0 feet dis
tant. 1t is hollow, and persons can
readily pass through it walking erect.
1t is estimated, by the trunks of trees
broken when TINS giant fell, that It's
height was 435 feet as it lies 1t is Is
feet in diameter where it is broken off,
300 feet from the roots. There are
many others, some PROSTATE and de-
caying, but the majority still erect
and sound to the core, the larger Of
which have received names generally
significant of some popularity of the
tree itself. Through portions of many
of the fallen trees enc can ride horse
back distance of fifty to seventy-hve
feet. There are the Husband and
Wife, Burnt Tree, Hercules" (95
feet IN circumference and 800 feet
high, Hermit" (31S feet high, "Old
Maid, " :" Old Bachelor" " Pioneers
Cabin" (brokcn off at height $50
feet, and measuring 80 feet in diane
ter at the base, Siamese Twins,
" Guardian, Mother and Son,
" Pride of the Forest Two Sen
tinelS,' Three Graces," etc Six
miles south is another grove of 1, 800
trees, some of them of grander pro
portions than any found in the
grove described, reaching a circumfer-
ence of 1870 feet