News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-08-23

A VISIT TO YOSEMITE.

CHINESE, Cal, July "a, 1888.
Editors News and Citizen A party of thir-
ty-four of us who are on our way to the 1o-
semitic are spending the night in Chinese Camp,
so named; the "ROaring Camp" of Bret
Harte. A Polish Count, Z. W. H. Solinsky, is
Proprietor of the hotel where we find very
good accommodations. This Pole came over
in the excitement of the gold fever in 1S49.
A long conversation this evening with an old
resident, one who has lived here and been en-
gagged in mining for thirty-seven years, gave
us a new insight into the ups and downs OF
gold digging, when towns sprang up in day
and decayed almost as rapidly; men struck
gold and were rich they staked it all on a
game of cards and were poor. No man could
be hired to work for another, for each one
staked out his claim and began to wash the
dirt for gold, hoping to become rich in a few
days. The whole river valleys through which
we are passing have been dug over and the
earth carried away for washing.
two days drive, 80 miles of staging,
through valleys and over mountains, some
times in thick dustso thick that the horses are
lost sight of over hot plains which gradually
change to wooded heights, where the trees are
constantly increasing in size, until the pines
reach upward 300feet, and the Sequoia Gigan-
ted attain diameter of 80 feet, through one
of these a road has been cut and our whole
team is within the limits of the tree) and we
reach the grand valley of Yosemite All
around us are awful cliffs reaching towards
heaven 5000 feet; on one side the water falls
5000 feet, 1000 feet at a single leap; here the
water is changed to spray long before it
reaches the rocks below As we crouch in the
cave under the spray of the upper Yosemite
Falls a wild scene of raging wind and water is
before us; when this moves toward us we
crouch lower and closer to the rocks to escape
a severe ducking from the falling spray.
Early in the morning of the second day in
the valley, all the party go out to Mirror
Lake to see the sunrise on the lake. The
faIn nd ara
and when the sun appears deep in the lake
deep impression is made upon all beholders.
Immediately upon the return from Mirror
Lake. party numbering sixty are mounted
upon horses and mules for a grand tour over
the mountains. The first stopping place is |
reached by five mile steep ascent up the |
mountain side, when we stand upon Glacier |
Point 1857 feet above the valley. The whole |
valley lies in diminutive outline far below |
the sides of the mountains on all sides are |
or overhanging walls. The |
mule trail windsup the sides through the can
ons in a zigzag course, where as seen from be-
low it would seem impossible for any living |
being to scale the heights.
A long ride of twenty miles along the mount |
ain sides and through the canons presents to |
our view mountain dOmes, pinnacles and |
peaks, many canons and waterfalls among |
which are the Nevada and Vernal Falls. At |
these falls the MERGED river at single leaps
make 900 and 900 feet respectively, when the
water is dashed entirely into spray through |
which beautiful rainbows are seen.
Words cannot present these grand views to
one who has not seen them. The names can
be given, heights and distances, but the awful
grandeur and sublimity of the scenes, the feel
ngs not expressed, but subdued into silence,
these cannot be expressed on paper. When
gazing upon these scenes the mind is lifted
up above earthly things and the presence and
power of God fills the soul of man. "These
are thy glorious works, Parent of good"
A ii. CAMPBELL.