Telegram-herald., 1888-04-01
THE YOSEMITE IN 1852
Hos THe VALLEY Was DISCOVERED
Ths Exp~ri<aess sf Col Pssria v. Fer u
ta> ExPisE.zloBs al its s.st Depths
aad fhs DsssispEas % 20
GEsna seeafe kase4ss

Ia connection With the views and lecture
given o. he sa5isek of tie leseHllls ard
the Ysll0~stoHs b. Il. II. Ragaa. Friday
sighf. fhs TzL1ssAA- ii zsALD erone0asiy
stated shat Col P. '. Fox related % Af.
RAssn some Of ais sxpefiences Ia Yellow
stone PARK IA 1852, which was IN fact
eileen years before thai region sas ex-
plofsd. II shoald have read instead, the
Yosemite valley. TIE early discovery Of
sklch Col0aei Fox is c0nversant with, and
rssarding ~hich IN conversation
via one Of the fELsszAa- hE2ALD stan
yectsrdAy be z4ss some very interesting
"Reminiscences.
Colonsl Fox went from New YORK State
- Aauposa. I4i.. Ia l.oz and learned the
substance OF shat be relates In regard 70
ths earliest discovery OF tnis famous valley
sad Ia s0ndeFfal falls rom Captain bo-
land Texas ranger, Who "a 1891 organ
izei volunteer company OF one hundred
ueu t. drive 0ut a band OF tDiegiag ln-
aians Hn0 were i0festiug thai Region aad
carrying OF horses. mules. eattls etc. al
tlsttuBa. The expedition, thoroughly Of
<aeiked, armed aud equipped. started alter
Eas Fsscaliy - sgsrs. and followed their
south FORK sith the aaIn stream Of the
Msrced River Here they found a deaerted
rancho, from whence all the lFIoe had hed.
leaving only Two decfeoit Old chiefs. VINO
we're unable 20 get away. They were
bouud ON mules aud forced 10 guide tne
party ia TIE direction the f1gitives
had takea. fne two old braves
conducted them across the noun
ans about forty mules to the upper
valley OF the feosemite. and brought
them 70 Mono Lake. Upon \ high rock
they discovered an Indian sentinel on the
look0at, aud sending out . couple OF run
ners succeeded IN capturing him before he
c0ald give the alarm. They then lighted
torches, pressed forward aud surprised the
whole tribe OF Indians encEmped on Lake
Mono, surrounded them, killed some and
took the rest prisoners, drove them down
into the valley. treated with them aud DIS
persed them. putting al efiectaal check on
their depFeda10ns. Afterwards Captain
Boland became sheriff OF Mariposa county.
Bat what sights the members of that ex-
pediti0n had seen in those gorgeous wilds
where no white man's foot had ever trOd
before. Thsir glowing descriptions OF Lake
Mono, Of the high fails. of tue gorge ZOO
feet deep. OF the Bridal Vsii (ait rwards so
uamedl, and OF al the natural beau
ties OF towering rocks and surging
waters. were so far above and
beyond ali comprehension thSt they were
utterly discreditsd. The matter therefore
remained in abeyance until the following
year when sn expedition WAS fitted out oy a
Mr. Hutchinson. one Of the party who
went over with Capt. Bolsnd. and taking an
artist with them, some rough sketches OF
the scenery were made that so influenced
the people Of Maripcsa that a few years
after still another party OF nine was made
up who went out IN 1855. OF this party
Was Capt. Fox. and bis graphic descriptions
I of the scenes of that charming valley
would all large and interesting volume.
The towering stream OF the principal ial Is,
Whicb the party estimated a. Z. 300 feet, but
which proved 10 be $3.50 feet IL height; the
I bewitching beauties of the Bridal Veil fall,
which they called so feet, but which is
really over 300; the abrupt and solid walls oi
I granite which line the gorge over 1000 feet
above the stream, the winding river TO the
/ plains below and the recsding mountain
on either SIDE, the placid lake ol
Mono, away up IL the rock bound SUBMITS
above the clouds. and the great Yosemite
I Valley itself $50 named alter the chief o
| that thieging tribe which Boland scattered
requires no less than the perfection OF the
i Photographic art, accompanied by the de-
scriptiye powers OF a Ragan, to convey any
thing ike a proper perception OF thei
/ ceauties TO those who never have had the
| inestimAble good fortune to witness them
After Colonel Foxs return TO Crane
Rapids in 1857 he happened to come across
some sketches IN an English almanac. which
he recognized &C once as having been made
/ By . poor English artist who accompanies
his party. and from these the interest OF TIT
tourists throughout the East was drawn tC
the beauties of this wonderful region-Na
| lures own storeho0se of wondrous scenes