The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1888-05-09
A MOUNT SHASTA.
A Sketch ofTho Imposing PHO.

between the great pines going up you
see the religious dome of Mount Shasta,
its nows and frowns so mixed that one
views it nearly with superstition;
Shasta is ono Of the finest mountains
III America, II naked dome Of roc k.
gravel and perpetual snow, made by Il
transepts, The whole mass standing up
i'll white and dun III crazy-quilt patches
Of triangles Of slow and oYals of rocks
and slides Of loan and gravel above q
skirt Of Oregon pines, which arc Of som
Der green, and seem The kirtle OF Il huge,
muscular, naked man, wearing II clout
of green, as he knecls upon tho plateau
and surveys his brood or moundy peaks
extending around him iii an amphi-
thcater Of 100 miles.
There is but one Shasta, ;tnd lie is q
Sicrra-one Of tho bold range beyond
tho Rockies, overlooking the Orient
West. There is the West; there is
Europe" says the statue of Thomas
Benton at ST. Louis, pointing at the
Same time west.
There is Il county Of California called
Shasta, and " range OF mountains be-
tween the Sacramento river and the sea
is called the shasta range. IT is only q
nights ride or a sleep Of $40 miles be-
tween San Francisco and Mount Shasts,
and IN this ride you rise nearly 5000
feet to Sisson, in Strawberry valley,
from which Mount Shasta's peak is stili
10,8S5 feet higher, or above the sea H.
440 feet.
1t is 10, 0 feet higher than tho Lick
Observatory OH Mount Hamilton.
This is tho power of Mount Shasta
That il rises SO grandly above everything
clsc--not like Pixies or Gray's, ono Of q
largo family Of mountains sitting around
the white tablecloth' or the skies. It
seems the highest when you arc at it,
and looks to be inaccessible. Tho rail-
road keeps winding around its base as a
WllcelbarrOW is guided around the
steeples Of u cathedral. 1t Is more than
twice tho height OF Mount Washington,
and Is seyen-eiglltlls OF the height Of
Mount Blanc.
For 1000 feet the snow slides drop
down its sides, frequently turning red.
Then for 1000 feet lower the inorganic
mass stands like II vulcan amid his Gin
ders. Next for 2O00 feet encamp the
frs where once tho lava licked the
world.
Yet it is only twelve miles from Sis
son, OH the railroad, to Shastl's top,
and women have assembled il, and pant
and grumblo in tho deed less than mon.
In four days there was carried up by
white men and Indians Il copper monu-
ment weighing $500 pounds, which can
be seen 100 miles away. But no signal
pimplcs, 100 feet high, arc like The
warts on Cromwell's head when
Wars like clouds Tint rise against tho sun,
pa ,,,,l. 4. l,i,.,. .,a..,. 80. ,~.x e. -. .-AI- JAIL I'LL
AS l passed Shasta u great white
cloud was trailing from it like u pen
non, called the ''snow-banner OF
Shasta" It was y palpitating, cloud
like wild bird, falling for breath US it
flew, and holding tiptoe to tho peak.
with it's feet i'll snowdrifts, while its
plumage blow outward md away.
There Is q butte, or mountain hump,
lear Shasta $500 feet high, but the
SHOWS, like virgin belles at court, dis
dain to coquct with It and kcepall their
flax, s for Shasta. 1t, too. is Il fine and
stuck-up thing, quite solitary. but thqS
miners call it only Shasta butte, rs ti&S
actors called MI. Greene, when lie conGsS
pared himself to. Shakespeare, Sllak4&S%
pcaro's call-boy. Coming up to ShasEE%9SNs
from the south by the t@ortuous can
Of tho Sacramento, you sec the gfR#8#
mountain vaguely, yet tremenJSS@sSa
but going from 1t northWard, as tM
connective turns often 10 sec it., iSSSsSfssl
stands out naked us before bold &SSS@SaaSSSgXya@SS
the domosticity OF the heavens, kMSsSS&&gss@s
turagc plains Of tho Klamath S3NSsa6E& q
ing below him like II coyerlt1 sSsA9%SyfSN
away ES#ElSNM$s AZ
The Alps too often hide i'll ES&GS%5 s. ESA
ing dews OF Iombardy, but SS&&S$ssssaSS
set III Il sky as limpid us the DlEeSs88AS#s$ SEs
eye Of u babe. Es#NS8$ssaMNS8SS 8%S
How still it is, with that g&AsMza& &sE
mistakable SCAR Of crater, a m S8sSHNSH8
half wide, telling where hell clillsS$SfS%&SS
and vomited its blood and flameE&S&ss5@SaSsMAA
er drunienly for somo spasms 0 S8SsSSsaSsSs
ands Of yearsl Wo have rcsol,E A#SASNS&GS3
he'll is not, but there is ShustIS SsaS9H8S
somewhere must be fire. EE8S&H& 3
Glorious relic OF u time whESSsSS&a8S
was not and Pan was playing ,ND2aSsS
tools OF Vulcan. tho molten Msg&EssS$$asS&g4
Shasta ran away, spilllng westA8S%|s5Hss
to IL range Of mountains, acN&3ls$sESs
ing up to be like Sbasta's GMSSIS$5SSSH5
making only tame miniaturtsIL8SS SSS S8 n
lilo Started. , @S$&EAss%9% K