The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-09-05
THE VALLRY

a
The sun was four hoprs above the no.
rizon when we came down from tho
hill and emerged from the groves Of
tamaracks into the open meadows.
Though late In the morning, we left our
tracks In the frost on the grass us we
walked along. Presently We came to a
spring, aud from II we drank, after hay.
ilg broken The thin ice WHICH had
formed The night before, and which The
morning sun had not yet melted.
The frost and dew sparkled in the sun.
shine, and we hll with one accord said II
was the first truly spring morning we
had ever seen In California. II was In
July, but none Of the dust and sultri.
ness at July could come into the purity
Of that elevated valley. II Yqs tpnthoH,
sand feet above the sea and all the I'm.
purities OF earth were far below.
There was something so peaceful aud
refreshing In the air, the earth was so
green, and all was so like our country
among the Alleghanies, that with one
voice we said that we would stay there
awhile. We ,staid two days, and we
wished that the two days might have
been two months. It seemed that we
would never grow tired Of staying there.
Not a trace OF human was to be seen
anywhere. No evidence that mans foot
had eyer tr9dden, that valley, II was
nature untaruiShed and unmolested. The
low rim Of hills that enclosed the valley
on every side, shut 1t In and made II a
little World all TO itself. II appeared 10
US like a new Yorld-so different from
the dust and beat and sand Of the plains.
and from the rocks and cliffs add rug.
gedness OF the mountains.
We were impatient to explore this
little.known and wonderful valley. We
walked up and down in 1t all day, and
when night came we were not satisfied,
for we had not seen It all. The next
day we continued our explorations, and
crossed In several places the low rim Of
hills which ENCLOSED the valley 80
when the evening Of the second day
came, we felt that there were few places
that we had left unseen.
The valley contains about six square
miles, and Is mostly covered with trees.
There arc two large meadows, each con.
tanning more than one hundred acres.
A strip'ot timber separates them from
EACH other. These MeaaowBar + treelegs,
and are covered with short grass. tits
the short grass that gives the valley It's
name. The grass is peculiar, and is dif.
ferent from all other grasses ] have ever
seen. tits not more than two inches
high, and is ane as hair. II grows
thick on the grpnnd, aud 10 intensely
green, and soft like a great velvet cush-
Ion. As we walked TO and fro about
over IL, II was elastic beneath our feet,
and reminded us Of a magnificent Brus.
sells carpet, covering q hundred acres.
wish could describe that scene To
others 90 II appeared To- me. Once or
scenery which ! felt could never be de.
scrlbed. The beauty Of this Short Hair
Valley ID beyond mypower To represent
In words. II may be that the state OF
mind that ! was In had something TO do
with the impreaalonthat | received but
surely never before had looked upon q
spen6 20 wonderfully beautiful. Atouph
OF the sublime was mingled with II, Az
we walked along, we could not but stop
every few minutes aud look about uB,
aud say there was nothing else In the
world like II. The air, laden with the
spirit Of the spring, blew softly from the
pines, and q few robins, and few whip,
peorwtlls and nov and then q butterfly
or q bee, few by us, or reSted on the
grass, or on tho few flowers that peeped
II III RnuDh lha Ufaan ofann y iii
Little streams oil water murmured
down the meadows. Inplaceg the wattr
flowed over beds Of white pebblesi but
for the most part II flowed on green tnoSl;
These VAtei courses were quaint and
wonderful. They looked 40 though they
must have been artificial, for We could
not understand how nature could eyet
have designed and shaped Ruehla an Of.
aulslte piece al workmanship. All
Natural laws seemed 10 be reversed.
TtE' BROOKS AHp FArEs
Brooks usually Gov In channels lover
than The level OF the ground. II wal
not 10 hvte-at least, iOr The most part,
The wafer flowed along d little ridge /
few inches higher than the %guttouidlnl
around. 10 stand on one side and 'looE
EaCroes the meadows, theae little walei
counes above the level, reminded the b
the veins showing Of. d pefsqn's hand,
Thebe tiny ridges were formed o
MOD, and al6ngtie center Of thBit TOP
was The small channel, llkaa trough 10,
The water 10 dow ID. The water VA
clear az crystal, and looked One DOWN.
.lStI m. sk-s. a~l.aaaal tfaRiO Ia All