New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

THE PACIFIC COAST SCENIC TOUR. BY Henry T.
Finck. with Illustrations. limo. PIP 300. Charles
Scribners Sons.
Mr.. rinck has enrolled himself among the most en-
thusastic admirers Of southern California. which ne
exploits In this volume in almost rapturous way,
end concerning which he presents facts well caicuIaeu
10 corroborAto all his assertions regarding tnc 1ee
American Paradise as he calls this region. having
fully explored the southern counties OF California IN
ciuding Santa Catalina Island, he gives an animated
end appreciatve though duly restrained skc'ch Q. 'c
tourney to and through the Yosemite valley Wisely
refrainng from all attempts to represent III VIRUS '
most magnificent sights Of that excursion, s"ch as 'e
views from Insptrsaion Point and that from "acier
Point. But, indeed the Yosemite VaIiey' mort pr
hans than any place under the baies and defeats
aescrption II is impossible TO realize, without actual
sight the effect for example, OF the ssupehaous wall
Of Fl Capan or that of the spaces and heights OF the
valley generally. Much the same may DC sad OF inc
BiR Trees the of which looms upon the visitor In
the most amazing and awc+nsprng manner no matter
how familiar he may he with the statistics OF their
dimensions OF the Yosemite Valley no paintihg vi
photograph gives any clear notion The hrst inprcS-
aion OF the visitor is that all he sees Is absolutely nc"
10 him. The elimination of light color, ana ABOVE
Al sense of space from all the Photographic pictures
really causes them to misead instead OF sugges.lhe
In such cases photography is worse than dead failure
Ar n conveys absolutely false impressions MT.
rtnck tudiciousy abstains from entering upon as
cusson as to the origin Of the Yosemite Valley but nc
appears TO lean rather to Professor whitneys pcory
Than to that Of King Muir, etc. The hypothesis VI
siacier action is doubt attended with dimcui'es
Int surely the evidence for it is full compared with
that for Professor whtney's idea-for which, indeed'
there is literally evidence whatever.
From Yosemite Mr. Finck went to San Francisco,
where he was shocked to find that many restaurant
keepers do not ostensbly keep California wine though
they sell It to their customers under French laDeS.
No doubt this fraud is pactised, but 1t Is the aut OF
w~~,nn ixza1l fan fhAV
California wine, though it is better than nine
tenths Of the foreign wines obainable by Them bn'
Mr. Fnck would also have discovered, had he looked
far enough, that San Francisco has many GOOD resu
rants where the native wine Is served regularly anu AZ
many Of them served without the nominal charge HIS
examination of San Francisco however, was evioch'y
porfunctory and his observations on that city are
CORRESPONDENCE loose and thin. He next travelled 10
Lake Tahoe but missed some Of the finest scenery on
tho route by crossing tine Sierras after dark IL is
pity he did not arrange his trip as to see the superb
view from Cape Horn. He passed no time al All III
the Sacramento Valley, indeed and his book has nothing
to say Of this one of the richest and finest parts OF
California the climate and fertility OF which Ger
tainiy are not eclpsed by those of the Southern co
tries Mr.. Fnck, like most other tourists seems 70
know nothing of great FoOtHill region, which Is
really the garden space Of California; which possesses
perfect climate; which Is not dependent entirely upon
irrigation and which produces all the sub-tIOpicai
49,
Eastern visitor wrote up this fine part OF the STATE
for II certainly deserves much more attention than 1t
has received from outside.
Mount Shasta visited by the author, who then
went on to Portland, Ore, and enjoyed the noble
scenery Of the Columbia River. Afterward he passed
to Washington and "did' Tacoma and its neighbor-
hood, and Puget Sound which has been called-by
no means happily-the American Mediterranean He
made brief trip to Alaska-the regular round In fact.
Just Sitka and the Muir glacier, stayed day or so
OF Victoria vancouvers Island and then made for the
Yellowstone Park. by the way, speaking OF Victoria,
Mr. Finck falls into curious mistake. He says that
owing to the Japan Current the climate of the island
is similar to that Of Southern England, snow being
almost as unknown as in Southern California" This
is very wild talk. AS matter Of fact the Kara Srvo
does not touch Victoria, Mr.. Ffnck would very
soon have realized had he tried to battle there. The
climate really more nearly resembles that Of New
York than that of Southern England. snow falls
nearly every winter, and often lies from to two
feet deep for several weeks In the open country 1t
would be strange indeed If Victoria, which is 1000
miles north Of Southern California should have the
same climate as the latter. Mr.. Finck visited the
Yellowstone Park, and was much impressed by IL.
His account of the whole tour should stimulate in
tercst In the beauties of American scenery; and his
equable style makes his description easy reading.
Tho photogravure Illustrations are fair.