Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-13
MONDAY. JANUARY 1s, 1890.
Yosemite Under Fire.

MONDAY. JANUARY IS, 1890.
Yosemite Under Fire.
The January number of the Century
Mu0uz;ne has three contributions from
gentlemen who have visited Yosemite
Valley, and who are very severe in their
criticisms OF the way in which the State
Commissioners have managed that won
derful public reserve. They all agree in
the fact that trees have been felled with
out the slightest regard to their effect
upon the landscape; that the valley is
ipdiscriminately trodden over by
horses and cattle; that the hotel
is cheap and tawdry; that pig
styes offended the public sight and
nostrils; that the natural flowers of the
valley have been. ravsged by sheep and
man; that there has been no competent
person appointed to lay out roads through
the valley with q view to general de-
sign to give the best and most striking
scenic effects to visitors; that the guard
ian is changed with every change of ad-
ministration, and that therefore the good
work one may do is marred by the bad
work of his successor that wise rules are
not enforced, and that the whole place
lis run in q slip shod way which is result
ing in arboreal vandalism and injury to
the perspective of tie majestic tableau
that looms up three thousand feet above
the picturesque valley.
These are serious charges; but they
are not more sweeping than have already
been made by the press of this State.
An application is about to be made to
Congress to add to the trust of
the California Commissioners the site
of the Mariposa Big Trees and
the deep and beautiful canon at
the head of Tuolumne river. These
critics say, very justly, that if the trust
reposed in the State of California to care
for Yosemite valley has been SO shame
fully abused, Congress will hesitate to
make any further cession of natural won.
ders to the keeping of California. This
brings US to contemplation of
the fact that unless the State
kfs aga tooffssfnsted ofsnt II YOSEMITE M ~1 valley.
Congress may, under the pressure Of a
strong public demand from all parts of
the Union, take back its trust and place
the valley under the immediate care and
supervision of Commissioners selected
by the General Government. Such an
outcome would be mark of lasting dis
grace upon our State, and would reflect
such discredit upon our people as would
prove humiliating and hurtful in the ex-
treme.
The Yosemite Commissioners are ap-
pointed by the Governor. Four of the
twelve 60 out every four years. They
are generally selected without the slight
est regard to their capacity to carry out
the esthetic duties which naturally be-
long to their position. They are either
politicians who have "pull" on the
Governor, or men who have shown no
special qualifications of taste to recon-
mend them to place where love for the
beautiful and faculty for coupling art
with nature would make their services
valuable.
1T is difficult to improve upon the plan
of appointing these Commissioners. 1t
would not better the case if the appoint
ing power were given to the Legislature.
1t there were any way in which the ap-
pointing power could be taken out of
politics altogether, something might be
achieved. The State has spent a great
deal of money in the valley. Up to a
few years ago there was boom every
time the Legislature met in Yosemite
trails. Tom, Dick and Harry had laid
out trails leading to the valley. Some.
times the trails were made for the
occasion, and were foisted upon the State
for enormous sums secured through the
Legislature. Then there were contracts
of various kinds for Improvements in
the valley-for roads and bridges, and
what not. In many cases these were
mere speculative jobs, and there was big
money in them. Again there were hotel
leases, and stage line concessions, and
authorizations for other purposes, all of
which were sought after. Hence a
smart politician with an eye to bust.
ness would be apt, as a Commits
sioner, to look more to the main chance
than to the real ioterests of the State in
serving upon the board. That we have
had sprinkling of this kind of patriots
on the commission is made likely from
the fact that the valley is now in con-
dition to justify the severe criticism it is
receiving from Eastern visitors.
We shall have 70 keep close watch |
hereafter upon the Gubernatorial ap-
pointments to the Board of Yosemite |
Commissioners if we hope to get the |
right kind of men upon it to carry out |
the great trust faithfully and intelli-
gently.
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