Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-16

q rOmdnIlC WlICucTy. "A HlgnJ spent at
this delightful place, followed by a trout
breakfast, is thing to be pleasurably
recalled as long as memory shall hold
its seat. There is a detachment of
United States cavalry here, who picket
their horses ON the banks of the Merced,
and the officers, of course, contribute to
the limited society of the place. The
artist, Hill, also has his studio at Wa
wona, and it is graced by views of the
Yosemite valley that possess much
artistic merit and a vraisemblance quite
remarkable to the objects sought to be
depicted.
Absorbed in the details of the route, l
had almost forgotten to state that, as
our party descended to Grants station,
we met Governor Markham, his secre-
tary, Higgins, Hervey Lindley and 9TH
ers on the stage coming up the grade.
If hilarity is any outward sign of an
inward and invisible grace, begotten of
extra dry Mumm, or some acceptable
substitute, then 1 think l may safely
say that the party had looked upon the
wine when it was red, or that, if it were
white wine, that it had at least moved
itself Alright. There was certainly moth
ing dry about that crowd, and it looked
and acted as if it had struck all the
cadences from "Now let every bachelor
fill up his glass; down to "For he's
jolly good fellow" But perhaps it all
lay in the rare mountain air, and the nu-
merous empty bottles that were still
lying around Liedig's had nothing to do
with the joyous chorus that proceeded
from the home-going stage. The gov
ernor and his party were in the valley
nine days, and hurried glance at the
goodly company satisfied us that the
commissariat department had been at
tended to by experienced hands.
THE JOURNEY TO INSPIRATION PoINT-uNDER
DIFFICULTIES.
Refreshed by sound sleep in sweet
clean beds, the tourist takes an early
start for the Yosemite. 1t so happened
that our party was allotted an open
stage. We were told that the condens-
ing vapors which began to crvstalize on
hair and hat were a mere mist, which
would shortly lift under the influence of
genial sun; but, instead OF lifting"
they steadily grew more dense. After
awhile it began to rain pitchforks. This
was succeeded by cats and dogs, and
this last by hammer and tongs. Finally
the rain became so intense that old
Noah's food was brought out of the dim
adumbra of ones memory of early Bibli-
cal reading, and one took solid satis-
faction in knowing that one was six or
seven thousand feet above the datum
plane, and would thus probably not be
obliged to intone the old refrain, ooh
Noah, won't you let me in? which is
an appeal made to to the original "oner"
in an aquatic sense, to fall back upon
the felicitous phrase of the 'Marchion-
ness'' in ''Old Curiosity Shop" And it
rained, and it rained, and yet again it,
rained, until every man and woman of,
that party-all in fact-felt that,
to quote Mantalini, they were 'sdem'd
moist, unpleasant bodies" But all
knew that great treat was in store and
they kept good hearts. The writer, and
an able-bodied Slavonian who occupied
the back seat with him, took an unfair
advantage of the rest of the crowd. Sew
eral stout bottles were packed securely
in valises which were conveniently on
hand, and if those two were wet to the
skin, as they were, good counter irri-
tant under the skin kept everything
lovely. But truce with badinage,
however historically correct!
A turn in the mountain ascent
brought us to the place which has been
happily named Inspiration Point"
Here the driver very properly came to
halt. Description of wonder like the
first sight of the Yosemite valley is
task far too ambitious for my pen. On
the seventy or so odd miles of staging
which intervened between Raymond
and this capital point of observation we
had passed many enchanting spots and
enjoyed innumerable enrapturing views.
But here was coup dell which would
have given new energy to the brush of
Michael Angelo or Raphael. Even
the most explosive human being,
face to face with this marvel
of nature, has no desire to indulge in
explosive epithets. He is hushed, if at
all imaginative, into an ecstasy of ap-
probation. First there is the valley
itself which, if he is at all perceptive,
wins from him glad recognition. Its
gentle and vernal beauty are indescrib-
ably interesting in contrast to its majes-
tic environment. Through it flows the
swift Merced, with more than the brawl-
ing rythm of the Arkansas in its royal
gorge, and cleaning even under the
lowering clouds in silver radiance. AS
was right under the circumstances, dur
ing our brief halt at Inspiration Point,
the descending sun showed his face for
moment through rift in the clouds.
The effect was magical. To the left
was the tremendous cafon, with its
river, leading up to Ell Captain. This
giant bluff suggests every noble facade
OF every marble building one has ever
seen multiplied hundred fold. The
Palace hotel of San Francisco, sixteen
or seventeen times as high and ten