Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-08-01

erything is perfectly safe from dew,
rain or moisture if left out of doors.
There was little fruit growing in this
use. At one place where we stopped
a lady was watering her yard, and,
learning that the tall Yankee in the
partyswas from Vermont, she gave
me some peaches and showed me a fig
tree that was seven feet in circumfer
ence and loaded with figs. The tree
was 80 years from the setting. The
year has been-dry and the wheat crop
| is below the average-from 10 to 40
| bushels to the acre.
| We reached the foot hills and
spent the Sabbath in Oakdale, making
our camp in an oak grove. / tied my
hammock to some small trees on
Sunday night, and, quite unexpectedly
to me, the cords on one end OF the
hammock gave out and let me down
with considerable violence, but [ man
aged to begin my nap about where 1T
was broken off andSslept till daylight,
when I was awakened by an unpleas
ant noise and saw ione of our party in
light marching orders, SO far as dress
was concerned, stoning a mule. [
asked what the matter was and learn
ed that the ugly. beast of burden had
eaten out the straw from under the
man entirely and had finally taken
hold of his foot, and. would have soon
devoured that if George had not OBJ
jected and got rolled up about it. In
spite of my solemnzand sad state of
feeling I was obliged to.snile with a
deal of emphasis. We were not far
from church and it is probable that |
the mule had heard the minister de-
clare that call flesh is grass"
AS we advanced on our journey we
got into the region of the "big trees"
One pine5 measured 26 feet in girth /
where it would De cut off if felled; an
oak that was Is feet. Later we came |
to the region of.the big sequois, one
of which had been cut out above the |
roots was large enough SO we drove
our two horse team through it, and
decided that twol buggies could be
driven abreast through it had the tim
Der been cut away little more. The
size and the length of these trees is SO
marvellous that [ hardly risk my rep
utation in giving facts and measure
ments.
We at length reached the top of the
leage, Or more properly, the noun
tain. [ believe the height is estimat
ed to be some 5000 feet above the val
ley below and a precipice at that. One
of the young ladies in the party be-
came alarmed and l suggested that
she caution the driver to be careful
and not overturn the wagon and
break our Jamaica ginger Ebottles and
spill the beans we had prepared for
supper. The young lady looked upon
me in utter surprise if not contempt
and exclaimed: ''Why, Mr.. Root, don't
laugh! Where do you think we should
be if we went over into that abyss?''
We wound our way along down the
side of the precipitous- cliff in a most
dangerous way until at length we
reached the valley near the base of
Ell Captain one of the great wonders
of the most remarkable spot. I had
read that it was $500 feet up its al
most perpendicular sides, but had no
idea of it's grandeur. [ awoke in the
night and the moon was shining on
the face of the mountain far above me
and fell on my knees at the foot of
the trees under which we-slept and ex-
claimed: ''Lo, God is here! Let us
adore!" My mind was filed with
rapture of Joy at the most sublime
sight that greeted my vision. Bridal
Veil Falls and Ribbon Falls were not
far away and most beautiful in the
dim light.
AS we were to remain in the local.
ty some days we found good camp
ing place in the valley, prepared for
the Sabbath and on Sunday eve were
visited by several of the many who
were in the valley as we were, for
the sights and wonders, among whom
was a pastor who preached a good
sermon.
In our front in plainest view was
Yosemite Falls, considered the finest
in the world. Thesstream as it leaps
over thei precipices above is 35 feet
wide and the first fall is called 1900
feet. At one time while we were
looking at the upper heights the wind
caught and swept the whole stream
away into the air-a.. thing, it was said,
that had not occurred before in fifteen
years. The middle of the fall is a cas-
cade 626 feet long and the lower falls
400 feet.
Yesterday we went to Glacier Point