The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-08-04

thinking it most beautiful and inter-

linking it most beautiful and inter-
sting.
Firstly. the Pacific Ocean, the
1reatest body of water on the globe,
rolls at your feet. From its depth you
may gather fnny trophies of your
skill. On its bosom you may sail. In
its water you may battle any month in
the year. Beautiful to look upon, it
also affords variety Of sport and
recreation.
Scattered along the coast Of Los
Angeles, Orange and San Diego
counties. are dozens of little hamlets,
each possessing its own peculiar
charm.
Port Ballona, where the fishing
grounds are the main attraction.
Redondo Beach the leading seaside
resort, fully described herein as one OF
the seaports reached by the Southern
California Railway. Long Beach,
Anaheim Landing, Newport. Laguna,
Arch Beach, Mussel Cove. Dana's
Point, San Juan, Oceanside, Carlsbad,
Encinitas, Del Mar, La Jolla Caves,
Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, and last
but not least, Coronado, completing a
galaxy of resorts, at any one of which,
may be found stretches Of smooth
sandy beach, pleasant hooks, and
miniature capes and bays, curious
pebbles and beautiful shells, and at
which may he enjoyed boating, bathing,
on fishing. At nearly all the places
mentioned are good hotels for the &C
commodation Of visitors.
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY.
From little folder entitled "a sum-
nler tour through the Yosemite National
Park via. the Southern Pacific Rail
road" we take the following:
This famous valley lies in the heart
of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, $50
miles nearly due east Of San Francisco
in an air line, the route as travelled,
however, being ITO miles greater, 200
miles of this distance being covered by
rail and the balance by stage.
The valley was originally called by
the Indians, "Ahwahnee," also "Y oha-
mite but the name as now written,
Yosemite, will doubtless stand, its
Specification being a ''full-grown grizzly
BEAR
The principal features of the Yosem-
tie and those by which it is distin-
gui.hed from all other known valleys
are: First, the near approach to
verticality of its walls; second, their
great height not only absolutely, but
as compared with the width Of the
valley itself; and, finally, the very
small amount of talus or debris at the
base Of these gigantic cliffs. Either
the domes OF the waterfalls Of the
Yosemite, or any single one of them
even, would be sufficient in any Euro
pean country to attract travellers from
far and wide.''
While we would all like to know
what occasioned this mighty cleft in
the Sierra, we have not gotten, nor are
we likely to get, beyond conjecture.
Whether it was washed out by the
streams, on. ground out by the ice mills
of the glacial period, or whether the
bottom fell out. and where it fell to,
and what made the hole that the bot
tom fell into, are all points that have
been carefully discussed but never
settled.
But the fact remains that here is a
valley, not only wonderful in depths
and heights, but in its carved water
quarried recesses and mountain walls.
that exhibit new beauties in every
receding angle and cloud-supportine
buttress.
During the spring and early summer
when the yet deep SHOWS Of the high
Sierra are melting rapidly, there are
many waterfalls pouring down the
precipitous sides of the valley. AS the
season advances, several of these
cataracts dwindle away until they
become almost imperceptible trickles
Of water. One who has only seer
these torrents in their full and males
tic flow can with difficulty comprehend
their almost total disappearance. Ano
one who looks on their shrunker
proportions in the late autumn ha!
even more difficulty in picturing tt
himself the captivating spectacle pre-
sented by the falls in their season o
splendor. However with the excep
ton Of the Yosemite Fall, which il
some years vanishes almost completely
the more voluminous Of the cataract
never diminish so much as to lose theil
stately attractiveness.
Taking them in the order in which
they are generally seen by visitors t.
the valley, the principal falls are nance
as follows:
Bridal Veil, Ribbon, Sentinel, Yos
omite, Royal Arch, Tooloolaweack To-
Illillonette), Vernal, Nevada an
Cascade.
Although the great fame of Yosem
lite is largely due its unrivaled col
location of waterfalls, still if thos
torrents were altogether absent, tn
place would be without peer as
soul moving example of nature
handicraft. The walls of the vale
are a succession of granite forms S
stupendous in their magnitude, S
varied and eloquent in design, an,
endowed with such exquisite harmon,
in their general composition, that tn
beholder is inspired with sens
Of being in the abode of superna
majesty.
They are not evenly continuous, bu
are broken by deep recesses an
enormous jutting points. Thus ar
formed distinctive divisions, eacl
having its peculiarly characteristic
kind Of magniiicence. The NOR
prominent Of these divisions have bee
named with greater or less degrees 0
fitness and originality. Surprising tina
one is entering the valley from tn
lower end where the stage and othe
roads enter, tho order in which thes
grand divisions will be passed is a
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