The morning call., 1893-01-11

and the clearing and road-making in the
valley and grove as protection against
fire have nearly exhausted the funds at the
disposal of the commission"
The needed improvements in the valley
generally will. it is estimated, require the
expenditure of at least 100000, the appro-
Precipitation of which is recommended TO the
Legislature.
A special section In the appendix to the
report is devoted to the recommendations
of committee of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Commissioners that Yosemite 10 be
an electric-light plant
should be used for "'""'""'e"
Illuminating the in :: Jy electric lights.
terror Of the hotel and
the points of interest
il the valley. '''''.''''''''''''''''''''''
When operated from Glacier Point IL
could be made to illuminate, in various
cOlorS the Yosemite Falls. Vernal and Ne
vada Falls. Mount Starr King. Clouds Rest,
aud the various domes and cliffs; and could
be used TO illuminate the fountain at night
with its various rainbow cOlors, and to pro-
duee most novel night effects In Mirror
Lake.
1t is specially suggested that the use OF
electric lights would also do away with the
handling Of dangerous oils for lighting, and
would be much more agreeable TO the guests
of the house, and the lighting up of the
grounds would tend greatly 10 Increase the
enjoyment of the tourists.
But, while the Commissioners are thus
busy evolving plans for securing appropria-
tions from the Legislature and inciden tally
benefting the railroad and the local hotel
keepers and stage lines. the troublesome
ghost of vandalism stalks in and will not
down. Here is soldiers opinion, for ex-
ample:
Captain A. Z. Woods, u. S. A., who made
an official visit to the national reservation
during the summer. expressed himself yes
terday as tied up from giving his opinion
regarding the Yosemite Valley proper.
Il have not yet been asked officially" he
said, whether | consider that the valley
should be given over to the Government or
not, and cannot commit myself 10 any opln-
ion on that account.
Il made my report TO the Secretary of the
Interior. and that has already been pub
li.hed. but, OF course, il did not deal with
the valley proper, except incidentally.
you see occupy a peculiar position as
superintendent Of the reservation, and II
would not do for me to tell all | know
zone thing will say, and that is that all
this talk about cutting timber is misleading.
People might think that sequoia are being
cut down in the valley itself, whereas there
is not big tree within thirty miles Of it,"
Major b. c. Lockwood, who aecOmpaEied
Captain Wood. was naturally not bound by
such stringent official
Tesfip,ony of :srruples. and was
quite willing TO talk
mayor =" u LOCK- of the appearance OF
.cood as to the the valley.
II think" said he
""c p" "'"0S' that The CALL has
."''''''''''''''''''''''''' correctly stated the
condition of things down there, although
others may have exaggerated the so-caiIed
vandalism.
IL don't think the damage perpetrated
amounted to vandalism, which is n strong
word but undoubtedly good deal has been
done to deface the valley.
"0f course. you understand that we were
not particularly concerned with the valley
itself. only making thoroughfare of it.
GAS to the turning out OF horses. great
many are required for the public service.
and the hotel men have to pasture them. If
they bought feed they could not long run
their places. / don't think the horses do
much harm.
"But there has been lot OF underwriting
done by few men interested. with results
that are patent to every one.
Then. again. the hotels there are second
class in the accommodation they afford, and
yet they charge 81 and 81 80 dsy-mOre
than any San Francisco hotel Of the same
class would have the face to charge.
Another point Is the discrimination in
favor Of a particular line of railroad. This
is that running into the valley from Ray
mORd. 1t offers the inducement of thirty
miles less staging, but that hardly accounts
for the fact that 1t gets all the travel A
reason might be found in the fact that the
Southern Pacific Railroad nurses this road
as part Of its system.
'In fact, / would say that though the
vandalism may have been exaggerated the
valley is run in the interest of two or three
men. They appear to do as they please,
although the Commissioners seem to be
anxious to do their duty as far as they
know 1t.
PERSONALLY, | am in favor of turning the
whole valley over to the National Govern
ment, believing that the management of the
Yellowstone Park jusiifes confidence in
that way out of the difficulty"
When Sam Miller, the San Francisco
agent Of the Yosemite Stage aud Turnpike
Company, was interviewed by CALL re-
porter yesterday lie stated that his corpora
ton has no other interest in the valley than
is possessed by any citizen of California.
Said he: 1.-THE valley belongs to the State
of California, and there Is nothing In the
world to compare with 1t. l am inclined to
think that there must be some personal
motive for c. d. Robnson's attacks in The
CALL. How absurd to suppose that any
petty operation OF mans hand would be
made 10 deface so grand q work Of the
Creator. For just the same reason TO talk
about a landscape garden in connection
with Yosemite Is simply ridiculous. The
thing is too sublime; too vast 10 be defaced
or improved.
but one result of all this talk will be to
do an injury to the State of California II
we get the idea into PEOPLES heads in the
East and in Europe that Yosemite Is little
sort OF garden. which can be defaced or i'm
proved. we shall keep thousands of people
away who might have visited the State to
inspect what they had supposed to be an
unspeakably grand specimen of the Great
or's handiwork.
1.-THE statements made are the most out
rageous ever perpetrated. So far as we are
concerned we are simply doing the staging.
1T is true that considerable damage has
been done In the valley, but 1t has been all
or nearly all by the open winter which has
kept the rivers in flood. The water has cut
new channels across some of the valleys
and taken out graceful curves.
But, as / said before, the stories Of the
damage done by vandals and the charges Of
cutting down trees ......,,.,...........:.....::
seem to be the result Sam Miller sans
of spite work. AS for
the complaints of: 'e arc ss"'P'g
heavy tolls and hotel {: doing
rates thew ara simplv