The herald., 1893-09-27
A TRIP UP MT. LOWE.
Incidents of Journey from Echo to
tho Higher Peak.

Incidents of Journey from Echo to
tho Higher Peak.
Yesterday morning a well breakfasted
company, consisting of Prof. I. 8. @.
Lowe. Col. Charles Forman, Judge
Waldo M. York, A. P.West and William
H. Knight, left the beautiful dining
room at Hotel Rubio, ascended the great
cable incline to Echo mountain, gazed
with admiration upon the beautiful
scenery spread out before them like a
landscape garden, mounted five we'll
trained, sleek-coated animals, and form
ing a merry cavalcade of mountaineers,
refined their steeds into one of the we'll
travelled bride roads which penetrate
ultimately. after devious turnings and
zigzags and winding in and out, but
always moving on an up grade, eventually
lands the rider on the lofty, dome-like
summit which dominates the Sierra
Madre, and is known as Mt. Lowe.
1t was thrilling ride, even for those
who had before travelled through the
deep, rock-ribbed gorges, under the
ghadow of the bold Irish tower lifting
its tufrets thousand feet into the blue
sky, among the giant pines whose
gnarled roots clasp the mountain side
like a monster tarantula. and whose
horizontal branches project go feet from
their parent stem. 1t was an exhilirat-
ing ride, for the pure ozone, a full D1ile
above the haze and dust of the valley,
filled the lungs with a stimulating, al
most Intoxicating fluid, and the gray
haired boys were as jocund and frisky
as if just let loose from school.
The magnificent vistas of mountain
valley and sea, rock-ribbed canon and
forest-covered slope, the cities and ham
lets in the valley, and the islands firing
ing the ocean shore, constantly ELECTED
exclamations of surprise, pleasure and
delight.
On the summit Prof. Lowe pointed
out the granite lodges forming the
northern buttress like an artificial wal
much of the stone being naturally
squared and shaped ready for the ma.
sons derrick and trowel. Here the
great observatory tower will be located
with terraces at the base, and the greai
hall and dining rooms will be placed
further along on the projecting shoulder
below. The summit can be reached by
mountain railway presenting engineer
ing difficulties no greater than those en-
countered in Rubio cafion, but Colone
Forman, apprecating the grand possi
bilities of the situation, suggested tha
lift similar to the great cable incline
but longer, would materially shorter
the time and distance in reaching tina
point.
"Yes," said the professor, ''and il
would also materially reduce the cost o
construction, for he had already contem,
plated the feasibility of duplicating hi
masterpiece ON the upper summit. bu1
desired to elicit from the practical minc
of the distinguished Comstock miner
an unprovoked opinion of his own
Returning, the party rode through th'
clothing the northern slope of Crane
came in view of the Crystal Springs lol
cabin, beside which, under spreading
mountain maple, an extemporizsd table
loaded with chicken sandwiches. boilet
eggs, sardines, cheese, apple pie, juicy
pears, grapes, doughnuts, ETC., quickly
became the center of industrious atten
tion. These were washed down will
good Rhenieh and sparkling fluid from
the crystal fountain.
Emulating the fad of venerable poe
Holmes, who carries tape to measur,
all the remarkable trees encountered il
his eaunterings, Mr.. Knight proceeded
TO make record OF two adjacent Dou
glas spruce trees. One OF them had
-girth of 10 feet and another l71s and
man on horseback could hide behin'
either OF them. 4shi4>e
As the party desceDded towards Ech
they looked down into many beautifu
mountain dells, fit abode for mountain
fairies, and where, in the days to come
many mountain cottage will be built
and the happy occupant may breakfss
in his lofty eyrie. proceed to his bust
ness in Los Angeles, an hour and hal
away, and return to his home in cloud
land for his evening meal.
A magnificent eagle SCARED aloft as tn
party were gazing on peak beyond peal
stretching northward towards the Mo
jave desert. "Ah," said Judge York
''your soaring cable cars approach tn
nearest to that smooth, silent, untirin
movement, of anything we have o.
earth"
perhaps. so," said Prof. Lowe. "bu
it is possible for us to initiate the fligh
of that eagle. and that feat will yet b