The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-16
ON A MOUNTAIN PEAK.
,vBER'S DESCRIPTION or THE As
cENTOF MOUNT WILSON.
Recital ola Thrilling California Expert
cncc--Looking DOwn on tho Valleys
From an = ttude of 1000 Feet.

There is a trail tina, leads from san
a. uriel Valley up 20 the top OF wilson
..k. g.eop feet above the level Of the sea
d. The foot Of that trail one radiant MAY
morning not so very long ago. STOOD
woman IN Iuecy SKIRT and a soi""'e
alt Her expression was that OF ~
male Exce.sior-cricr and she only neeH1u
a banner and d hand Of ice TO com
p.e;e tsc semblaucc. Before her stood an
old a.d'uaficgt mule, his head bowed win
bis burden % many years its eye am
with what perhaps 10 the human species
,t,t.l nave been terra I'd unshed tears.
NJ -,'.lr. r5l'l speak it might have been
Supposed TO DAri.-n.
.Nthar Am 90 carry that plump and
pleasing Matr0n up. these uiZzy heights;
whose s.pud r. less hardly match her
thumb for siIct Better tor me had / died
lhe day i was I0a.ed than 10 come TO
-.ch O. fate as this.
third party 20 the little group as.
sulled in the shadow OF the Sierran hills
WAS guide lie was young and little
AFtu Oh loQu0city Of speech.
.lts time we we're a-Starting," ouoth
Do To YOU are ready Ill put you on the
and We u commence to climb"
enireated, the woman advanced
STEP nearer 10 the mule and awaited
fter directions.
SO toss your right leg over her back"
ted the guide. "and I'll fix the stir
IS unnecessary 70 state. perhaps. that
the oman and that the command
upon my ear like the knell Of doom.
DR." could !. brought up decorOusly by
Nsi parents I'm good standing with the
l ue expected TO toss leg over the
PACK ~ mule that measured apparent
.F seventeen feet from rib 10 rib. As
NNNErf film ~ baf from
MS head with my toe!
J can't DO IT," ! moaned rs il neces-
sarr mat | should ride the beast astride2"
without you want to slide off into
KINGDOM come II Is" replied the guide.
THEY all DO IL. mum; it's nothing when
you're used TO IT, Step up n little closer,
put your left foot in the stirrup. so, now
just swing your other foot around and
there YOU arel'
To my great surprise | found the guide
but spoke the truth. There | was. in
deed. and no mistake about il. while the
mule. who answered TO the name u Fan
ME-, turned her face up the heights Ike
one who hearkened TO a summoning voice.
The trail over which ] had thus sue
crssiuily taken passage IS a trihe less
than Tine miles long and leads from the
level Of Pasadena 10 the highest accessl-
bic point OF the Sierra Madre Mountains.
IL has been graded with care and is absO-
lutc.y without danger 10 anyone VINO pos
sesses sufficient nerve to hang on 70 a
mule. a good many people have been leu
70 abandon one Of the most glorious out
ings OF Southern California boy reason
Of an ill-foUrdcd dread Ct dafger ana
shall regard myself In TIE light OF a uni
Ntrsal benefactor If / sweep away an
shadow Of such dread by this truthful
recital OF a journey which yielded more
GOV TO the square inch than any other !
undertaken in that land Of enchantment. |
The first mile Of the way lay through !
an almost tire -lcss waste Of sandy as !
cent. IL was notable as a birds fight |
Is notable that rises on overwhelming cir !
Giles into the region Of the upper ar. |
Things below grew of smaller and small |
er dimension until house seemed to |
cover less ground than a watermelon, |
and whole villages were clustered into |
one square Of a mighty chessbOard The |
orange groves Of lovely Pasadena dWindl- |
"a into thicbcts from whence a heavenly |
fragrance vcf reached us in spite OF IN |
terveninr miles. As we rode a little |
higher there spCrSled into view the dis
tant ruin Of the sea. clasping the fiowcry |
zone Of summer lands with a girdle Of |
furQu0igo-llue and silver. Yet n little |
higher and distant Catalina Island. a |
lIniTCd miles away. lifted a hand OF |
welcome from out the sea. and beautiful |
Avlllcn unfurled her front OF shadow on
the mir. Thirty villages flashed into sight |
ard in the distant yards Of Los Angeles, |
two score Of miles away, we saw cars
standing on the tracks and marked the |
smoky plume Of incoming and outgoing |
trains 4 sail on the Pacific brushed |
the radiant clearness Of the air we al
most marked the pilot at his wheel. sun
burned and eagle-eyed. steering for the
tropics You hardly believe al this but
7 only ask Of you that you buy your
ticket and put my statement to the proof
by personal investigation.
About two miles up the trail we met
a couple Of tourists coming down. They
sf.1 4rata ton, Of
the ballet furnished by n kind and con-
sldorate providence to beCuile the monOt-
ony Of nature. They seemed inclined 10
stop and handy a few condiments. but
my wise mule. with tender deferencn
10 her sex for which I shall always hold
her dear leaped lightly around a curve
and carried her beautiful burden out Of
sight. At no place was the path wider
than three feet. and generally the mules
-efflse 10 take the outer edge preferring !
10 hug the mountain side than to run
no risk OF too close n shave with naked |
mace. but Fannie was true TO the in
itincts OF her sex. and SOUGHT at the
.Xpenee Of a considerable personal risk.
yet n novice 10 the bifurcated skirt and
he masculine saddle
The curves grew sharper and the preci-
'ices more and more steep until each
ten Of the advance served hut 10 fur
lish q new page wherein 10 print an
xclama ton mark of wonder. After the
bird milo 7 realized the paucitv OF words
rs vehicles OF expression. and fell back
n calculations that sounded Ike ATTEMPTS
{ PRAYER To say ooh God" and my
iod" seemed no more ont Of place than
% use the same expression in the litanv.
indeed. the whole ascent was = church.
orvice more truly than " the guide ,
ad worn a surplice and I bad sat In
athedral new. T held my breath a bit
g now and then my leF dangled over .
hasn at the bottom Of which pines look ,
: Ike strawberry plants and powders +,
'0ked ike gravel stones hut 7 was never
red for n moment. In the first place !
~ the utmost confidence in Fannie. be-
vecn whom and wvself thcre now eX-
"a a warm affection. and. secondly, |
ag never migrate CROUCH 70 believe that
lfure whom T have 80 long wOrshipped. | /
nd lure RE 10 the very hOlieSt OF =
holies only 10 break my neck like a !
- between the rocks. u
During the fourth mile % the ride we o
cred the timber tract. miles OF shaded -
GLAND where mountain liacs powder
fhe timber with purnle snow. and
.ref an attraction 10 humming birds
poised Ike rainbow crumbs at the
Hfh ~ every blossom ~.
'h-lf ever again sce anything 90 beautl-
Perhaps so. when ' get 70 the heav-
fho peaimfet talks about and which
r rrondnothcr died rejoicing IN. but
30 n Imagine Gun IN the hills filled
re the eve could see with fakes Of ~
rr'o flowers and darting wings Of hum
rr birds. Imagine thckets OF azalea ~