Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-10-18

The Sierra Madre mountains, so often
called the Alps of America, have been
scaled times without number AT the
cost Of great effort and fatigue for the
sake of the wonderful scenic views to
be obtained, but until now they have
lacked that feature which attracts So
many people to Europe every year
the mountain railway, says the Chica GO
Record. Today the veriest invalid NAV
glide into Rubio canyon on an electric
car, be transferred to a double tracked
! cable road and carried up the noun
| talnslde at grade of 81 per cent
! the Steepest in the World-Without the
! slightest exertion. The system is one
OF balanced cars and safety appliances.
and is operated with stationary cleo
trio motor, by power obtained from an
adjacent waterfall.
! [ saw an invalid make this Journey
the other day. She was the fra:lest
creature imaginable. scarcely able to
take a step without assistance and
| obllged to have wraps and cushions
! of all sorts carried along to make her
comfortable. After she had reached
the end of the railway and had lis
| tened to the wonderful echo that re-
| spends like peals Of thunder to a rifle
shot she was eScOnced on the veranda
of Echo Mountain house and served
with dainty lunch, while she sat
| and gaZed upon the enhancing view
| below and gradually came to wear an
expression of peaceful JOY that covered
| all the marks of suffering upon the
pale. worn face. Meanwhile the
stronger members of her party had
taken to burros and had gone I'D the
eight-mile trail known as the Mount
| Low Eight" which leads you to the
summit of Mount Lowe by one route
| and back by quite another. This trail
By the way. is only temporary mako
shift, fer Prof. Lowe is growing young
er every day and proposes next to
build a siX-mile electric road at a
| g-ade of only per cent to the peak
of Mount Lowe, from which point the
mighty cyclorama that opens out be-
| fore the spectator is one of noun
| tainS, canyons, valleys, ocean, islands.
harbors, cities, fields, light and shade.
| unparalleled beauty; one hardly knows
where to stop.
An elegant and spacious hotel is be-
ing built close by the modest white
| chalet which is the present Echo Noun
| tain house. This building, situa ted
about $500 feet above sea level. will
be lust half way on the line Of the
road as projected. when it is carried
to the highest peak of Mount Lowe.
The fact that this is the only mountain
! railway in the country. situated in a
climate which permits Of it's remaining
open all the year round, with the other
fact that nearly all Of the many tour
lists on the Pacific coast the last year
have felt this mountain excursion to
be an Indispensable part of their jour
loves courage and enthusiasm in
pushing forward the enterprise.
A few weeks ago a nervous eastern
visitor asked the professCr what he
considered the most dangerous point
in the great cable line. He reflected
a moment and then replied that the
danger began on stepping into the car
at the top of the mountains. that it
increased with each foot of the descent,
that it was doubled in taking the
electric car in Rubio canyon. that 1t
was frightful on the steam cars going
| to Los Angeles. and that it was worst
| of all when you dropped into bed at
| your Los Angeles hotel!
An amusing instance of the manner
| in which a prairie-bred mind fails to
| comprehend a mountainous country Oc-
| Cured the other day. A Chicago lady,
| being driven about Pasadena. was
asked to notice the curious illusion by
which the ground seems to fall lower
| and lower as it approaches the noun
! tains. At certain point on Raymond
| avenue one would wager his reputa ton
that the water in an irr1gating ditch
| is briskly .'unning up hill. and right
there the driver stopped. do you sec
that reservoir close to the cemetery at
! the foot of the mountain?" he asked.
| Yes, she did.
Seems to be right down in hollow
| from here, doesn't it?'
why, it u.s." she declared.
| That is 100 feet above aus! The
water from that very reservoir supplies
this hill behind u.s." he triumphantly
| exclaimed.
rs it possible?' cried the Chicago
lady, convinced against the evidence
of her eyes Then she seemed to muse
in wonder a moment before she had
a new idea. and then she added: But
what a dreadfully low place that is for
a cemeteryp'