The San Francisco call., 1896-10-11

and the stroke that they pull have become
perfectly familiarto habitues of the boat
house. Among them are some very
wealthy ladies who find this the pleasantest
form of diversion that they have been able
TO discover. They do not wear navy-blue
blouses with ''cute" little anchors IN the
corners of their naval cut collars like the
young ladies who affect yachting, but they
would be able to handle dory neatly in
fresh blow and fair sea with some men.
Stow Lake is the highest artificial lake
constructed for adornment and diversity
ing of park scenery in existence in the
United States, and probably the highest
of any similarly created and similarly de-
voted body of water in the world. That
is TO say that it is unique and not alone in
this particular. The principal comparison
with park lakes in the United States must
be with those of Central Park in New York
and Prospect Park in Brooklyn, N. Y.
But the lakes in these two great Eastern
cities, both being of artificial origin. are
not on the heights but are in the depths of
the pleasure ground. Consequently, while
they are pleasing features of park scenery
they are not scenic in the sense that from
their surface wide vistas are opened to
view.
But Stow Lake is raised hundreds of
feet above the sea level by pun ping ma
chinery, and it was located on a high hill
simply that it might be the most wonder
full artificial park lake in the world. This
claim is modestly advanced for it without
fear of contradiction or dispute. A huge
ledge was blasted partly away to make a
basin for it and the remnants of this ledge
constitute beetling island not far from
the northern end of the basin. Then
another island was made arti6cially, hav-
ing upon it an artificial cascade of con-
siderable size and much beauty Then
came the big waterfalls, which tum bles and
splashes into the lake from height of
something like 100 feet, its source being
the reservoir supply which has been forced
up to that elevation.
Upon the artificial island semitropical
vegetation is growing rankly. Around the
sides of the big waterfall on Strawberry
Hill the huge fTonds of ferns have thrived
beyond expectation. The artifcially
made banks of the lake are grassed and
on the inner edge of the sheet of water,
the Strawberry Hill edge, many plants,
Towering and otherwise, have been placed.
While it is impossible to accurately por-
tray the progressive DEVELOPMENT OF BIZ
ceps on the part of the lady wielders OF
oars, it is fair to remark that the San
Franciscan is favored in this particular
over her sister in New York, for the Gen.
tral Park boats are pulled by hired men
and the park boating trip has no advan-
tage other than the enjoyment OF COM
paratively tame park areas which the
windings of the watery lane known as
the lake present to the passive passenger.
The New York girl gets no added muscle
this way. She might get a little, but
the great municipality of New York
treats her as if it were unsafe to let her
row.
But when the breezes from the Pacific,
blowing freshly in from over the gener-
Gus width of 5000 miles of blue sea that
chafes alike the shores of Asia and of
America, sets all afutter all the ribbons of
the aquatic belle of Stow Lake it is a
picture worth going to the park to see.
She is 1.-THE, erect and strong. Her hands
are sometimes encased in gloves when
the sun threatens to tan with the wind
their Immaculate whlteness. She has on
her cheeks the glow of health and in her
eyes the reflection of thorough enjoyment.
Her eyes may be dark or may be blue, but
in either case they are as good mirrors for
the spirit of fun to show itself in as the
round world affords. Cadiz not excepted.
Her dress is strictly up to date, fitting
superbly, and appropriate for the wearer
and for the occasion. 1t has strength and
elastieItv Rut NO fa hria 10 enuaI in niae-
ITCHY to the flexible muscles which urge
the Stow Lake boat on in friendly race
with another aquatic belle. The oars