Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-08-06
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
LAKE SEQUOIA, CAL,
July 2S. 1896.

LAKE SEQU0IA, CAL,
July IS, 1896.
DEAR REGIsTER-When | wrote last
/ winter my intention was to send you
/ letter at least once month and Oftener
if anything of interest occurred. Now
/ | shall try to give you an account of our
trip to the Sierras. Early on.the morn
| ing of July Z, | with twelve others took
/ the stage at Sanger for Wildwood, or Sc
| quota Mill. Sanger is the end of very
| long lumber fiume, and the trees are
sawed into lumber here at Sequoia Mill,
+ the lumber is shipped down the tiume,
and at the Sanger Mills is worked up into
marketable shape Almost anything
from house to lead pencil is made at
the Sanger Mills.
The mercury had been climbing stead
ilv. and it seemed as if it had perfect
faith in the adage, There is room at the
| top" For two weeks il had ranged from
10 degrees to 100, and we were glad to
escape from the terrible heat OF the val
lev. There were six children and seven
grown persons in the stage, and we had
very hot. dusty ride but all made the
best of it and were glad to find it cool
and pleasant when we reached the mill
late in the evening.
Wildwood is $500 feet above the sea-
and we had Travelled forty-two miles,
having three changes of horses some of
the grade is quite steep and the road
winds round and round, and we look
down over many sheer precipices. The
first part of the drive was mOnotonous,
the heat in the foothills being even
worse than in the valley. After we
reached the pines the air was cooler, and
the breeze quite refreshing. We were
late reaching Wildwood, and our party,
consisting of a lady friend, my sisters
two little children and myself, spent
our first night in the hospital my
friends brother-in-law, DIR. Miller, being
the company's physician. Wildwood is
picturesque little town. The mill, the
companys store, cook-house. hotel, feed
stable and shanties for campers are all
built of rough lumber. 1t is the rough
est country | ever saw. The road through
the town is succession of granite bould-
erS. being much worse road than any we
travelled over to reach the place. The
company has an electric plant, and all
their buildings are lighted by it. The
scene at night is weird and beautiful
The next day we moved to our present
quarters. We have the use of the com
pany's house by the lake, which fur
niShes the water for the mills and fiume
and is fed by the snow from the higher
mountains. We are still higher than
Wildwood, and are two and a half miles
from there by the road. There were
about sixty campers here when we came,
and many others have come since. while
some have left. The lake is made by
damming the lower end Of this canon
and is al present over 100 feet deep and
is nearly round. There are several pref
ty sail and row-boats, and they are al
ways IN demand We camped here from
Thursday till Monday, cooking on an
alcohol stove in preference to smoking
our eyes out over a camp fire. We were
then joined by my sister and her hus-
band and the rest of the children, who
brought orr household goods, and since
then we have lived in style-the envy of
our less fortunate neighbors who are in
tents. We have been to the Gen. Grant
National Park, and visited the camp of
the soldiers who are here to guard the
park. We drove by the grade, distance
of five and a-half miles, but the grade
is very steep and rough, and many go
by the trail on horseback or afoot. One
is rewarded for all the difficulties over
7 come in the Sight of the big trees. Gen.
Grant is over three hundred feet in
height, and is 50 feet in circumference
six feet from the ground. We climbed
as high as we could on the knobs and
Jumps around its base, and now we have
climbed Gen. Grant" There are many
other fine and beautiful ones, Mrs. Gar
field and Mrs. Lincoln, Twin Sisters,
Spring tree, which has spring of ice-cold
water, clear as crystal, gushing forth
from its roots. and Happy Family,
group of six gigantic trees, being among
the finest. They are all the SequoiaS or
red woods One fine tree had fallen to
the ground; the centre has been burned
out, leaving only the outer shell. through
which two Of our party rode on horse
back from end to end. One stump on
which they rode will hold fifteen mount
ed cavalry at once. The Park is ninety
miles long. There are sixty soldiers in
the camp all mounted on pretty greys
and they seem quite contented and hap
ply. There are various canons, falls and
other places of interest, but all must be
reached by trail. Most of the ladies ride
aStride. and the costume for such tramps
is boomers and short skirts. In my next
| | will tell more about the mills and log
ging camps. The REGISTER finds me
even in this remote spot, and is an ever
welcome visitor. Best wishes for the
success of the REGISTER.
NJ Z. A
The Shakers Are Happy Community
1t is said, but the shaker who shakes because
he can't help it is by no means happy in