Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-09-01
THEY SLIDE FIFTY MILES.
CALIFORNIA IN ECsTAcIEs OVER A LONG
ToBOGGAN RIDE.

What would the people in the Eastern
and Northern states, who find delight In
coasting hills quarter or half mile
long these days, or who go into ecstacy
at shooting down toboggan slide, say
to ride la toboggan down slide fifty
miles long? There are several places in
California where such an experience may
be had. The ride Is not only an unin-
terrupted slide for forty or fifty miles
from start 10 finish, but IL Is as thrilling,
risky and rapid as any one might wish.
Think OF riding small craft in great
trough from 30 10 100 feet In the air
from lofty mountain crest down
through forests, across canons, around
precipices and crags, over cattle ranches,
orchards and vineyards and amid very
picturesque scenery.
All the fumes are V shaped, and the
water flowing through is a yard deep at
the deepest part. When In operation the
dune Is gorged for week at time
with lumber, which Is fished out at the
valley terminus Of the fiume. and sorted
and piled ready for use. The longest
fume Is in Northern California. II is ca
miles long and cost si30,000, where the
lumber Ia cheap. 4 new lumber ilume
was recently iini1hed In Fresno County.
Ii Is with this flume that this story deals.
Ii leads from the immense pine forests
on the mountains, 1000 feet above sea
level, down into the San Joaquin Valley,
NJ the little town of Coils, near Fresno.
In other words, the flume starts amid the
perpetual SHOWS and ice OF the Sierra and
terminates amid raisin vineyards and
apricot orchards OF the semi-tropic San
Joaquin. Stephenson Creek, in the
mountains. supplies the fume with water
The first ride down the new flume from
start to finish was made few days ago.
Many persons had passed over different
parts of the distance as the flume was
being built. but none made the whole
distance without stopping.
The passenger does not realize just
how he gets into the boat nor how he
makes the start. II is all over before he
has time 10 think. He has an ungovern-
able desire 10 clutch nj things, but before
he can do so he Is gone, and the speed
makes him catch his breath. and that Is
all he can do. The start has been made,
and il might be a race 10 the finish. III
one should attempt 10 stop when the
speed Is so great II would result in some
thing serious Even IL he should see
broken place ahead of him, where the
ilume had gone over precipice, he
would not stop, hut must run into 1t and
take the consequences. Such mishap
is not likely, but is possible.
| After four miles run the boat sud
denly emergeS from forest OF pines and
fir, and the passengers in the boat expe-
rieucc the feeling of a person in bal
| loon. when the world seems 10 drop
away from under him. The fume runs
out over high trestle, and at first
glance nothing Is visible underneath but
unfathomNhle space. This Is near the
turn around the point Of Stephenson
| Mountain, and the vast abvss beneath,
which seemed hottomless, Is the canon
Of the San joaquin River down lust how
far beneath would be hard 10 guess. IL
| looks not less than 5000 feet; II may be
less.
| But by leaning over as the boat hur-
ries by one can catch a momentary view
OF the white foam Of the river OF the
canon. Not a sound IL heard. The
plunging Of the rier over the sunken
/ rocks that fret its channel cannot send
even murmur up the summit OF the
cliff, from which the passenger in the
| nume boat looks down as he hurries on
| Nearly everywhere in sight the canon Is
dark AZ that hour Of the morning, but At
two or three places the sunlight pours
through gatewavs in the cliffs, and the
beams fall on foaming floods, silent In
the distance, and gild the blsckness OF
granite cliffs which hang like walls 1000
feet above the river.
Although the roughest part of the
mountains is left behind after the head
| Of Dry Creek Is reached, the flume has
still some Of its steepest grades below
that point. The decline Is not uniform,
varying from a hardly perceptible grade
Ia as much as one foot in eight. Down
the steepest places the boat rushes, at
speed which approaches very nearly the
| limit Of safety. Within five or six miles
| further the flume sweeps round the
brink Of high, bold. granite elf, and
two miles away and 1000 feet below the
little village OF Toll House bursts into
view. Green fields surround 1t, even In
winter, but ii has forsaken appearance,
| for its days of prosperity are numbered.
IL was for thirty years stopping place
| for teamsters hauling lumber from the
mountains, but the fiume will bring lum-
Der down hereafter, and the teams will
never return. Such is the life and death
| OF towns.
When the flume has passed Toll House
il has entered the foothills, and the ex-
citement il over. The way leads for
twenty miles down a narrow valley, and
the passengers in the boat have nothing
to alarm them, as they glide along so
smoothly and peacefully, that, il they
shut their eyes. they would probably
fall asleep. The speed grows less and
less as the plains are approached, and
now and then vineyards or an orange
orchard are seen standing in pleasing
contrast with the ice and winter GOODNESS
OF the mountains now 1000 feet above.
Before the end is reached the nume boat
passes over fine vineyards, in which,
even so late in the season as December,
large quantities of grapes load the vines.
Chicago Tribune.