The record-union., 1896-08-23
HEART OF THE SIERRA.
Sacramento LaSSieS Having a Jolly Time
Up at Alta.
One of Them Tells How They and
Others Are Passing Away
The Time.

Delicious? Well, it is simply nectar
fit for the gods. You scarcely go fifty
yards without meeting a cool, bubbling
spring. And then, too, there is the
water from Canyon Creek That re-
minds me. Have any of your readers
ever undertaken to hunt for ferns along
. its banks? Well, don't. We were fool
ish enough to attempt it, and walked,
up as far as Towles.
N.Y. but weren't we desperate look
ing set after we reached there, and the
best of it (perhaps you might call it
the worst of ito was that we brought
hcme one forlorn little fern We
scratched ourselves, tore our clothing,
and there wasn't one of us who escaped
getting a ducking in the creek below
We had to cross it from side to side in
order to gain good footing and every
few moments you would hear a splash,
followed by a scream, and find some
one of the party crawling out on the
banks. But we didn't mind a little
thing like that, and considered it only
jolly fun.
The next tramp we undertook was
along Moody's Ridge to Giants Gap
Our first attempt was somewhat unsuc-
cesAful, as we lost the trail, and al
though we came home footsore and
weary our blood was up and we deter
mined to do or die. We 'doed'
About week afterward a quartet of
Sacramento swell young men, chaper-
oned by an old Grand Army VET
payed us a visit, and the first novelty
we proposed was another stroll to
Giants Gap. We got there this time,
although we had a hard time doing it.
But weren't we thankful that we did
undertake it and have the pleasure of
stumbling on that pure spring discov-
cred by your Mr.. Woodson some years
ago The Gap is beyond description
We had no idea it was such a grand
sight. 1t is an immense gorge in the
mountains, through which flows the
American River, and leaning over the
Lovers Leap" rock one can see the sill
very stream $500 feet below 1t rivals
some of the finest scenery of our great
Yosemite. AS you reach the end of the
trail going to it, there is an immense
rock so situated as to give one a good
advantage in looking over. From that
rock to the river below is called "Lov-
crs' Leap" Oh, it's just magnificent
Words fail me in The attempt to de-
scribe the glorious view of the grand
canyon, reaching for miles up toward
Sierra's summit and down toward Au-
burn. And this is the route where it
was at one time intended by Mr.. Hunt
ington to run the railroad, tunneling
under the summit, which would tap
Tahoe's clear water and avoid the
building of snowsheds. Colonel Jack
Wright says that thirty feet below
Lovers Rock there are two hearts
carved on the granite, but we did not
attempt to go lower down. 1t is a fear
full place.
We also took the trip en- Towles' Rail-
road as far as the lumber mills We
rode on flat cars all the way and en-
joyed it immensely. From almost every
turn in the road ones eye is greeted
with most beautiful scenery. Cape
Horn cannot be compared with some of
the pieces we passed, and then, besides,
there is the beautiful Bear River, run
ming by the track most of the way up,
with ferns of every description along
it's banks. When we reached the mill
we took a general survey of everything
and then made for the cookhouse, as
we were about famished. Everything
falls in the background when think of
the pie we had. Oh, don't miss it
if you ever come up here. 1t was plum
Iie, and 1--WE didn't do thing to it,
IF you want any Information we refer
you to chief clerk S. in one of our
largest hardware stores. He knows all
about it.
Well, after leaving the lumber camp,
we came back to Towles on the tender
of an engine, and we looked exactly like
a band of Piutes ready for hop pick
ing excursion. Nevertheless we had
enough energy left to give three rous-
ing cheers and a tiger for that life
saving pie.
Speaking of Towles, what would that
little village do without the charming
Mrs. George Towle. She is the life of
the whole place, and most ideal host
ess. We called on her and never spent
a more pleasant evening. Her wonder
full parrot helped to entertain in it's
usual happy manner, and we were all
delighted with her.
Isn't Mr.. Towle the dearest man? We
girls all fell in love with him-but don't
let him know it. And OH by the
way, boys, have any of you ever met
Miss Halsey of Towles? Isn't she
pretty? You couldn't even have laid
your eyes on her or her father would be
minus his only daughter. There are a
great many others up here who are also
lovely people, among them Mrs. George
Is. Sperry of Stockton. Surely, she is a
fair type of a charming matron, and we
all felt subject to her charms on first ac-
iy1fo nn 40 ic or h.
lightful summer home on the lake at
Alta.
There was once upon a time when
Ira Robe came all the way to Towles.
Now he stops off at Monte Vista. You
had better find out, boys, because he
comes up pretty often, and you Sutter
Club gentlemen can't afford to lose one
OF the pillars without finding the s'ins
and outs of the case. l know Sacra-
mento misses the fair presence of
Misses Ora and Aleen Towle We are
sorry for you, Ira, because they are lust
as sweet as they can be, only we are
afraid they think terrible things of you.
There is another thing might be of in
terest. Dick Kimbrough was up last
Sunday and Monday and had girls ga
lore hanging around him. You can't
imagine how popular he is up here He
had one of the bellies of Towles out rid
ing Monday, and she isn't second to
any, either. How about that, Dick?
The first week we were up here we
met young Mr.. Mead and Mr.. McNult
two u. c. boys. They were jolly COM
pany, even if they were the only two
young men who wore white duck trous-
ers But alasi and alack! they went
back" to college and we We're left a
mourning, but somehow or other ones