The record-union., 1898-03-08

The Yosemite National Park is io
Gated in Tuolumne, Mariposa. Fresno
and Mono Counties, State of California.
and comprises forty-two townships OF
land, extending from the boundary line
between ranges IS and 10 east. Mount
Diablo meridian easterly 10 the crest
of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, being
an average Of seven townships east
and west and six townships north and
south, containing an area of about
1,509 square miles and about 100000
acres of land
Within the limits of the Yosemite
National Park three of the important
streams of central California have their
sources, viz, the Tuolumne, the Mer-
ced and the San Joaquin Rivers.
The canyons of the Tuolumne ana
Merced Rivers within this park are
hardly less wonderful in their scenery
than the cany ons of the Yellowstone
and Colorado Rivers. The Hetcn
Eetchy Valley. on the Tuolumne River,
within the park, is a Yosemite Valley
on a reduced scale and were there 10
Yosemite Valley this Hetch Iietcny
Valley, with its marvellous rock and
water scenery, would be regarded as
one OF the wonders of the world.
Mount Conness. Mount Dana Mount
Gibbs, Mount Lyell, Sount Mcclure,
and Mount Ritter. all of them bald
granite peaks ranging rom 1900 to
10000 feet high tower above the gen
| eral crest Of the Sierra Nevadas, and
are all within his park. Two of these
mountain peaks. Dana and Lyen. have
| living glaciers on their slopes.
The park, over its whole extent ex-
cept near the crest of the Sierras. IS
heavily timbered with pine. fir, spruce
hemlock, tamarac cedar and sequoias
or big trees" There are two groves.
known as the Tuolumne and the Mer-
ced groves. of these big trees" In
| deed. nowhere else in the world is there
found more magnificent growth of
! timber, remarkable alike for its size
and its height. than in this park The
proportions of the sequoia eigantea
may be realized when it is known that
six-horse stake coaches. loaded with
passengers, are driven through OPEN
ings cut out of the bases of living
big trees" on several roads leading
through this park to the Yosemite
Valley grant,
This rare varied and wonderful seen
cry found within the limits of this paf k
was sufficient and proper reason for
| its establishment by Congress as the
Yosemite National Park.
The Yosemite Valley grant was made
by Congress on June so, 1864. to the
state of California in trust the condi-
tlons of the trust being named in the
Act making the grant. (Stat. L., vol.
Is, D. 325)
Inc state of California, by an Act OF
its Legislature. passed April ,, 1866,
accepted this grant ON the conditions
named by Congress. (Statutes Of Cal
ifornia. 1S63-66, p. 100
This Yosemite Valley grant a cleft"
or gorge" in the heart of the Sierra
Nevada Mountains, near the head wa
ters of the Merced River is about fif-
teen miles long. with an average width
OF one mile, and comprises. with the
gorge and the higher Sierra region
around and above it. which is included
IN the grant, about 10000 acres in the
County of Mariposa State of California.
and is, by virtue Of the Act of Con-
gress making this grant. and the Act
OF the Legislature of the State of Cal
ifornia accepting said grant. held as a
| - tN7I ~ anu UIuET the control OF the
State of California
In this Yosemite Valley grant there
are granite cliffs and domes rising YER
| tically from $500 to $500 feet above
the floor Of the valley. There are wa
terfalls on the Merced River and its
| tributaries, five in number, VARYING
from 600 feet to 5000 feet high. com
ing over these cliffs and through this
gorge" to the Merced River. where II
11oWs IN placid beauty through the level
OF the valley; and there are forests of
pine, fir, spruce, cedar and oak in the
valley proper and on the higher Sierra {
above and around it. of great beauty
and of unusual size and hight com
pf1slng. as a whole, the most wonder
ful combination of rock. water ana
forest scenery in the known world.
1t will be understood ftom the above
that the Yosemite Valley National Park
with an area of 900 900 acres. surrounds
the Yosemite Valley State grant of &c
OOO acres.
The State of California, to it's credi.
be it said, has expended between the
years 1866 and 1896 in the improve
fnent and preservation Of the territory
comprised within this Yosemite Valley
state grant, and in the purchase ana
construction of roads bridges and trails
within its limits over S325, 900. all of
which have been made free TO the pub
Tic and are maintained by said State
AS 1t was regarded as unseemly and
improper for the State Of California to
allow tourists to the Yosemite Valley
grant to be charged toll as they passed
within the boundaries Of that wonderful
valley, it is equally unseemly and i'm
proper for the United States to invite its
own people, as Well as the people of
the whole world, to visit this Yosemite
National Park TO witpess its grand seen
cry, Which in variety exceeds and in
grandeur equals that of the said inner
state grant, and then allow them to be
charged toll for viewing these greas
natural wonders
The State having done its share. and
all that it is possible for it to do untii
the United States acts in the premises,
awaits action upon part of the latter
The existing conditions that warrant
and demand legislation looking to the
advisability of acquiring free public
highways in said park are concisely set
forth in the last annual report of the
10 SopGl3ilIiQtiit III the Gap
tain Alex Rodgers, u. S. A, as follows.
Besides the tourists who go to the
Yosemite Valley by the different stage
lines, it is a conservative estimate 10
say that from 5000 to 1000 persons
enter the Park in wagons owned or hired
BY them. Some of them are people of
sufficient means to buy what hay and
grain they need, and to pay their toll
without feeling the expense. but the
1 a ipritx ara not Ma,v 70 ,.,,,a,.s, -, 49,