Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-09-29
The Big Trees of California.
A Letter from Rev. Frank Mcdaniel.

The article of last week was feeble
attempt to depict the marvellous scenery
of the Yosemite. The visit to the valley
is incomplete without side excursion to
one of the forests of those monster trees
which have a worldwide reputation.
And the usual itinerary provides that
this trip shall be taken prior to your de-
parture from the valley. had heard so
many wonderful things about these trees
that they had become objects second only
in scenic interest and attractiveness to
the valley itself.
A brief statement concerning the his
tory of these remarkable trees is apropos
at this place, and to your botanical read
er should be of great profit withal. These
trees are divided into the two classes
known as the Big Tree or Sequoia Gigan-
tea and the Redwood or Sequoia Sem
pervirens. They have obtained their
celebrity not from their symmetrical
and stalwart proportions only, nor from
the durability of their wood, nor from
their marvellous age, but from the abso-
lutte fact, satisfactorily demonstrated,
that of the thirty species of this unique
genus, there are but these two living
species now to be found on the earth
and these are found alone in California.
The trees are spoken of as the Gala
veras and Mariposa trees. The former,
which were the ones first discovered,
became famous in 1852 The first dis.
covered big tree of this grove so tempted
the cupidity of showmen that its bark
was taken off for exhibition. OF course,
this killed the tree. Then the next act
of this reprehensible vandalism was to
cut the tree down. This requir ed the
united work of FIVE men for twenty-five
days and was finally accomplished by
boring it off with large augurs. The
top of the stump was then prepared for
a dancing-hoor which was quite commo-
dious, since the tree was twenty-five feet
in diameter. In this grove-the GALAXY
eras-also stands the Mother Of the
Forest" which would make 537, 900 feet
of inch lumber.
The tree called the Grand Hotel"
will give shelter to forty persons without
crowding There is, also, the renowned
Smiths Cabin" where an old trapper
by that name had his home. In the
charred stump of this tree, which was
twenty-one by sixteen feet, he lived for
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nuded of their bark and otherwise in
iured by the relic-seeker. AT present
the guardian of these groves exercises
the greatest vigilance and these kings of
the forest will in the future be protected.
There are three groves, namely, the
Calaveras, the South Park and the Mar
iposa, which contain ninety-Seven, one
thousand three hundred and eighty, and
three hundred and siXty-fve trees re-
spectively. They measure from seventy
to ninety-three feet in circumference
and their heights are from three hun
dred to three hundred and siXty-five feet.
The age of these trees is determined
from the number of concentrc rings OF
it's annual growth, which can be esti-
mated from the stump or limb. Eminent
scientists have thus demonstrated that
the age of the trees vary from one thou
sand to four thousand years.
All the facts which have so far stat
ed in this article were familiar to me and
consequently my senses were swimming
in great expectancy. l could scarcely
believe these wonderful things and, per-
haps, had tendency to discount some
Of the things which had been told me by
the driver and guide. But after spend
ing some time in the Mariposa grove and
after close and critical inspection, l
would say that they more than met my
expectations. 1t is my candid opinion
that the common reports scarcely do JUS
tice to these grand and majestic trees.
At six o'clock in the morning, our
coach left the hotel for the Mariposa
grove, which was reached in two hours.
The scenery going up to the grove is
great AS you enter the park, you are
Impressed with some magnificent speci-
mems, much larger than any you have
seen in the drive through the valley.
To the EXPLANATIONS Of surprise, the
driver answers that these are small and
by his remarks prepares you for some
thing prodigiously sublime. And as the
coach ascends into the grove, the trees
get bigger and bigger and you are awe
struck that such things can be. Your
senses swim when the driver points out
the tree "Wawona" and tells you that
it is twenty seven feet in diameter. Sud-
denly you drive into the tunnel which
has been cut through this tree, and the
coach and horses were covered by the
arch.
Old Grizzly Giant calls forth our great
admiration. This tree is ninety feet in
circumference and two hundred and
eighty-five feet in height. The "tele-
scope tree" is another remarkable spec
linen. One can stand in this tree and
YOU can see the blue sky, as from the
bottom of a well, through hole that fire
made some time from its roots to the
very top.
AsI walked around among these giants
of the forest they became bigger and
bigger to my vision. This description
of these monsters is feeble and made
ouate. The truth is that these trees
must be seen to be appreciated, and |
hope many who read this description
may have the satisfaction of personal
inspection of the monsters of the forests.
l noticed that young trees are flourish
ing in the deep soil of the forests and
future generations will have an oppor-
tunity TO see these wonderful trees.
There is no indication of decay or death
in any of the groves and these curiositieS
will continue to attract visitors from
every country.
had as my companions Hollander
and two Frenchmen. Their surprise
COulu HUI uuu CAplCooiOh III "OlNoi INV
there is not the least doubt that they
will publish extraordinary accounts con-
corning the trees of California.
The tour of the Yosemite ended, the
return trip to San Francisco was quickly
made, and after spending few hours in
that city started on the journey to
those busy cities of the great northwest,
namely, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle
and Tacoma, in Washington. There is
but one land route between San Fran
cisco and Portland, and that is the cele-
brated and picturesque Shasta Route.
The time consumed in the journey is
forty-one hours, but you do not become
tired, so grand and ever-changing is the
scenery. When you awaken after the
nights journey from the starting point,
you are following the Sacramento river.
The ride all the morning along that river
is of ever-changing interest. The cliffs
are grand. Seldom have | seen grander
crags than Gray's cliffs. About noon you
get the first plimpse of that noble snow