The record-union., 1899-12-12
DEATH VALLEY ON CANVAS.
AN INTERESTING LECTURE BY
FREDERICK MONsEN.
A Wonderful Picture Of the Most
Desolate Region in Our
State.

the lecture of Frederick Monsen on
Death Valley, given under the auspices
Of the Sacramento Camera Club, missed
a rare treat. Not only is Mr.. Monsen a
most interesting lecturer, thoroughly
conversant with his subject, but one OF
the best photographers as well, and
never has so fine set of lantern slides
been exhibited to a Sacramento audi
ence as was seen last night The detail
was fine and the coloring perfect, and
the awful silence and loneliness Of the
desert waste delineated needed but lit
tie OF words to explain or intensity it..
The mysterious and marvellous region
of which he spoke was spread before
his hearers more strongly than any
words could paint it, and the despair
and suffering of the unfortunate trav-
eler or prospector, overtaken by thirst
and heat and doomed to lay down his
life, were too realistic to need charging
upon. The gorgeous and magnificent
coloring of the rocks, the canyons, the
borax fields, the salt marsh in the val
ley, all revealed land hitherto I'M
known to his auditors and possessing the
fullest interest to them. They were the
llTSt plOlOSld PAlS VI OSdln d1ACy VfSA
made or exhibited.
Starting from Daggett, he carried his
hearers across the sands on the old
Salt Lake road, through canyons,
among the Calico Mountains, with their
gorgeous tints; across the desert with
it's giant cactus, yucca palms; the
picture Of utter desolation presented by
the wide waste of sand, dotted here and
there with greasewood. the beds of the
underground rivers, the soda lake all
passed in review, a fitting Introduction
to the famous valley Of which he spoke.
The remarkably clear atmosphere,
owing to the heat and the absence of
moisture, gave great opportunities for
photography, and the landscape
stretched away to almost illimitabe
distance, in Re instance mountains
twenty miles distant showing up with
as much distinctness Of detail as If
only a mile or two away.
He spoke of the mirage so often seen
on the desert, the red sandstone mount
aims and hills, the paucity Of springs,
and the fact that many of them are
impregnated with arsenic. borax and
soda; the mineral deposits Of gypsum
nitrate of soda and various metals.
which cannot be mined profitably for
lack of water: showed the wonderful
gap in the Funeral Mountains, with the
peaks of Obsidian, the Amargosa Val
ley and sink, with its subterranean
river, and brought his hearers to Rest
ing Springs, the beautiful oasis in the
midst of desolation, a contrast, to all
it's surroundings
The valley itself, with it's volcanic
hills and rocks; its long stretch OF
white sand; it's gulleys, deep furrowed
by cloudbursts; its sandstorms of
which magnificent view was given;
of the wonderful depression, nearly 50O
feet below sea level-au held his hear
ers' closest attention. He told of the
terrible heat, ranging from III degrees
in the morning to 165 at midday; spoke
of the fact that although the rain is
often seen coming down from the hills
it never reaches the valley, being all
absorbed in midair by the terrific heat,
and of many other things, and left his
hearers when he closed wishing he
would talk longer.
Between the first and second sections
of the lecture Miss Frances Nourse
and William Wheeler rendered a fine
duet most acceptably and were forced
to respond to an encorse. Mrs. Pink
ham was accompanist.
SacramentanS are indebted to the
Camera Club for a rare treat last night,
in addition to the fine exhibits it has
given ON several occasions, and it is
RI he houpd that the club NAV CON-
tinue to prosper and afford pleasure
and instruction, as in the past, and
may be able to induce Mr.. Monsen to
give another lecture at some future
time from the store of his experience.