Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-11-01
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Delights of Trip up the Sierra Nevada
Mountains.

city seven weeks, and begin to feel as II
was grated to the spot. Pasadena is a
city OF u 600 inhabitants and is located
fifteen miles northwest from Los Angeles.
1t is nestled up against the Sierra Nevada
mountains on he north, " hieh rise quite
abruptly to an altitude OF 5000 feet.
Their elevation must be at an angle Of
sixty degrees, and resembles a huge storm
cloud more than anything else tina. ! can
compare them to,
The city : an unusually orderly town;
there Is not s saloon within its limits.
This Is quite remarkable for a western
city OF its size. In the winter season
there i a great influx 10 its population
OF health-seekers aud sigbi-seers. There
arc many retired capitalists who have
constructed spacious and costly resi-
which add very much TO the beauty Of
the city.
| have felt a sort OF insane desire to
scale the mountain that hangs ike a
cloud over the town, eve since l came
here. About two weeks % Mrs Howard
provided me with a body guard in the
person OF miss Of seventeen summers,
and We started out for al all day trip.
We reached Rahio canyon at the base
OF the mountain by electric rail; here
there l. spacious dancing pavilion. The
canyon Is a cleft in the solid rock 700
feet deep. Exploration ot the canyon Is
made by means ot steps or stairs, by actual
st,fa ao4
with grsding- and bridges across the
canyon aud lis arms. This place Is
great resort for picnics, and a. you pene-
trste the canyon every few yards you viii
encounter tables and benches for the con-
yenience OF parties. Al the head Of the
trickies down some hundreds Of feet. At
this season OF the year the volume Of
water Is not large, but during the rainy
season it j. said to be quite picturesque.
Descending tue canyon We met Il picnic
party from Los Angeles, also one from
Pasadena.
As We emerge from the canyon the car
Is ascending the incline which IS to trans
port Us 3, 900 feet on a beeline al an angle
Of tiityiour degrees a portion OF the way,
TO the Echo house. \ rush is made for
t he car, which i soon filled and scores
leave the station disappointed. While
am watching nc baskets OF goodies that
are going up the canyon TO the picnic
tables, and listening TO the music in the
pavilion, l discover that my guardian
angel has flown. An Investigation dis
covers her IN the pavilion tripping the
Zig ht fantastic toe.
The next car i now descending the
incline and a rush Is made 10 the station
to make our election sure. 1t is rush
iypica! OF the old saw. i. G., each one for
himself and the ID take the hinder.
most. A. We crowd md jostie, and the
shirt waists rustic about Us, one cannot
but feel that be IS nearer the angelic hosts
than were the ancient worthless.
We soon commence our journey and st
the suggestion OF the conductor We stand
in our places and look down the incline
upon the pavilion and the country below
Us As we reeede from it. We arc pointed
out The trail to the right OF US on which
the lum Der and material for the construct
ion OF the Echo house was transported
on the backs OF burros. At the termina-
tIon OF the incline we Ind the Echo
house spacious tirst-cisss hotel, 8, 500 fee.
above level, the observatory, the
incline power house and the electric
power house OF the Alpine railway.
Here we are treated to the igniting OF
some explosive material TO demonstrate
the effect OF an echo in the canyons OF the
mountains. After this we listen o some
comic ditties from the phonogrsph in the
parlor. Then we stroll to the cages " here
among a small collection OF animals there
is an alligator eight feet in length. Then
we board the Alpine electric car aud
begin the ascent OF the next 1000 feet
The read runs across the brow OF the
mountain in zigzag, serpentine course
through cuts in solid rock, over trestle-
work with yawning canyons underneat h.
AT some points OF the ride we can see the
track in three different places below Us rs
It coils Itself across the brow of the noun
tain. The ride terminates at the Alpine
house, which is ) 900 feet above sea level.
NAAA7 must n III IAG AZ - tt, bt4uR DulIl
with granite OF the mountain and wood
finished in natural color, and contains a
huge granite fireplace, twelve feet wide
and seven feet deep Here we find nu-
merous tents and parties OF pleasure
seekers.
Fifteen minutes walk takes Us to In
spiration point on the spur OF the noun
tain, where there l. a view of the coun-
try to the coast and the ocean, but my
vision did not extend beyond Los Angeles.
There is trail which ascends the noun
tain another thousand feet, " hieh is made
by saddle aud "bsiam's steed, y bu, as my
oudy-guard Is under instructions from
her mamma not TO trust herself upon
such a conveyance, from e sense Of gaiian-
try an compelled to abandon this part
OF the trip.
After remaining here ii f.H hours we