Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-12-05
CALIFORNIA; BIG TREES.
Tho Growth is Being Fast Destroyed Little
Revenue Is Derived from the Sale.

has just written a most interesting
account of the "Big Trees" of Cali
fornia, and the dangers which men,
ace them. Before the glacial period
the genus called Soquoia hourished
widely in the temperate zones of
three continents. There were many
species, and Europe, Asia and Ameri-
ca had each its share. But when
the ice fields moved down out of the
North, the luxuriant vegetation of
the age declined, and with it the
multitude of trees. One after ano-
ther the different kinds gave way,
their remains became buried, and
when the ice receded just two species,
the Big Tree and the Redwood, sur
vived. Both grow in California,
each in separate locality, the Red
wood occupying narrow strip Of
the coast ranges ten to thirty miles
wide and extending from Oregon to
the Bay of Monterey. The Big
Tree (Sequoia Washingtoniana) is
found in small groves scattered along
the west slope of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains. There are ten main
groves or groups of trees, and tho
number of specimens figures up
some thousand, but only about 500
are remarkable for their size. The
Big Trees are unique; they are the
Oldest living thing, and are the most
majestic of trees, and are extremely
interesting from scientific point of
view as being the best living exam
pies of former geologic age. Their
vitality is remarkable, the fungus is
an enemy unknown to it, and the
best specimens have been found to
be sound at heart when felled. These
great natural curiosities have only
been able to hold their own by rea-
son of favorable climatic conditions.
The Mariposa grove is the only one
which may be said to be entirely
safe, and most Of the other groves
are being destroyed. The finest of
all, Calaveras Grove, which has the
tallest trees, has been bought by a
lumberman. The Sequoia ara Gene
raj Grant National Parks are eaten
into by private claims. In brief,
the majority of the trees are owned
by men who have the right, and in
most cases the intention, to fell them.
The Calaveras Grove was discov-
cred in 184l by John Bidwcll, and
by 1870 the majority of the big trees
had been located. One of the larg-
est examples in the Calavcras Grove
was cut down in 1858. The bark
was Is to 1S inches in thickness, and
after stripping this off the diameter
of the trunk was found to be 25 feet
at height of 6 feet above the
ground. 1t was 302 feet high. 1t
was found TO be impossible to fell it
by ordinary means, so the trunk was
bored by pump augers of large diamo-
ter. This occupied twenty-five days,
five men being employed, and at the
conclusion of their labors it was
found that the tree would not fall,
SO two and a half days wcrc con
sumed in driving in wedges. The
men then retired for dinner, and a
gust of wind blew it over, nature
apparently wishing to prevent the
hand of man from consummatinp
this last act in great tragedy of the
forest. The bark was used to form
a room in the old Crystal Palace, at
South Kensington. A cotillion party
of 32 persons danced on the stump.
Another tree, called "Thc Mother of
the Forest" was 321 feet high and
l37 feet to tho first branch. 1t is
estimated that there were $4,000
feet of sound inch timber in the tree.
The "Father of the Forest" was
about 400 feet high when standing,
and its circumference at it's base was
ITO feet. A number Of the living
trees have been named, and most of
them arc marked with marble tab
lets.
There are 1880 big trees in the
Stanislaur or South CaIavcras Grove,
including "Smith's Cabin" in the
charrcd hollow of which trappcr
lived for three years, and where occa-
sionally he also stabbed his horse.
The "Canal Boat" is dccumbcnt
tree. The upper side and heart have
burned away; in the bottom thou
sands of young big trees have started
In the Mariposa Grove is a tree
through which road has been cut.
Unfortunately the big trees are
cxquisitcly proportioncd and are the
noblcst specimens which the botani-
; cal world can offer, and for this and
, by reason of their extreme age they
, ought to be protected from vandals
, Many of the big trees are estimated
: to be 5000 years old, and 400 rings
have bnon countnd JTnIc, tbo -, o,t