Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-05-13
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
Mr.. Editor:

Mr.. Editor:
We said goodby to our friends in
Los Angeles the 10th day of April and
took the limited express train at IL
O'Clock for San Francisco. After
crossing the San Gabriel and San Fer
nando valleys we were soon climbing
the Tehachape mountain; up and up
we go, and after passing through innu-
merable canyons and twenty seven
tun nels, the road going over and under
the same track several times, tying
itself in a double bow knot, and turn
ing itself wrong side out, like the
circus mans snake; after four hours
of steady climbing the summit is
reached. This trip is full of interest;
strange plants and shrubs and curious
reptiles are seen on every side, and
an atmosphere that clothes with
be auty the sandy deserts below that
stretch for miles away to mysteri-
Gus horizon of pinnacled peaks of
snow.
On the south we see the great Mo-
jave Desert; on the west, Antelope
Valley; on the east, Fresno Valley,
and on the north the great San Joaquin
and Sacramento Plains. In the de-
scent into this great valley the scenery
is notable and inspiring. The first
town of any size on the north of the
Tehachape Mountain is Fresno, which
is the county seat of Fresno County
and the geographical center of the
state; it has population of 900 and
is the banner town for raisins and
figs. It's yearly product of raisins is
from sixty to seventy million pounds,
and it's yearly out put of wine is up
ward of two million gallons.
On we go through this beautiful
valley to Berenda; here the tourist
takes the stage for the Yosemite
valley.
Much to my disappointment, did
not have the pleasure of taking this
trip, but such facts as I could learn
about this wonderful valley I will
give. 1t has been said if you can see
but one place in California, by all
means let that be the Yosemite Valley.
This romantic spot is in Mariposa
County, and is four thousand feet
above the level of the sea. 1t is a
part of the national park held in trust
by the state of California, and looked
after by a board of commissioners
appointed by the Government. The
valley is seven miles long, and is from
one-half mile to a mile in width; the
MerceG River runs through it.
There are small groves of pine and
many rare and beautiful ferns and
grasses on every side; the walls of the
valley rise almost vertically to a
height of four thousand to five
thousand feet, with spires, cliffs,
peaks, domes and turrets of varied
forms and features, and above and
beyond are the SUBMITS of this range
of mountains covered with perpetual
snow; there are five great water falls
in this canyon plunging over the walls
of the chasm from height of from
300 to 5000 feet. These streams are
fed by mountain SHOWS in the spring,
and mostly disappear before mid
summer. Bridal Veil, Cathedral
Spires, Eagle Peak and the Three
Brothers are the principal attractions,
some of them presenting an almost
perpendicular wall of over three
thousand feet.
You can stand on cliff, secured by
an iron railing, and watch the water
as it tumbles from the rock off into
space, or you can lie on boulder at
the tip-top of Eagle Peak and gaze
down four thousand feet to the valley
below, or you may climb the stair
way on the back of a mule and view
Nevada Falls from above and below,
or you can stand on the projecting
rock at Glacier Point, and without
change of position, see the great
panorama of the whole. All about,
whichever way you may look, the eve
feasts on majesty, grandeur and
beauty; such, are some of the attrac-
tions of the Yosemite Valley.
want to tell you something about
the big trees of which l saw few.
The large grove did not see; it is To-