Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-22

o ii
dash high against the lofty cliH and
J over the great rocks out at sea, on one
cluster of which seals were baslSing, OF
clambering olumsiy. A flock of peli-
cans flew overhead, and thousands of
ground squirrels scampered over the
ground In every direction or scuttled
into their holes at our approach. The
proprietors allow no game to be hunted
and tiocks OF quail or an occasional
deer crossed cur path fear .ossly. Old
cypress trees with distorted limbs,
bleached. twisted aud beaten 10 the
ground by winds from the Paoltic yet
clung to life. Flowers bloomed every
where, purple daisies orept down tho
rocks as IL to meet the spray. The
shores were strewn with pearly tinted
shells and gaily tinted pebbles. In the
warm days still before US 1t will be
| Joy to remember the fine sat breeze,
the spray dashed rocks. with their cool
cares and the shining strip of beach
| over which the sandpipers ran.
On the return to San francisco |
saw the niokel.plated dome of the
Lick Observatory, shining in the sun
on the summit of Mt. Hamilton ard
visited the Leland Stanford University.
1t is approached by wide avenue,
over mile in length and bordered with
Palm trees ami groves of eucalyptus.
The entrance is under n stately arch
with frieze, in relief of the Progress
OF Man. The beautiful soft-hued buff
sandstone OF which 1t is built and the
red-tiled roofs suit perfectly. the simple
quaint Moorish architecture Of the early
California missions which has been
chosen. The hui .uings ARE surrounded
by a continuous arcade, mile In
length of successive arches, like
oloister, and forming covered passage
entirely around them. They enclose u
vast court, containing palms, tropical
plants and fountains. The only blot on
the beauty, and yet inevitable, because
the raison de etre Of all , is the memorial
group In the centre OF the quad, -
young Leland Stanford, with his father
standing Oh one side, his mother kneel.
ing by him on the other, for it was in
consequence OF young Stanford's early
death that his parents gave for the
founding OF the institution, $50, 600, 600.
The great Assembly Hall, with its
splendid arched emit ance seats 5000
people and ad3oins handsome library.
For the reverse Of all this splendor the
parched soil was cracked and scanned
as II gasping for water. for it is the dry
season. Brown lizards darted across
the path and rustled among the dead
p'neneedies and swarms of mosquitoes
stung.
From Santa Cruz took drive in
the early evening out to the Big Trees,
through forests of redwoods, UP
mountain road that oirclsd Sawning
canons sou feet deep. We wound
inward Tha driua In -,
scarcely wider than the coach, and
where
The red road sharply rounding
We heard the troubled flow
vi the dark olive depths Of pines resounding
A thousand feet below.
We interrupted the quarrels OF
numerous Jay birds. With flash of
blue wings and saucy toss of their
crested heads they disappeared IN the
bushes. scoiding Us heartily as they
went. We passed the plant of the Cali
fornia powder works, branch of the
du Fonts, in the San Lorenzo Valley
and saw some effects of the explosion
a year or two ago. The residences of
the Peyton family stand ON the crest of
the canon, "a sheer fall of hundreds of
feet directly in front. Fording rush
ing mountain stream We entered the
forest OF giant redwoods. The sunlight
still touched their SUBMITS 300 feet
above, A wIerd twilight that did not
come from the outside world but was
born OF the word itself, filled the aises,
The straight, dull-red colossal trunks
rose like giant columns; dry, red,
fragrant dust arose from the bark
strewn ground. In this grove is the
great tree in which Gen. Fremont and
his family camped in the days of the
war with Mexico. There is ample room
for large family, but l think the
guides ,exaggerate when they say it will
hold 80 people. window has been
out through its thick walls by later
occupants. The largest tree is the
Giant" 306 feet high, II feet in
circumference. Its original height was
40 feet. but the top was broken off.
There are many trees in the grove
almost as large, but their number and
their symmetry prevent one from realiz-
Ing their great size. / fingered after
the others had left. This few fallen
trees looked like enormous mummies of
which the aisles were the tombs and
the silencu the solitude ofsa forgotten
past. A. s.