Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-20
Scenes of Bret Harte's Stories.

fording a novel method of reaching the big
trees and the Yosemite.
Scenes of Bret Harte's Stories.
The Sierra road is one of the most inter-
csting lines in California. 1t runs from
Oakdale Station, on the Southern Pacific, to
Angels Camp ard Tuolumne canyon,
through a very picturesque country of
mines and forests, In which the scenes Of
most of Bret Harte's stories are laid. 1t
was built by Prince Poniatowsk. a BROTH
er-in-law of William H. Croker of the
an old Polish family, came out to Cali
fornia fifteen or twenty years ago to seek
his fortune, made himself universally pop
ular married one of the Soerry sisters Of
Stockton, who were famous for their wealth
and beauty. and is now living in Paris.
The road runs through some of the rich
est mining regions in California and reaches
some of the largest forests. The list of
reached by connecting stages sounds like
an index of Bret Harta's SORES. He taught
school here for several years. here received
his first impressions and inspirations. and
were afterward idealized into his best
known characters - "Oakhurst." ''Yuba
Bill" "Hamlin." ledge starbottle" and
Colonel Bungstarter.' Here you find the
scene of the most charming of all his sto-
ries, The Luck of Roaring Camp" and the
home of THE Lily of Poverty Flat" Here
lived Brown of Calaveras' and Truthful
James," and you cannot look out of the
car window without seeing the scenery
that he described.
Big Oak Flat Is a small village with IA
sawmill on the MERGED river, along the
Santa Fe stage route to the Yosemite. and
was 30 called because an enormous oak
tree. with a trunk eleven feet in diameter.
lay PROSTATE along the trail. having been
stricken by lightning.
At Groveland station for many years lived
two old bachelors named Chaffee and Cham
berlain, who were mining In a small way.
Chamberlain was Tennessee" and Chaffee
was '"Tennessee's Partner" and his char
acter and experiences were depicted accu-
rately in Harte's story of that name. Two
years ago Chaffee. overcome with age and
infirmities, was taken to hospital in San
Francisco. leaving his "pardner' alone in
the cabin they had occupied together for
lain was found lifeless in his bed. and they
said he died from loneliness. 1t is pity
that Bret Harte could not have outlived the
romance of these two old bachelors. so as
to have written a sequel to his story. "Po-
ker Flat" and the scene of the story of
Two Men of Sandy Bar are easily identi-
fed, but Grub Gulch" is seventy miles
distant on the other stage line to the Yo-
semitic.
1t is claimed that Mark Twain and Bret
Harte lived in the village of Tuttletewn at
the same time. the former clerklng In the
only store In the place, while the latter
Taught the only SCHoOl olo SellieEs sui
point out both the store and the school
house.
A Second Yosemite.
The extension of the Sierra line will open
to travellers .'Hetch-Hetchy Canyon which
is described second Yosemite although
not on so grand a scale. The Tuolumne
river flows through the canyon. with several
cascades and many rapids. One of the
waterfalls Is said to be more grand than
any in the Yosemite. The Hetch-Hetchy Is
in the center of an immense forest of oaks
and pines. Is 5000 feet above the and is
surrounded by five mountain peaks more
than 1900 feet high.
There is a good deal of rivalry between
the railway enterprises and that encour-
ages the hope that both of them will be
carried through. One will approach the
Yosemite valley from the south and the
other from the west. and both will open up
and make accessible some of the finest and
most sublime scenery In the world-scenery
that cannot be surpassed In Switzerland or
any other part of Europe.
Inside the Valley.
Within the beautiful park called the Yo-
semitic Valley is quite little village. The
hotel a group of common white buildings
comfortable and weM kept. although Old
fashioned. forms the center. Around It are
groups OF cottages, stores. photograph gal
leries. curio shops, the office of the state
guardian of the park several private resi-
dences and other buildings. At distances Of
| half a mi'e more stables belonging
| to the p-oprietors of the two stage lines
| and Mr.. kenney who furnishes saddle ami
| mails for the tourists that want to climb
| the trails. Several painters OF more or less
| celebrity have erected picturesque studios
| at different points commanding their favor
| lite vistas. and the Sierra Club, composed
| of San Francisco mountain climbers and
| others, have a log house fitted up an
| information bureau. with a library intend
| ed to contain all the books written the
Yosemite. and the surrounding country a
reading and writing room and other accom-
| moda lions for its members. little church
| stands modest'y among the trees. where d-
| vine service is held often as a clergy
| man appears in the valley. There are sew
| eral groups of cabins Inhabited by abort
| sines. whose ancestors occupied this beau
| tiful place. 1t is asserted that they were
| all renegades from outside tribes who fed
| here for refuge and for mutual defense
| and welfare formed a tribal organization Of
| their own. They are now reduced In num-
| bers and In spirit. They hunt. fish for the
| hotels, cut wood in the winter, do chores,
! work on the roads, wash wagons, work in
| the gardens and do other manual labor, and
| several of the more intelligent serve as
| guides. taking strangers over the trails in
| the mountains.
= Villages of Tents.
| About mile from the hotel are two viii
! lagos Of tents, distinct and In separate d.