The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-06-02

We left San Francisco April 25, at
$3.50 p. M, travelling all night by the
| Southern Pacific to a place called
Raymond, where we arrived at about
! 6 a. M; there we breakfasted. About
6:45 we started by stage, a wagon
with four horses, capable of carrying
eight passengers besides the driver.
On leaving Raymond, we entered a
fine open country, somewhat billy; it
is a granite district, and many of the
| fine buildings of San Francisco
are built from granite brought
from these quarries, notably the gem
eral postoffice. it is fine pasture
land, and haymaking has commenced.
Now we reach Summit, 1850 feet
above sea level; here we change horses
which we do every seven or eight
miles all through Leaving Summit,
we get some fine mountain scenery.
Between Raymond and Summit we
passed several gold mines, some at
work, some resting. The wild flowers
take our eye, and we see quantities of
wild lupins, very pretty blue and
white flower, sometimes growing sing
ly and sometimes in masses, when it is
a very pretty addition to the scenery
around; then there are also a number
of wild ilacs, mostly white. but a few
lavender; L say lavender, as they are
not so deep a lilac color as ours. Then
there is also a very pretty plant called
Indian paint brush, and many others,
while the ground is mostly strewn with
a small white flower like white for
getme-not. Of birds, too, there are
some varieties, including the blue jay,
which fits from tree to tree, some
bright, crimson breasted birds, larger
than a robin and the breast much
brighter.
On our way we pass a lumber
" 6ume.'' This is a wooden trench,
carried on trestles, and is used for car
rying down lumber for sixty miles,
being filed with water and the lumber
being simply hoated down. Now we
are really in mountainous country, r1s-
ing all the time with the valley in
which runs the South Fork of the
river Fresno, flowing down far below,
while we travei along road with
hills to the left of us, but depths to
the right of us. The, valley and the
opposite mountains are covered with
pines, frs, cedars and other trees,
more or less densely.
At noon we reach Ahwahnee, where
we lunch. Then on again through
denser woods, higher and higher we
rise, the valley beneath looking deep
er and deeper. winding around corners,
zigzagging up hill till we reach at one
elevation of 1880 foot The
woods are now grand, pine trees grow
ing $50 to $50 feet high, and even
higher; some of them are at least
seven Or eight feet IN diameter six feet
above the ground; then there is also
the Manzanita bush, with a smooth
mahogany-like bark, growing pretty
flower in pinky lunches; there is also
the yellow elder, then there is red
star flower, very pretty, but the flower
that we meet with on the higher ground
and increasing in size and beauty all
the way from here to the Yosemite is
the snow plant, beautiful, almost
transparent, crimson plant; 1T grows
close on the ground and is from three
inches to a foot high. Tt is forbidden
to pick it, and wisely, as it not only
is very ornamental and pretty, but it
fades away so soon that it is of no use
to gather. We notice as we reach
higher ground that the blue jays are
of a deeper, brighter color than be-
fore, and fitting about in the sunshine
look very pretty.
We reach Wawona at 5 p. m. 1923
feet above sea level, the hotel being
situated in very pretty level amidst ]
it is decidedly cooler and
4 huge wood fire greets us in the Office.
We fix up our rooms, have a wash,
which we very much need, dine and re-
ire early, after having inspected a
very good show of pictures of the Yo- {
semitic, painted by a local artist of
some note.
The following morning we are astir
n good time, though that may be a
natter of opinion folks thought {
hat we got up in the middle of the Y
hight We We're called some time be- c
ore a. M, breakfasted and started I
It six Here we crossed a river, not i
mike ours at Bolton, but larger, and /
inferred a country like that over the
wooden bridge at Bolton, but magni- /
led, meadows running beside the river, r
Using then up a hill-as one does at q
a continuous hill, higher t
nd higher, the trees bigger, then the b