The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-05-04

SANTA CRUZ, May 3.-Fifteen hun
dred jackies mingled with the aris-
tocracy of the big timber today. They
were the guests of the city of Santa
Cruz at the big tree grove of semper-
virens near FELTON, and fraternalized in
perfect accord with the giants. They
became quite friendly with General
Fremont, General Sherman. Roosevelt
and other noted denizens of the forest,
who are for the most part thousands of
years old, more than 800 feet high and
40 TO so feet in girth. Many of the
men were in the wilderness for the first
time since they left their homes in the
east and the day was an adventure of
fresh air for them.
Big tree grove is real wilderness,
kept so by ground rules" that save
even the ferns from accidental death
or murder. On the way to the park of
big trees the trains passed the Santa
Cruz factory of the Dupont powder
company on the banks of the San Lo-
renzo. where the stuff that sailors are
reputed 10 eat is manufactured. Every
seaman had an eye for the corrugated
iron buildings where chemicals are
Joined in combustible union.
w OmEN JAOhlES
At the grove there were sandwiches,
pie, cake and cheese, served by the
ladies of Santa Cruz Rebekah lodge.
The provisions were gathered by the
women's relief corps from all the ladies
of Santa Cruz and the excursion was
managed by the transportation commit
tee of the Santa Cruz feet committee,
Of which A. A. Morey is chairman.
Tomorrow the officers of the fleet go
to the same forest and partake of
barbecued meats. Six long trains car
ried the men to the grove, the first
leaving Santa Cruz at $40 o'clock.
ascends to the mountains. 1t follows
the course of San Lorenzo creek, for
the entire distance part of the track
age overhanging the water course.
On the creek the trout fisherman of
Santa Cruz county had out their lines
1t was an outdoor day. Along the
track We're masses of wild flowers and
the bushy birch showed wide bonnets
of blue to the men from the sea. All
this was good TO vary the monotony OF
the cruise and the sailors drank in the
mountain air and the soft lines of the
hills and mountains with lungs and
eyes that had been hungry for such re-
freshment
Shortly after leaving Santa Cruz sta
ton the trian entered the younger
groves Of sempervirens and the trees
that are not yet old enough to be mar
ketable and like young colts are al
lowed to gambol about in the pastures.
LUNCH AMID GIANTS
After half an hour on the train the
sailors and marines were disembarked
at the foot of several perpendicular
giants. At the bottom of the railroad
embankment the lunch was spread. But
the trees attracted the lads ahead of
the food. The mobiles of the forest giants
were inclosed behind a high fence. OF
course the builder of the fence did
not try to erect his palisade so high
as to shut off the view of the tops
of the timber.
A warning knowledge of the fate
of the builders of the over of Babel
saved him from committing such a
crime, but the bases of the gentry of
the woods are hidden from the per-
son who hasn't the price to pay for
the experience. The sailors were adj
mitted without price.
However. the wardens of the woods
took the boys among the tiers of trees
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
clusion and had to put up at the
hotel.
The morning saw them on tho ,;as.