The San Francisco call., 1908-05-25
NATIVE SONS
REACH NATURES
GREAT TEMPLE
Fifteen Hundred Members of the
Order and Friends in
Yosemite Valley
WOndrous Works OF Creator Are
Admired by Delegates to
Grand ParIOr
Chimney Fire in the Sentinel
Hotel Rudely Disturbs
Guests at Dinner
By Paul Sinsheimer
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL.

SPECIAL DISPATCH To THE CALL.
YOSEMITE, May 24.-The Yo-
semitic valley has been rediscovered.
Its marvellous meadows, its wondrous
waterfalls and precipitous slopes,
/ which through the untold centuries
hid their beauty from the eye of man,
have at last become the playground of
the people. Although occasional
tourists and voyagers have come and
gone for the past So years, the incon-
veniences of travel have always put
more or less of barrier between the
great park and the public. 1t has re-
mained for the Native Sons of the
Golden West the sturdy offspring of
the pioneers. to strike down the OBJ
stacles and blaze the way into the most
beautiful landscape that God has
wrought. Fifteen hundred persons
members of the order of the Native
Sons, their families and their friends,
have come into the park cheering the
last three days. and although no more
loyal sons and daughters of California
can be found, IS per cent OF them had
never visited the valley before It's
my first trip; I've been planning TO
come for 10 years but never got
here" is a sentiment SO often heard
that it has almost become a password.
NATURES GREAT TEMPLE
Five hundred more visitors VIII en-
ter the valley before the first session
q begins tomorrow. A kind fate pro-
under which the great pictures OF ma
ture appeared 10 best advantage, the
tall pines. the black oaks, the cotton
woods and the silver frs waved gently
IN suggestion Of a breeze. tracing
their delicate foliage against the violet
haze that veiled the perpendicular
walls Of granite. The summer sun
transformed the splashes of snow on
the mountain tops into sparkling dia-
monds, natures gems in natures
crown The cascades fed by the melt
ing snow dashed over the precipices
with explosive force. bursting over the
sides like rockets and sending a glori-
Gus shower OF whitened water bound
ing down the rocky slopes
II viii be to the tuneful lyric of
the Merced river and the Wagnerian
symphony OF the roaring Yosemite
falls that the grand parlor will do its
work. The picturesque little pavilion
erected for the occasion stands on the
bank of the stream and within sight of
the falls. Already the effect of the
surroundings is noticeable The fever
fish excitement of former sessions has
been displaced by a deepening of the
spirit Of fraternity.
IL is a great temple" said Senator
Charles Belshaw, "and we are here to
worship"
Belshaw and a number of friends
called this morning on Galen Clark,
the man who discovered the Mariposa
grove OF big trees. Clark found the
grove IN 1857. He is now 95 years of
age, OF patriarchal appearance and
gentle in soul He makes his home in
a cottage in the valley.
ARRANGEMENT ARE GOOD
Through the excellent management
OF Yosemite parlor OF Merced that
which was thought impossible has
been accomplished. Fifteen hundred
persons have already been brought
into the valley. given comfortable
quarters and not so much as a hand
bag has gone astray. There was some
crowding at the hotel at FL Portal. but
the overflow good naturedly slept in
the lobby or on the steps, and one gal
liant native in the spacious fireplace.
Thirty-two coaches were put in the
u mile run from FL Portal to the val
ley. The first coaches left at o'clock
and others followed every few min
utes.
The coaching arrangements were per-
fected and personally superintended by
Elmer Smith of Merced parIor. After
reaching the valley the visitors were
ouartered in about equal numbers in
the Sentinel hotel, Camp Yosemite,
Camp Curry. Camp Awahnee and Ma
tive Sons camp.
CLIMB TO GLACIER POINT
While a number remained about the
hotel and camps talking over the polit-
ical situation in the order others made
trips TO points of interest Glacier
point was the most popular excursion.
and by afternoon rs donkeys lined the
trail. A hundred persons made the
trip on foot II was a hot climb. but
nevertheless there was a race to the
top and back. Two husky delegates
from Plumas county-George Boyden
and J. A. Donnencovith. who take the
trails like goats-niade the summit.
completed a 20 mile hike. and got back
in time TO see the ball game.
There is one fight for Office that
overtops ali others I'm point OF interest.
II is between II. r. Lichtenberger OF
Los Angeles and Thomas Monahan OF
san Jose for third grand vice presi-
dent Ii is clean contest and so
close that no members are willing to
make predictions. All southern Cali
r.-.,-x p.~ 4 xtad,. f.,.