Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-07
PRESIDENT TAFT
Will Pass Three Days in
The Yosemite Valley
Glad to Have Rest from The
Crowds and Speechmaking.
John Muir, Naturalist and GeoIo-
gist, Will Pilot Him.

Ell Portal, Calf, Oct. 6.-Presldent
Taft is merely tucked away tonight in
this remote little settlement az the foot
IL the Sic.ras and gateway OF the
Yosemite valley-one of the garden
spots of the world. The President will
start from FL Portal tomorrow on IL
throe-days sightseeing trip by stage
and on foot he will visit tAe~gant Sc
quotas in the Mariposa big tree grove,
will follow the roads and trails lead
ing into the valley and will walk about
the floor of that park to admire its
imposing scenic splendor.
he visit to the big trees, said to be
tbs oldest and the biggest OF living
things, comes first in Mr.. Tafts Tin
crary. Leaving by coach early tomor-
row morning he and his paryt Will be
driven to Wawona, at the edge OF the
grove where real monarchs of the for
est grow tc an altitude of more than
1850 feet and more than 100 feet i'll
circumference at the base.
Mr.. Taft will be driven through a
tunnel cut through the base of one of
the cid trees. which is said to have
been standing from 5000 to 5000 years.
The forenoon of Friday will be given
over to the big trees and the President
will spend Thursday night at the hotel
in Wawona.
FRIDAY afternoon he vii enter the
park from one Of the highest points
and after a trip to all the show places;
on the upper levels will begin descent
to the floor, which is enclosed by al
most perpendicular cliffs of stone more
than 5000 feet high. 1t will be the
Presidents first trip into the Yose-
mite valley and he has been looking
forward to it for a month, both as d
sight seeing trip and as affording three
days of rest from Surging crowds and
speechmaking. John Muir, the natur-
aliSt and seoingiSt who is the recog-
niZed authority on the Yosemite, join
| ed the Presidents party at San Fran
cisco this morning and will personally
explain tn" wonders of the park an,
valley to Mr.. Taft The Yosemite wa
coded by the state OF California to tho
United States and is now under tn,
came control as the Yellowstone Ma
tional park.
Mr.. Taft will be accompanied in the
members of his own party and Cal
ifornia delegation consisting of Gov.
Gillette. Senator Flint and Reps.
Noedham. Mckinley and Englebrigh.
The ride into FL Portal this after
noon furnished a foretastc of the seen
cry that the next three days have in
store for the President, Leaving Me-
cedc at 2.30 p. NJ, after an unaventful
trip down the valle-. the Presidents
train began an S0-mile run to the ter
minus of the Yosemite Valley Railroad
at this nlacc.
For more than three fourths of III"
way the train wound along the Mer-
ccde river. with its series of water
falls and kept continually climbing
from the level of the sea to 4 height
bore Of more than 1000 feet. The Pres
idcnt made several car-cnd speeches az
thriving little California cities between
san Francisco and MerCede and at
the latter place was escorted to the
court house. where he made q brief
address to large audience. At Mer-
ccdc the President was presented with
another golf stick 1t was made OF
eucalyptus wood. gold mounted. The
presentation called out golf speech
i'm which the President suggested shat
the unirrigated land of the West be
turned into open golf links for the
public.