New-York tribune., 1909-10-10
TAFT LEAVES YOSEMITE
TRIP GREATLY ENJOYED.
President Has Many Interesting
Experiences in the Park.

El Portal, CAL Oct s.-After travelling nearly
one hundred miles by stage and foot in and
around the Yosemite Valley President Taft
rived here tonight. and will resume his journey
TO the Southwest tomorrow morning He will stop
al Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield. and reach Los
Angeles early Monday morning. The President
vet with perspration when he reached the foot Of
the trail to-day and had to go TO bed in the Sen
tinel Hotel while his clothing hung out in the
sun to dry. as he had only the one gray Norfolk
jacket suit with him in the park.
President Taft took luncheon with Major For
sythe Of the army. His last day in the Yosemite
Park was greatly enjoyed. He began the day by
looking at the sun rise over the eastern granite
walls Of the valley. his vantage point being the
veranda Of the little Glacier Point Hotel right at
the edge Of a cliff three thousand feet high. The
surroundings were rough and the place was Sc
cluded. the President appeared in scanty attire.
Having seen the sun rise. he retired again and
slept until o'clock The altitude did not seem to
affect him. and he has stood the long rides and
early hours of the Yosemite trip better than some
Of the other members of his party.
To-day the President set such a pace down the
four miles OF the trail which brought him from
Glacier Point TO Yosemite that he had two Of his
escort. Representatives Mckinley and Needhan,
calling for help. At Union Point one-thIrd Of the
way from the top, the President went to the edge
OF the cliff and waved a handkerchief IN greeting
to some mere specks OF humanity which could be
seen moving about below him. In little while he
caught the sound Of three cheers sent up in his
honor John Muir. the naturalist. explained every
view, every tree and flower on the way down, ana
dwelt time and again the glacial theory of the
formation Of the valley. The President was told
that the short trail down which he was passing
first blazed by old settler who lived in the
hills. His wife would not let him have any whis-
key in the house, ne had TO walk down into the
valley 10 get drink.
In the Presidents party in the Yosemite have
been Governor Gillett, Senator Flint Representa-
tives Englebrght. McKin!ay and Needham, John
NTyri- Nat 6A
todian of the park.
The President has shown a lively interest in the
proposition on foot in San Francisco 10 throw a
dam across the Hetch Hetchy Valley OF the Yo-
semitic Park and create lake there, to give that
city supply OF water. Mr. Muir, who has spent
much OF his life in the Yosemite has declared
the President that the plan is sacrilege. add
ing that the Yosemite is place in which TO say
ones prayers. and should never be used for COM
mercial purposes.
President Taft has been deeply impressed with
the beauty Of the valley and the entire Yosemite
Park. He declared that the park had been neglect
ed as compared with the Yellowstone. He Is
anxious that some definite plan Of Improvement
shall be adopted. in order that progress may be
made every year Road building is the first great
need, the President himself has suggested. and
he will probably make some recommendations on
the subject IN his forthcoming message to Con-
gress
Arriving at the hoor OF the valley to-day. the
President was greeted by Galen Clark. ninety
seven years old. who was the first white to
make known the existence OF the giant trees Of
the Mariposa groves
One result of the Presidents trip into the Yo-
semitic has been to make him enthusiast for
estry. The big trees were not alone responsible
for this. For three days he travelled through for
ests OF yellow and sugar pine and FIR trees which
lowered from two hundred to three hundred feet
above the road Al they have called out many
pressions Of admiration from him.
Two deaths by accident have occurred in the
Yosemite this season. A young EngIishman named
Shepard disappeared in June from camp near this
point and IS believed 20 have fallen preci-
plce his body lodging a ledge. Troops searched
for IN vain for weeks. Later a young Cali
fornian named Logan lost his footing the steep
ledge traiI and fell nine hundred feet to the bot
tom The trail has long been marked with
danger sign. but this warning has seemed to serve
only as q magnet to the venturesome. The con-
ttnued use the forbidden trail has caused Major
Forsythe Of the army. in charge OF the park, to
order the destruction OF the approach with dyna-
mite.
a granite bowlder Weighing forty tons fell down
the mountain last night and landed directly in the
road over which the President travelled Thurs
day when he entered the park, and he passed the
spot again to-day his way back to FL Portal.
The rock was blasted of the roadway this morning
by a gang Of park laborers.