The Springfield herald., 1912-06-21

lleI TesOTl pTOpTlelOT III tue
world. The national parks that
" belong to the United States
and are for the enjoyment Of
the people have combined area al
most half as great as that of Switzer-
land. Within their boundaries may be
found every attraction that Switzer-
land has to offer and many other
scenic marvels such as no other coun-
try in the world affords. There are
giant glaciers, snow-capped mountains
that are as hard to climb as Mont
Blanc or the Matterhorn, great for
ests, lakes and mighty rivers, water
falls more than twice as high as the
Metropolitan tower, geysers that spout
thousand feet In air, huge caverns
in which a city might be hid, big trees
that were forest monarchs before the
Pyramids were planned, titanic
chasms-the list of attractions in I'm
Gle Sans summer resorts is endless.
Many OF them are unique.
Many of these national Fairgrounds
are in the empire of the west. The
greatest of them are easy of access.
Year by year the number of those that
can be reached by the railway or by
the trolley is growing. A generation
or SO from now, when the United
States west of the Missouri is more
thickly populated. these breathing
spots will occupy the same relation to
the country at large that Central.
Bronx and Van Cortland parks and the
other open spaces in New York bear
to the metropolis. They will be sum.
mer recreation grounds to which mill
ions will flock. They are SO large that
for centuries to come they areI not
likely to be overcrowded.
The Yosemite National park, in
California, is $50 miles from San Fran
cisco as the crow flies. 1t is not pos
sible as yet to trolley thither from the
Golden Gate, but 1t may be within the
next few years. Already a stage line
leading to its boundary has been paral-
leled by an electric railroad. The
Yosemite park is in the heart of the
Sierra Nevada mountains. Originally
1t was fifteen miles in length and "one
mile back from the main edge of the
precipice on each side of the valley"
but the park in its entirety now cov-
ers a domain thirty-six by forty-eight
miles.
Like Vast Hail.
Crossing the threshold of the great
valley of the Yosemite is like stepping
into some vast house or hall carved
out of the mountain. One passes sud-
denly into a tranquil, restful region
that is enhanced by the power and
grandeur that encompasses it. The
ylo FOL
lucid water Is set In an enormous
granite frame three or four thousand
feet high. ornamented with domes and
spires and peaks that are still higher
The Grand Canyon of the Yosemite is
a sublimity of different order. Com
ing from the petrified forest with its
trunks of thousands of gigantic trees
or tree ferns that grew millions CT
years ago. one gaZes down upon some
thing that is unlike anything ever
known upon the earth. 1t seems like
vision of some strange, colossal city
carved out of granite that has been
uncovered from the depth of geologic
time There is a wilderness of temple
like forms and monumental remains,
alcoves and amphitheaters and noble
architectural profiles that delight
while they bewilder the eye Count
less waterfalls flutter like lace against
the granite walls.
The first leap of the falls of the
Yosemite is 1000 feet, more than
twice the distance of the gilded dome
of the Metropolitan tower from the
earth below. The next leap is 400 feet
and the last GOO. AT the bottom the
water falls in spray like an endless
summer shower. Imagine the Hudson
river emptied of its water for seven or
eight miles from Its mouth and deep
ened 5000 feet or more, Then fancy
the sides nearly vertical, with snow.
white waterfalls fluttering against
them here and there, granite rocks in
spires and domes planted along the
rim, and landscape of groves and
glades with still, clear winding water
at the bottom and you will have as
adequate n conception of the Yosemite
as it is possible to get without seeing
It
Several thousand persons camp in
this enchanted valley every summer.
It's floor is nearly level-not a chaos
of fallen rocks. More than 5000 acres
are meadows and pasture. Trees and
groves make 1t a natural park. Stage
lines and an electric line run from the
terminus of the railroad and there are
stage lines through the park. The
tourist season Is from May l to No
yember l. but the park is accessible