The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-12-30
"reminiscences of
Western Travels.
BY HELEN M. TODD.
The Yosemite Valley.

ley. Before we had LETT San Francisco
fae behind US, however, the weather
cleared, and by the time we reached
MERGED where change of cars was in
order, We were enjoying the warmth and
sunshine of an ideal California day. We
had seats in the observation car for the
ride up the MERGED canyon, and enjoyed
every moment in spite of the roughness
of the roadbed under US. We were much
interested in the old composites of the
Fortyniners, and in the places where the
first discoveries of gold in California
were made, as we'll as in the mines, old
and modern, all along the valley. Our
brakeman guide pointed out several
places where millions of dollars worth
of gold had been washed out of the
gravel. Closed by the shore at one bend
in the river we saw small stone build
ing, windowIess and roofess, but with
strong iron doors and shutters, that was
once a bank for the miners precious
gold. Farther on we passed so near
stamp mill that we could see the men at
work: This was operated by water
brought along lume from the intake,
three miles farther up the the river.
Toward nightfall the train slowed around
curve, and looking high above us, on
the face of great cliff across the river,
we could see long narrow streak of
10 Of cilvy
Chinquapin Fall. and we had arrived at
Ell Portal, the gateway of the Yosemite.
The terminus of the railway is in
deep gorge, and to reach the hotel we
scrambled up steep path through the
woods, leaving our baggage to follow on
the wagon.
We found the hotel ''Del Portal a
very homelike, comfortable place, with
its wide halls and large freplaces. and
we were soon established in our room,
which overlooked the river far below.
From our window we could see the
Chinquapin Fall high on the mountain,
and the roar of it even penetrated our
dreams all night. The Yosemite Lum-
Der company owns cable operated track
on the mountain across the river, and
pulls full-sized loaded freight cars over
as per cent grade by means of hosting
engine at the top. 1t was very interest
ing to watch, next morning, the empty
cars ascending, and the loaded cars des-
cending the grade,
We had little time for locking about
US next morning, however, as our start
up the Valley via auto stage was made
at seven o'clock. The road was thirteen
miles long, over grade so heavy that it
took over three hours to make the trip.
That could hardly be called speed al
though it was fast enough, since the
road was in many places mere shelf on
the side of the canyon, with the rapids
and falls of the MERGED roaring far be-
low. Immense boulders were plentiful
along the way, and between two of
them tunnel had been blasted, leaving
an overhanging arch, through which the
stages passed. The weather ink still
pursued US, for about nine o'clock the
clouds which had been overhanging all
the morning grew still more threatening.
and much to the regret of US all the TOP
had to be put up, just in time, as it
proved, to shelter US from the downpour
of rain, with fog, that obscured our view
Of the beautiful cascades, and rendered
it almost impossible to see the Bridal
Veil Fall, even with much craning of
necks. At the Bridal Veil Meadows the
tourist gets his first general view of the
Valley. Ell Captain raises his great
height on the left, and on the right IS
The Fall, while in the distance rises the
Sentinel, and far beyond them all glistens
the snow covered heights of Clouds
Rest. This view we were obliged to
forego for the time being, and we drove
as rapidly as possible through the little
village of Yosemite to the Sentinel Hotel,
glad to find a shelter from the storm.
1t seems a pity that a modern hotel
could not be built at this beautiful spot.
to take the place of the primitive struc-
ture now existing. The collection of
ramshackle cottages joined to an anti
quated Office building, with shabby furni-
ture and almost none of the so-called
modern improvements, is most made
quate to the needs of storm stayed tour
lists, though it might do we'll enough in
pleasant weather. The most comfort
able place that we could find was the
E'Big Tree Room"-a building about
fifty yards away from the office. In
going from one to the other through the
rain, an umbrella was necessity. Here
we found a big, bare room, built, as its
name indicates. around large tree in
one corner, with the additional attraction
of fireplace in which fire was kept
blazing. We spent the afternoon here,
reading and writing letters home, after
having paid visit to the village general
store, where the best we could find in
the way of entertainment were maya
zines three months old, and chocolates
even older.
A hold-up in the rain about five o'clock
boi1od rr,itb nd