The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-01-27

AAssSSs
took the trolley at the Pacific Electric
station, en- route for Mt. Lowe. Our
way led first to Rubio Canyon through
the beautiful towns of South Pasadena
and Pasadena. Here we saw our first
orange g owes, their trees laden with
the golden fruit.
At Rubio we left the trolley, tai ing
the cable car up the inclined railway to
the top of Echo Mountain. This was an
ascent Of 1900 feet by a e. per cent
grace, and some of the more timid pas
sengers screamed and shut their eyes,
and wondered what would happen if the
cable broke. No such catastrophe oc-
Cured, however, and We both thorough
~ enjoyed the sensation of being lifted
up INTO the air, each moment revealing a
more wonderful view than the one be-
fore. a slight haze fingered in the air
although the sun was peeping out, giving
promise of fire day at the top. Our
EXPLANATIONS on the beauties of the
mountain scenery evoked unfavorahle
comment from the gentleman in the next
seat. ''Humph!" he said, I've been
mere just three days and I've seen enough
of mountains TO last all the rest of my
life. I'm sick OF them, and don't want
TO see another one, u" Where do you
come FROM" we asked. 'I'm from
Missouri said he proudly, land 7 can
see hill 300 feet high from my house.
That s mountain enough for me and I'm
going nome and look at that" Appar-
entity, when it came to mountains, the
gentlemen from Missouri was not will
ling to be shown"
AT the top of Echo Mountain we
changed to the trolley again, en- route
for the Alpine Tavern, and we were car
ried around dizzy curves at dizzy heights. F..
The Circular Bridge at an elevation of |
1880 feet was particularly fine speci-
men OF engineering work, describing al
most complete half circle on the face of |
the mountain. On reaching the Tavern,
which nestles costly in a sheltered spot |
on the mountain side, we found that we
were just too late to take the morning .
trip by burro to the summit of the noun
tam, 1000 feet above, so we contented |
ourselves for the time with a walk to |
Inspiration Point. We were enjoying |
bright sunlight ourselves, but when we
reached the point from which we should |
have had glorious sight of the valley
below, we found ourselves looking out .
over bilowy, white clouds that COM
pletely obliterated the view. AS we
waited and watched, little by little the
cloud lifted, until finally the valley was
visible, although we waited in vain for |
it to clear sufficiently to justify taking a
picture.
After dinner at the Tavern, we hired
apologies for riding clothes-I use the
word advisedly, for the garments fur
nished were anything but whole, ana
anything but clean-and prepared for
another donkey trip. When our party
finally assembled, we numbered about
eight, and the autocratic guide, after
carefully looking US over, apportioned
our steeds. Will drew real horse this
time, but l found myself mounted on
shaggy little burro named Maggie |
Maggie was all right as burros go, but
so tiny that | felt in duty bound to pull
my feet up as far as could in order not
to retard her progress by dragging them
on the ground.
The trail from Alpine Tavern to the
summit was very tame indeed in COM
parison with the one up Glacier Point,
but at times it wound along a narrow
shelf of rock on the face of steep cliff,
and invariably at such times Maggie
would be seized with strong desce to
stick her head over and nibble at blade
of grass just over the edge. At such
times would be obliged to demonstrate
with her by main force. Someone had
evidently eaten oranges on the trail, and
here and there were fragments of the
peel that had been thrown away. Meth
er the invectives of the guide or my
frantic tuggings at the rein could per-
suade Maggie past those bits Of orange
peel-she ate every one in sight. 1t was
quite evident that Maggie was true
Californian and firm believer in home
products.
The view from the summit, G.. 90 feet
guide was in such desperate hurry to
get US back to the Tavern again that we
had hardly time to appreciate it. l have
since wondered what dire punishment
| xu o,,Id hoyo boav ;pA;o%od ,1Dov, him bod