Evening star., 1927-11-06

attempt that is outstanding in his
memory is a part of the nightly en-
| tertainment program.
The hotel Is surrounded by gigantic
| peaks, the highest Glacier Point which
towers 1900 feet above the valley.
Over this mountain flow series of
magnificently colored waterfalls from
the highest of which nightly occurs
| the hotels prize entertainment fea-
| ture.
Caldron Sent Over Falls.
When darkness dcscends the hotel
guests are assembled on the rorcn
and told to watch the signal light
atop Glacier Point and directly over
the falls. At given signal caldron
OF blazing logs is dropped at the top
Of the falls. AS it desCends, a fam
/ ing mass through the still blackness,
a girl standing on the mountain side
sings the famous Indian Love Call"
The use of the natural effects gives
the whole thing an exquisite idyllic
quality, Mr.. Smith declares. AS the
| caldron reaches the bottom of the
falls and the echoes of the song
reverherate through the night. guides
stationed around the mountains indi.
cate the end of the evenings enter
tainment by calling good night" in
voices that carry enormous distances
through the stiffness.
The next day the party was taken
to the top of the peak mile away.
but which was reached only after a
3l-mile mountain drive.
After Yosemite. the American Auto
mobile Association head drove to Los
Angeles and from there to Barstow.
| Calf. From the latter town, he began
two days of the most interesting driv-
ing to be found anywhere in Amer
ica-thrOugh the Moiave Desert to
the famous Death Valley The weird
loneliness of the trip through this
wide stretch. where great vistas Of
cactus.spotted sand race out to meet
the horizon. is indicated in the fact
that the run from DaCget to Death
Valley, 140 miles. boasted of not
single town or village, no gas stations
or telephones. Not even railroad
was to be found. not another car was
to be seen. and the only sign of life
seen by Mr. Smith was one coyote and
one jack-rabbit.
Gasoline Prices Are High.
At one point, Cave Springs. is the
motorists only chance to get neces-
sary supplies. Here, through a hermit
who lived in a cave, the :rav.ler was
able to replenish his gasoline supply
at 90 cents a gallon. which. SAYS Mr..
Smith. lis cheap enough considering
the seller had TO make a round trip
Oh 100 miles to get the gasoline
The temperature in the valley was
lis degrees. at the time of Mr.. Smiths
visit. but a vio,v OF the ,snow-crosted
mountain peaks, 1000 feet high.
from spot 500 feet below sea level
make one oblivious of the discomfort,
he declares.
The wholesome respect that native
Westerners have for this stretch of
the utterly dismal is indicated in
their practice of wiring to Barstow
before starting across to ask that a
relief party be sent III the traveller
does not arrive at a specified time.
Travel through the section at this
time of the year averaged about one
car every ten Gays. according to Mr.
Smith.
Returning 10 Barstow afteT the
never-to-be-forgotten trip through the
desert. Mr.. Smith doubled back on
the trail to San Bernardino. thence
south through the Imperial Valley.
past the Salton Sea to Yuma, Ariz.
The next lap OF the journey led
through Albuquerque ami Santa Fe
to Las Vegas. Save for 20 miles in