Year: 1872

BIG TREES, July ], 1872.


Dear AHa:-I arrived at the Mann
moth Grove Hotel yesterday after a
lovely ride through beautiful green
mountains, where the road led by a de
liciously cool stream, whose water was
clear as crystal, as it ran swiftly and 81
lently, or milky white, rs it foamed and
dashed over rocky declivities with
rollicksome air Of don't-care-a-tivenes
peculiarly refreshing. Some of these
cascades L felt like dignifying with the
name of waterfall, but on reflection
| came TO the conclusion that il would
be q libel on the waterfalls of san Fran
cisco. Once i'm a while we would come
to place where the water was still and
silent and dark, as if it had known
trouble and had wandered Off alone and
here settled to hide its misery I'm sOli-
tude. Then, charmed 10y the loneliness,
birds hovered over it, speckled trout
made their homes in its depths, and
queer-eyed frogs sat sOlemnly on its
green banks, and every kind Of flower
and fern sprang to life, watered by the
nourishment of its tears, and perfect
marvel of quiet, peaceful beauty was
formed. Great, grim, burnt trunks
next met us, but even they showed that
the law of nature is beauty, for green
and yellow moss had nearly covered the
branches, and lovely green fern-like
vines were creeping about their trunks
and showing, like stars, their snowy
flowers. The road is a good one, and
the ascent so gradual that one does not
imagine at the end of the Journey that
he is twenty-five hundred feet above
Murphy's. There is a small portion Of
dust left on the road that the people
have not yet swallowed; l had all
want


WHISKY IN THE STAGE.


Two gentlemen rode up when / did,
and about every second revolution OF
the wheels would pass the questions
ssHow is YOUR drinkitite?r or, Have a
little whisky?r and as the answer was
Invariably in the affirmative, consider
able whisky was disposed of during the
short trip. There were but two passen-
gers besides myself, and they were those
Gentlemen whose "drinkititen was so
powerful good, so you may imagine
that 1 did not enjoy myself quite as
much as is usual for me, for if there Is
one thing | dislike more than another,
il is TO see n man exhibit his love foI
whisky so ostentatiously; il looks as il
he was not accustomed to having such
/ luXuries at home.


APPRECIATION OF THE "ALTA.n
Soon we began to observe that the
trees on the mountains bordering the
road were growing perceptibly larger in
contrast to those farther down, and
began to look out for the great "Big
Trees" that l came to see. We came tC
one tiny cottage built of shaks, where q
woman waited at the gate. The driver
paused a moment to throw off a copy OF
the Alta, and l am sure if YOU coulC
have seen the beaming satisfaction thai
/ Illuminated that pretty little woman,
face as she received her paper, your an.
cient heart would have been cheeret
and warmed to think that away up il
the mountains" though this is, the Atc
is so well appreciated; for when the
! feminine element like paper you may
| be sure il is good.


THE HOTEL


Fences, trees, sheep, cattle, and NOR
trees, were passed like flash, and theI
a sudden turn in the road brought u
unexpectedly in sight of the Big Tree
Hotel, and in moment more we wer'
passing under the great arch made by
the two grim sentinels who have KEEP
watch and ward so many years that hu