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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1881)
May, 1881. THE WEST SHORE. tht Tilley, wt fiod oa tht mim (tooth) side, a prominent and mastivt pilt of granite, sculp tured by nature km to euiffect iU nam of "Cathedral Hook." Jut beyond art iaolated column of granite, at taut 500 ft high, stand ing oat from, bat oonnaoted at tha baso with, the walli of th valley; and thaaa graoafal pin naclee, graved by tha windi and moat, wall da eerved to ba oaUad "Tha Spires." In fact tht whole aida of tha valley along thia part of it ia fantastically but exquisitely carved oat into form) of gigantio proportion, whioh, anywhera alas, oxoept in tha Yoeemite, would ba ooasid and objacte of tha greatest interest On tha north aida again, beyond El Capiten, ia a triple group of rook, ruing in step one behind the other, and known m the " 1 hree lirot ti ara." and from tht lummit of tht highest, "Kagla l'eak," thert it a tuptrb yitw of tht valley and ite aurroundinga, Aa you itep on the oratt and your eyt glanoaa over tha Tut field of wonder, before and beneath you, an overwhelming feeling of awa and bewilderment pervades tht mind, for you look down perpen dicularly almost 4,000 ft, and look up again to tat mountain peaks quite 6,000 ft alnve you. Juat below if a large stream aurgiog on to makt tha mightiest leap reoordedi it ehoota down at lightning tptad 2,600 ft and you realist, at least in tome degree, the immenae night of tht Yotemita fall. Thia oaaoade, if not the moat atupendoui feature of the Yoeem ite, it at Uaat the moat attractive of tha valley. All the aooaaaoriet of thia fall are of a oharacter worthy of and oommenaurated with ite itn vertioal bight ao MM everything u added whioh can augment tht lmprtaaion which the dosoent of ao large a maaa ol water from tuoh a bight oould not fail, by itaelf, to pro duo. Thia tall thoagh only 30 ft wide at tht atart widens, out to great ia tha maaa of deaoaading water, probably to 300 ft and like Bridal Veil, gaina in ite headlong deaoent 1 a vibrating motion peculiar to themselves, with an affect indescribably grand. Beyond tht Yoaemite falla art tht Royal Arc bee, under which wt oamped on a aandy meadow amidst pint tree, which, though large, were dwarfed by the aurroundinga, Kaat of thia aaain ia tha " Washington Column." a rounded oolumuar rook 1 and surmounting thia and the Arches i tht "North Dom,"tht latter made np of oonotntrio platea of granite, Hera ia where tba yalley forks, tha left-band branch eonteining tba beautiful pool oalled "Mirror Lake," above whioh riaca tht " Half Dome," wboaa faoa ntxt the lake it absolutely vertioal tor 1.800 ft Tba right-hand fork, or Illilou ette. ii but rarely viaited. aa it ia rough and dil tieult to olimb ; but the central oaoyoa oarriaa tha main atraam or Meroed river, which do toaoda 2,000 ft in two miles, making, baaidea tnaimarablt oaeoailss. two grand falla. Tht lower ia tba Vernal fall, a perpendicular sheet with a deaoent estimated at 479 ft, which ia aeea to great advantage from tha baa. Hera, however, tba visitor u oa a narrow, steeply sloping mountain ledge lust over tht raging torrent Tba rooka art always wtt with spray and oOBteqoently vary slippery. Some of our ladiea aoouug apoa tba fall anprtpared were blinded by tht water, and terriUed by their ap nsrsnt dsnffer. A rsmarkabl parapet ol granite, just breaat high, at tba top of tha tliff over which the aar Howe, look aa If made oa purpoaa to af ford tht vie) tor a atourt position from whioh to hI tha aeon. Above tha Vernal falla ia aaaaaaaioa of oaaoadaa and rapid of great beauty, aad beyood tbaaa again ia tba grand Nevada falls, environed by majestic aosoery. The "Cap of Liberty, oa tba aortk aula of tht nver, la atapeadom maaa 01 rooa, ntog a,uuu 1 it baaa, all tba snort imposing booauea aad aearl Dameadionlar oa all aide. Thia abort sketch of tha talwnt and Uuet striking poiate ia tba walla of tba Yoaemite, very Portion of whioh la eublims. omitt others, which, thoagb of great beauty, aaaaot ba tvea ao muofa aa auctioned for want of eoaoa. - Oat word at to tht opposed oanat ereatiog thia unique valley) tha moat natural explana tion ia that auggeated by 1'rof. Whitney, via: That tha bottom sunk down tn an nnlrnown depth, and tha vent masa of detritus wbioh must have fallen from tha walla, has gone to nil up tha abyaa opened by the subsidence. Tht at moaphera of tha valley ia exhilarating, tonio and delioiouai tha memory of the scene, a Joy for ever. The Yoaemite ia a Uovarnment park, sivtn to tha State of California in truat "00 oondition that the prtmitei ahall ba held for publio use, resort and recreation 1 but I regret to say that thia oommonwealth hat ill fullilled tha truat she accepted, by neglecting to provide money to keep the roads, ttc, In accent travel ing oondition. Till MlgUOUH, On our return we stopped In tha Maripoaa group of big treea, which, though about 10 miles 7 .l. v - - 1- 1.. ..!.. .1 .Y iH tL. r1 1 mill mi luesmne, w wvuiiini iu wuniw aional grant to California. Though thaaa tree) extend 120 milea north and aouth along the Sierra, they art mostly gathered In eight or nine distinct groups or groves. They are tha largest and moat interesting tret In Amerloe, and oar tainly tha grandest and moatlmprteaivt produo tiont of the vegetable Kingdom. Tht genua, named In honor of orquoia, an In ian ohiet of the Cherokeea. who Invented an alphaliat and written language for bit trilit be fore tht white had heard an) thing of It, will always keep hie memory green. There are atvtral foaall species 01 the Dniuota, one being found In Greenland, but tht a. ui jnnlrn ia axoluaively limited to tha Sierra, 00 whioh it extends vertically 2, W0 ft, whilt jU twin brother, the redwood, H. trmntrtirttu, ia strictly a seaboard tree, and oonriutd to the Coast Kingea of California and Oregon. The tallest specimen of tht big tret It 320 ft high and tha one of the greatest diameter waa 27 ft through) and tha age of the oldest ona whoae rings nave been oounted waa 1,300 year. The cones are about two and a half inchea in length and about two inches iu diameter. Tba aaeda are much sought for, are widely distributed and readily vegetate, ao that millions of plants, It la said, are now growing. Though to large a tree, yet it must yield the palm to tht AVnyjVw amyWnfrM of Am trail, of which one specimen It, RAIUSIDE HORTICULTURE. The Central and Prmthorn rc'.&i laiUat have done a good thing for tha Htete by theu system of tree planting betide their tracks. Wt have been pleated alto to aea hero and there a switch-tender ao imbaed with tha love of tht beautiful that ha ha embowered hie little oabia with a tine growth of vines and turrouaded it with miniature Hewer beds. There la alao a disposition in soma town to beautify tht sur roundings ol the railway Stallone, Tba Uwlgbt way station, in Berkeley, ia enclosed in a pretty little park, artanged under the auiptoea of tha Berkeley Neighborhood Improvement Hoolety, There ia room lor much mora good work ol thia kind all over tha Htete, for many atetioot art unsightly place 1 aa inhospitable and bar aa neglect oaa makt them, Thia ia exceedingly unfortunate, for many reeaona, and should bt changed. Viral impreaeiont art vary atrong with many persons and If one la mat at tht ela tion, when descending from tht oar step, with a view ol desolation and antbritt it may take many miles of flower garden! after' ward to win a good opinion ol tht town. If tht station wart made over into lit tle oaaea of shrubs and treea the effect would be quite dillertnt Kaoh village and town should havt a pridt ia a work of thia kind. It would ba comparatively easy if tha people would In terest themselves ia It Wt are ol tht opinion that the railway company would furnish moat of tht trees and shrubs, and then all 'that tht people need do I to see that they are k pt in oondition fit for growth. There la no telling thus raaohea tht enormnoa elevation of 4N0 overtopping tht tallest Hmuata by IM ft The following Itinerary ol tha route to 1 0 stmite will prove ol Interest to those proposing to make the trip, and I gia tht diatanoa from point to point From Hani fUiWe la OavloU M allies To HelUnts It " UMiral Clir M " tea Uk) oblspo (0 " ! Ixklee at) " Fltllo IU11 It " U i Mountain so " Bledea ti ' " Ktiitlaid " " uiimv m " - bell's aullna It H Cmae (,'imtr 0 Hut via fi clung ram. - UaUenos 10 t.'ruai aa Juaula river al Plekeneen'a Ferry. H Mard 40 " anrlllnte It " " OualterrllU about , as " - Hrawn's IUimIi M I " " ru Mwlofra " M black's Hots! " " A arroaa in IU1. Oor last year's trip aa outlined ebova was so satisfactory that wt start again by Hay loth, with 3 wagone, 14 people, 2 (combined) oonkt and driven, 6 aadule borate, to eamp, to tht Yoaemite, to spend twn months ia the valley, Can't you tome la and eamp with aa f 1 pro pose to hold two weakly eamp Area, Wednes day and Monday, for visitors. If yoo know any "saw-booea looking for a Ion, aend him la to spend his Maimer ia tba valley. Ilia prase ne will ores Is a tropof patiaaia. yorocs . Hmiih, la Kmnu rsa. BaiirtAUl. Mraara, (iarreaaand Maobelert i'ana, havt tilraotsd from to steau ol tht taxifragaa. taaaia, atarek and a asw twoaisaata Driooipla, bargeaiaev whisk posaeasae valuable medioinal propsrUae, aad may raak betwese qumln aad aajiotao. bow widt reaching tha influence of auoh Improve- menu might be. It It quit poteiblt that tba pionio character ol the surrounding would im pel the station loafers to ladulga la aa aooaaioa al clean shirt, aad tht agent might tread tht platform with poliahed boot. Kvea tauh great changes u thaaa art quit within tha poesiuill list. UUsl.It aad itetloa hortlctlUrt la not at all a new Ida. II la practiced quite generally la tht older Huts and abroad. Tha Ntw York Trlbmu recently noted facte In thia oonneotlon, ateting that thert art sums pleasing etamnlat of railway gardening la Maine, In 1 taaaylvanla many ol the station area art brightened by tht smiling beauty of flowers and tha graosa of foli age, in nurope, wncrt uitre art mure penplt withleaatodo,audwharetbtahorterliaaaol road waytof all aorta can be kept on that aoonant la gar den trim, it ia common to see at every little oountry ttetioo, however lonely and retired, bed of bright flowers edging the wall and ahlnlng la the windows. All stations aim inoloaed thtr tht gates being opened from tht gatekeeper't lodge lor avery passing venial. Here, each planted area baa neoaaaarily ite own leooe. all around being eutirely open. Tht oatUnga asar I'arli art ulauted all over tut slope with Am arioso locusts. A w have hinted before, California hat al ready eotna good taamplst of what wt would make prominent There are alao torn beauti ful spots along tht dreary ovtrland route through Nevada. We would have thousand timet a maobofit Whioh Iowa la California will havt tha prettiest ttetioo I It It timt now to plan and aaxt fall to plant E-ttkatg. BuasMBiRa FiiuTooiurHY. Improvtmtati art aald to have bssa made la lulmtariaa photo- Chi apparatus, by aasaotof which viewt havt takea asar lUagow,at a depth of tea fath oms aadtresala tha water. On ol these vUw. tekta In tht bay of that city, show dittiaotly a sandy bottom, with a targ aumbtr of boaldera oovered with aea weed, eaj aa old aoebori also, la tht shade, thiea mooring oabloa, beloogiog to email yachte. A rotiKTataasj from New Hampshire, who had sever heard ol a bicycle, earn to Bottoa, tad whsa h beheld a yootb whirling aloag apoa oat ol thaat airy Vehicles, bt bruit tat into toliloqay the: 'Golly, ala't thai quart Who'd ever 'spool to set a maa rldia' a aoop-thirt."
