The Golden State

Kl-.A7.IIK. TULJlRE CO., CAI.., I November Uth, 1884. ( [The followlng letter to Rev. Eastwood of this city, by a relative visiting in California, has some desonptivc patsages worthy of givlug to the public, whicl we are permitted to do.- Ed.] We arrived here the 24th day of October, are feeling well and had a pleasan trip all the way from home, flve days from oiir Dakota home to San Francisco. Thinga don't look to me as they do to many otherg, and I shall write about scènes as I see them. After leaving Dakota we passed out of the land of wheat stacks, and as I fairly bellere, wc left the very best country in America, or the world, for a poor man or one of small means. Down the Missouri river to Council Bluffs we passed through a hog and cattle country. Everything looked dirty and hoggy; unclean, woe-begone, tumble-down, in striking contrast wit) the Dakota wheat ralsers. From Omaha to Cheyenno the country in the main is a stock country, but not so good a stuck country as Dakota, by any means. A Cueyenne we enter the great American desert which continúes till we come to the great ranches in the Sacramento ral ley, California. Nothing can be raised on these ranches except the land be irri gated. The big farms were dr)-, awfu dry. No rain haring fallen for eigh months. Not a spear of grass, not a green thing to be seen, except a few scrub oak trees. The dust was shoe deep everywhere, and in many places knee deep. They were sowing wheat, 12 to 24 horses or mules hitcned to heavy gang plows root up the hard, dry earth, it can't be called ploughing. And this was called "the paradise of California." I was disappointed, disgusted. On the 18th day of October, at 12 o'clock, we entered the city of San Francisco, where we staid four days seeing the sights. We vlsitcd the Cliff House on a high rock overlooking the ocean, and near the Golden Gatc. We walked down on the ocean beach and gathered shells. Oh ! vr ho can describe the great ocean ? the vast mountain or the boundless sky? I would not be a human being should. I ever forget my feelings as witu bated breath I gazed for the flrst time on the blue waves of the Pacific ocean, whose waters cover one-half of the earth 's surface ! It was a slght X had longed to see in myboyhood days, and I al way s expected to see. I arn sure I thanked God for that slght. From the Cliff House we watched the seáis and sea lions as they played in their native home, hundreds of these animáis were in sight, one enormous shaggy old lililí IO I .llltU MU Wl.llll. ín. nwiuu raise his head and roar, wbcn the others would hark aJ grnwi. TUat oíd rliau seemed to be the king. We visited Woodward Gardens, a beautiful spot, one of the great attractious of th city ; also City Park, the markets, retail stores, public buildings, etc. We went down to see the shipping tu the bay, almostcountless, from every nation and clime on eartli. It was a grand sijcht to us. We had most excellent quarters at our hotel, and a bountiful table; such grapes and pears I never saw before. Well, I like San Francisco, her hotel tables are the pride of America. The prices are not half as high as Chicago, or any place I ever saw before. Reluctantly we left the city of good cheer, Chinamun with thelr pig tails, and all the other sights. But time was precious, and we were in a hurry to see our friends, and gather -the fruits wlth our own hands of Frazier valley, celebrated for being the tinest flavored in all California. It is 280 miles from the city of the Golden Gate to this place, nearly south-east. The last 40 miles is traveled by stage. Our friends reside on the Middle Tule riyer, far up a narrow, crooked stream, high atnong the foot hills, at the very base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is a terror inspiring spot to a stranger. The high mountains here, 7,000 feet high, come down almost to the house, jou cannot see the great dipper or the rising or setting of the sun, because 'the mountains intervene. J ne mountaiiis are the tavonte borne of the mountain lion, the wild cat, the lynx, brown and cinnamon beurs. The great grizzly formerly lived here, but he has now gone to more secure quurters. Up to the head of this narrow canyon or canon (for the word is spelled both ways) about 22 miles, there is a grove of big trees. Last summer was about the ürst time they were vislted by tourists. They are larger tban any trees in the Mariapos or Calaveras jjroves, and are now believed to be by intelligent Califor nians the largest trees on earth. Aus tralia boasts of taller trees, but she doe not claim to have trees so large in diame ter, and it is very doubtful if her tree are any talier than the big trees at th head of Tule river canyon. We starte( early in the morning to see the big re woods, having a doublé seated buggy, an a party of four. We had a wiry, active team, used to climbing up the steep mountains and made 14 miles by noem, the roudg not being awful bad, and four miles in the afternoon, the roads being awful. We drove the team 1% miles, but most of us had to walk, as it was all the team could do to draw the buggy. About 11 o'clock we saw our ürst big tree. I was astonished at its gigantic iize. We passed a thread around the tree, and went on. The trail was now inpassable for teams, 80 throwing off unnecessary garments we started up the mountain. It was quite a suramble for the ladies to get along but they seemed to succeed about as well as the gentlemen. We soon got to St. Peter a very large tree. The flre has burnt a hole through it at the base. We went through the tree, measured it and found that it was thirty feet in diameter, and is said to be 400 feet Uil. About one-half mile further on, and standing in the thick timber of pine and fir trees (themselves giants) stands St. Paul, the kin?, and largest of all trees. That tree is a tree to look at. Ab I looked at it I was silent. The grim old sentinel of the mountain, it bas stood there more than a thousand years before Christ was boni. Two generationsof such trees would carry us back to Noah's llood. This old moss-corered monarch of antiquity links the long genorations of the past, by a living life, with the present time. Who could feel llght or gay In the presence of the great grandfather of trees. Sonie of our party began to laugh and gabble over a little mos8, which seemed sacreligious to me. Forty feet and over is the diameter of 8t. Paul. It holds lts bigness well up, for200 feet from the ground, where the flrst branches are seen, it must be thirty fee1 tlirougli. We could not see the top of the tree as it was above the clouds. We nezt went to ie the "hollow log." In the log n fainily have 1 i veil all summer, kccping boarders - a six foot man can't touch the ceiliug over henil with the apllfted hand. The liollow log was quite i camping place this suinnicr lor right-seerg. 'l'hc day was DOW tur spent, so wc turned our faces hoinewuvd. A dense cloud had settled down on us. The people at the mili, three miles down the mountain, beeame alarmed foroursafety, feuring we mlght get lost. They sounded the steam whistle long and loud, and started a man with a gun aller us. Uut our trusty guide, was clear headed. We heard the whistle, and cuessing the cause hastened our steps. On reacliing the wagon we were pretty well playcd out,so hitching quita a tree to the hind axle to help the hornea liold back, and prevent the buggy from falling on the horses we got aboard and plunged down the mountain. 'J'he next day we got back to "Mouiitain Home," the resldence of our friends.