1892 



(iLEANINCJS IN HEE CULTURE. 



335 



Notes of Travel 



FROM A. I. ROOT. 



SOMK KODAK VIEWS FKOM KKGIONS AI-HKADY 

 I'ASSKI) OVKH. 



If you will turn to pago 172 of our issue for 

 Mart'li 1 you will lind. wlierc I was dcsoriliing 

 till' inoiintain sticain tlirougli the canyon near 

 frifuil Molntyrc's. 1 usi'd tlu'sc words: "The 

 stones, big and little, have been tumbled and 

 rolled by liie water for so many ages that most 

 of them are beautifully rounded and polished; 

 hence it is all the moi'e risky clambeiing among 

 them. In places the water comes down so steep 

 that it is really a succession of rapids. The 

 water of these mountain streams is usually 

 beautifully clear, pure, and cool." Well, the 

 rocks and the water, as it rushed and boiled 

 and sparkled through the pebbles little and big. 

 made such a fascinating picture to me that I 

 resolved to try the Kodak on it. Below you see 

 the result. 



A VIEW FKOM A MOUNTAIN CANYON NKAK FRIEND M'INTYRE'S. 



Some of the stones are beautifully white, as 

 you see: others are colon-d. Some are com- 

 parativ< ly soti, while othiis are like flints, and 

 a few are like jasper and carnelian. Where 

 the water is puie and soft, the rocks are usually 



clean. That is one reason why I love soft-water got it all settled, and proceeded home. I could 

 springs and rivulets. Thf-y leave no deposit of not leave Devil's Gate, however, without trying 



pure, adds much toll xhilaralion. The pic- 

 ture gives you something of an idea of how it 

 boils and sparkles and babbles— a babbling 

 brook truly, but on a rather large scale, as you 

 may lind to your sorrow if your foot should 

 happen to slip on one of those polished stones. 



1 told von that Mrs. Hoot followed as long as 

 her strengtii held out: then she rested while 

 friend Mclntyre and I wenton loe\|)lore Devil's 

 Gate. The further wci explored into the moun- 

 tains, however, the more wild and weird it 

 looked, until one began to wonder wliere he 

 would end if he kept on climbing and exploring. 

 As there was much to see, however, we decided 

 that w(^ cotild not afford the time to go any 

 further, especially as this kind of exploring 

 must all be done on foot, or, rather, on hands 

 and feet. So we made our way back to where 

 Mrs. Root had been left. I had just been 

 thinking that it was almost a dangei-ons place 

 for any one to be alone, when in this wild 

 mountain canyon: and then my vivid imagina- 

 tion suggested, " What if some of these reckless 

 characters away off here in California should 

 be prowling round and 

 find a woimtn off here 

 alone, without anybody 

 near enough to even 

 hear her call?" We 

 reached the spot where 

 Mrs. Root agreed to 

 wait. Sure enough, she 

 was nowhere to be seen. 

 We called faintly at first, 

 then louder. No answer 

 — not a sound was to be 

 heard except the rushing 

 of the waters over the 

 stones. My heart began 

 to beat violently. The 

 lonely feelings came back 

 that I told you about, 

 and my thoughts ran 

 rapidly from the_ point 

 where we met in San 

 Francisco up to the 

 present time. Ohl why 

 did I let her go out of my 

 sight and hearing in 

 such a place as this? 

 While the " poetry " part 

 of the situation was fad- 

 ing away at a pretty rap- 

 id rate, friend Mclntyre 

 shouted still loudei'. and 

 then we began exploring 

 around further from the 

 point where she had 

 agreed to stay. All at 

 once we caught sight of 

 hei- behind a rock down 

 near the rushing waters 

 that prevented her from 

 hearing our voice. My 

 anxiety and forebodings disappeared at once, 

 even if my heart did not at once stop its wild 

 beating, and I am afraid I began to scold be- 

 cause sh(! did not keep her promise and slay 

 where we left her until our reluin. Well, we 



chemicals on the sticks and stoni's. to make 

 everything slimy, discolored, and untidy. As 

 there is a great demand for pure water for 

 drinking purposes, these soft- water streams 

 down the mountain are hunted up and piped 

 many miles. The nights in California are cool, 

 especially in the winter time; therefore, al- 

 though it may be quite warm in the middle of 

 the day. the water coming down these shady 

 canyons is almost always beautiful for slaking 

 thirst; and the abundance of it, so fresh and 



the Kodak once more. At the right of the pic- 

 ture you get a glimpse of where the sun has 

 illuminated a corner of one of those great red- 

 dish jasperlike rocks. Mrs. Root and finend 

 Mclntyre are in the distance, and a small can- 

 yon opens up through the mountain above 

 their heads. If a railroad should ever run up 

 these mountains, it will open up one of the 

 finest bits of scenery there is to be found almost 

 anywheie. Whyl it really makes me thirsty a 

 I see that gu.'-hing stieam of living waters as i'' 



