The Father of Trout Streams 297 



the time of Christ cut into railway ties without 

 a qualm. 



A short time ago, figuratively speaking, the 

 big trees of the Yosemite were being cut down 

 and the latter devastated by sheep, man, and 

 beast, but most of this section of California is 

 now under government control and troops are 

 kept in the park to drive out depredators of all 

 kinds. It is a singular fact that there are thou- 

 sands of intelligent human beings who can see 

 no reason why they should not cut down, and 

 saw up, a tree six thousand years old. It is 

 fortunate that there are ten times as many men 

 who believe that men entertaining such views 

 should not go at large, and it is this sentiment 

 which has brought about the Forest Reserves and 

 the National Parks. 



The Sierra Nevadas and the southern Sierras 

 have in a few years become exceeding popular. 

 Formerly tourists alone went into them, but now 

 thousands of Californians enter the various 

 passes and one meets people in the deepest soli- 

 tudes or in localities like King's River Canon 

 that were comparatively unknown a few years 

 ago. 



The best approach to the Sierra Nevada is 

 through the San Joaquin Valley, that in summer 

 is often extremely hot, lying between the main 

 range and the coast mountains; but the heat and 

 dust of the valley are soon forgotten when the 



