able extent, and requiring a large amount of labor to reduce it to 

 cultivation. Lam on has cleared and subdued about twenty acres, 

 and planted a large number of fruit trees, and has been especially 

 successful in raising berries of several kinds especially strawberries, 

 raspberries, and blackberries which have found a ready market in 

 the valley among the visitors. There is no question that Lamon 

 would have had a clear claim as a preemptionist under the United 

 States laws, had this been ordinary surveyed land, or provided he 

 had remained upon it until it was surveyed and sold, supposing it to 

 have followed the usual course of United States surveyed lands. In 

 view of the position of Lamon's claim, which is so situated that his 

 buildings are not at all conspicuous in the valley, and of the useful 

 character of the work done by him, the Commissioners did not hesi 

 tate in offering him the greatest privilege it was in their power to 

 grant, namely a lease of his premises for the term of ten years, at 

 the nominal rent of $i per annum. 



Hutchings's improvements consist of a small log house and a large 

 barn and shed, with a garden and orchard, on the north side of the 

 Merced, as well as the hotel on the south side, said to have been 

 purchased of Sullivan & Cashman. Hutchings has resided perma 

 nently in the valley since the spring of 1864, but most of, if not all 

 his improvements have been made since the Governor's proclamation 

 was issued taking possession of the valley in the name of the State. 

 It is fair to say, however, that Hutchings's improvements have been 

 made with an eye to the preservation of the beauty of the valley 

 unimpaired, so far as was consistent with his ideas of the amount of 

 stock necessary to be kept for the use of the hotel. Hutchings's claim 

 embraces 118.63 acres, chiefly of the best meadow land, and the 

 best, or one of the best, sites for building in the valley. Consider 

 ing the fact of Hutchings's long residence in this place, and of his 

 evident desire to effect his improvements without injury to the pic 

 turesque appearance of his surroundings, and taking into view the 

 small number of persons who up to this time have visited the Yo- 

 semite so that keeping a public house has not been nor is likely 

 for some time to be a matter of profit,* the Commissioners were dis- 



* The largest number of visitors to the Yosemite was in 1866, when probably 

 between six hundred and seven hundred persons were there, the number having 

 been nearly double that of the previous year. In 1867 there were probably not 

 more than four hundred and fifty persons in the valley. These numbers include 

 persons camping as well as those stopping at the hotels. The causes of the 

 smaller number of visitors during this year are supposed to be first, the late- 



