266 



Sierra Club Bulletin, 



which outlined the horizon. Here was true nature, a glorious 

 extended view — beautiful, magnificent, sublime. 



But the scene spread out before us was not yet complete, for 

 while we gazed rays of the sun broke through the clouds and 

 there suddenly appeared before us a most beautiful rainbow. 

 Looking again, it was a double one, adding its pure colors to 

 the marvelous view. We stood there pleased, delighted, thrilled, 

 spellbound, and then, awe-inspired by the artistic grandeur of 

 the glorious sight, uncovered our heads in recognition of the 

 Great Ruler of the Universe, who created all. 



But the Yosemite Valley is only a small part of the Yosemite 

 National Park. The park itself covers an area of 719,000 acres, 

 and includes the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Valley, the Grand 

 Cafion of the Tuolumne, the Tuolumne Meadows, the Merced and 

 Tuolumne rivers, numbers of high mountains reaching to eleva- 

 tions of 10,000 feet to 13,000 feet above the level of the sea, 

 beautiful trout streams, charming lakes, magnificent forests of 

 pine, oak, and cedar, beautiful shrubs and flowers, a place to 

 see Nature as Nature should be seen; a perfect paradise in sum- 

 mer, where one may live in perfect comfort out of doors half of 

 the year, yet accessible in winter when the snow on the moun- 

 tains gives a different aspect to the scene. 



Not only does this national park contain some of the finest 

 forests of the West, which still stand in all their native beauty, 

 but it also includes the Tuolumne and Merced groves of the 

 wonderful California Big Trees, or Sequoia gigantea, a sight 

 which pays travelers to come thousands of miles from all parts 

 of the earth; trees that are now growing which take you back 

 in time for five thousand years, great grizzly giants, immense in 

 size but wonderfully symmetrical and beautiful, taking rank 

 amongst the great wonders of the world. 



The Yosemite National Park is a magnificent inheritance of 

 the American people, set aside for the education and pleasure 

 of all, a great piece of natural scenery to be preserved for all 

 time. It should be well taken care of by the United States. 

 Liberal appropriations should be made for proper roads, trails, 

 buildings, and for every convenience, so that visits to this park 

 can be made as easily as to other places under the care of the 

 Government, and I hope no objection will be made to the appro- 

 priation reported by the committee at this time. 



Editorial Note. — It has been reported in the daily papers that this 

 appropriation has been granted, which marks a considerable increase over 

 appropriations of former years. Congressman Englebright is to be con- 

 gratulated on the outcome. 



