JUNE 16 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
DO PUNCH AND LIFE AGREE 1 
The foUowiiiif verse was found in a young man's 
album not long since: 
Trli. me, physicians, of both kinds— 
That, cure the body and the mind— 
What harm in drinking can there be. 
When punch and life so well agree ? 
[Dr. Johnson. 
REPLY. 
I answer, sir full well you know 
That punch wilt prove your overthrow. 
On its death-tide and putrid wave 
Millions have found an early grave. 
Thousands of men. of brilliant minds, 
With generous hearts, and lives refined; 
With records pure, and fortunes made, . 
Through punch have sunk to evening shade. 
He has great powers, and claims the right 
To chain man’s hankering appetite; 
I’oison his Joys; his prospects blast, 
And leave him penniless at last. 
Thus millions now ho bolds as slaves, 
And millions dead fill drunkards' graves; 
They speak In thunder tone* to mo. 
That punch and life do not agree. 
So say the good of any age, 
Tho Joint physicians and the sage; 
While midnight tipplers still affirm 
That, drinking punch docs them no harm. 
Now I would council all young men, 
Whose life with punch meets now and then. 
If they would shun a drunkard's fate, 
Their lives from punch must separate. 
And I to all would say, " Beware, 
And shun this evil, deadly snare, 
In any form it may appear. 
In brandy, whisky, wine or beer.” 
[True Mission. 
THE SIEKRA NEVADA. 
Our mountains sit on golden thrones. 
Their streams run over golden bods; 
Their brows are gilt with golden zones, 
Their sides are bounteous golden sheds. 
Thun sings au outhuslasMo rhymer of the Gold¬ 
en State who lavishes on Its mountains not a little 
of the praise which ordinary Californians thriftily 
reservo for their marvelously fine climate. Every 
one, at all acqu Unfed with the geography or this 
count ry, has at least an indistinct Idea of the ex¬ 
istence in California of two great masses of moun¬ 
tains. These form the most striking feature in 
the physical geography of tho State, and are called 
the Coast Range, and the Sierra Nevada or Snowy 
Range. Near Tejon pass, In tho southern portion 
of the state, these are topographically so Indistin¬ 
guishable that It Is only by careful examination 
of the strata that one can be distinguished from 
the other. Here the snow-capped Mountsan Ber¬ 
nardino, 11,GOO feet high, Is the connecting link be¬ 
tween the two. From lb the Coast Range trends In 
a north westerly direction, and after running near¬ 
ly parallel with tho sea-board along the western 
border of the State, curves to the east and termi¬ 
nates on the western side or Mount Shasta. This 
towers aloft to the hlght of 14,44? feet, and Its 
venerable head rises fully a mile Into the regions 
of everlasting snow. Jt to of volcanic origin, and 
even yet omits sulphurous vapor from Its summit. 
As It rises T.imm) feet above the neighboring peaks, 
It Is visible from all sides for a distance of over 
100 miles. 
From the eastern Bide of Han Bernardino the 
Sierra Nevada sweeps to the northwest to about 
the latitude of jpg 45' and the 120 th degree of lon¬ 
gitude, rrorn which point it extends due north 
and forms the eastern boundary of the State. Al¬ 
though the mountain chain stretches into Oregon 
and Washington Territory under the name of the 
Cascade Range, the Sierra proper terminates at 
Lassen's Peak, which rises to the hlght of 10,577 
feet above tide-water. Thence a transverse ridge 
running to the eastern side or Mount Shasta once 
more connects, at the north end of the State, the 
Sierra Nevada with the Coast Range which had 
diverged from It at the other extremity, 150 miles 
further south. Between these two mountain 
chains lies the great ba&lu, bearing the double 
name of the Sacramento and San .Joaquin valleys, 
although these are In reality but one geographical 
formation, the latter being merely the southern 
continuation of the former. 
This valley extends north and south upwards 
of 400 miles, with an average breadth of from so 
to 60 miles, and presents indubitable evidence of 
having once been the bed of a vast lake. It Is 
drained from the north by the Sacramento River 
and from the south by the San Joaquin; and the 
two, after meeting and uniting their currents In 
the center of the Great Valley, break through the 
Coast Range and now Into the Pacific Ocean. This 
portion of California Is, by far, the most import¬ 
ant In regard to mining and agriculture. The 
vast amounts of gold yielded by the mines of the 
State, have brought a more permanent benefit to 
it by attracting thither a hardy, adventurous, en¬ 
terprising race than by the metallic wealth thus 
generated, and the yearly products of agriculture 
and stock raising, at present, exceed in value the 
highest annual proceeds from every kind of min¬ 
ing in the richest days of the gold fever. Wealth 
torn from the entrails or Mother Earth is limited 
In quantity and soon exhausted, whereas that 
yielded freely from her teeming bosom, gener 
ously enriches each succeeding generation. 
When the Information given In the maps and 
geographical works now in general use was com¬ 
piled, but little positive knowledge of the extent, 
formation, and general character of the Sierra 
Nevada had been gained, and conjecture, Infer¬ 
ence, and unreliable stories boldly supplemented! 
the meager details resulting from a few trust¬ 
worthy exploring expeditions. It is only within 
the last decade, and mainly In the last four or 
live years, that the region has been extensively 
explored and a correct knowledge of It thus se¬ 
cured. with a length of 4fi0 miles, at the lowest, 
calculation, and an altitude varying from 5,000 to 
15,000 feet above the sea-level, this majestic 
mountain chain has a width of about so miles. 
Nearly the whole of this !.s occupied by the west¬ 
ern slope, which descends to a level of about 300 
feet above the ocean, whereas Its eastern decliv¬ 
ity is only live nr six miles wide and terminates 
In an elevated plateau called, par excellence, the 
Great Basin, lying between the Wahsatcli Range 
of the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, 
and which is Itself upwards of 4,000 feet above 
tide-water. The western side, In the center of tho 
state, opposite Sacramento, rises at tho average 
rate of 100 feet to the mile, the greatest elevation 
of the mountains there being T,ooo feet, and t.hclr 
horizontal distance front the foot to the sum¬ 
mit, To miles. South of this t he elevation becomes 
greater and more rapid, while the range grows 
narrower, until the grade opposite Visalia rises 
at the rate of from 24o to 300 feet to tho mile. It 
must not., however, be supposed that this ascent. 
Is continuous or uniform, for between tho ptalns 
at the foot of the mountains and the highest point 
there lies a labrynth of ridges and valleys, one 
above the other. These valleys, however, are all i 
small, and It is rarely one can see a hundred acres 
of level laud along the banks of even the largest 
mountain stream. 
About latitude 40 tho range divides, or forks, 
one branch running to the northward, In the line 
of the main chain, and the other towards the 
majestic Shasta. Between these two branches is 
a high table-land about 180 miles long and 5,000 
feet above the soa-level. This plateau Is an Inde¬ 
pendent basin, having no outlet for its waters, 
which (low Into a few lakeB and are absorbed by 
the sand. The land fs barren, tho vegetation 
scanty, and tho prospect thoroughly uninviting. 
A hundred and fifty-five miles to the east, and ft 
little to tho south of San Francisco, lies the far- 
famed Yosemlte Valley, unequaled for the gran¬ 
deur of Its scenery and the magnificence of Its 
waterfalls. 1 1 Is about thu center or t he state and 
midway between the eastern and western mar¬ 
gins of the Sierra Nevada, here a trifle more than 
70 mlleswldo. It Is six miles long, varies in width 
rrom half a mile to a mile, and Is nearly a mile In 
perpendicular depth below the surface of the ad¬ 
jacent region. In is<54 Congress granted the val¬ 
ley to the State of California on condition that It 
should be held for public use, resort, and recrea¬ 
tion, and should be Inalienable for all time. There 
arc few scenes on the continent combining so 
much beauty and sublimity, and It richly repays 
the attention tourists yearly bestow on It. 
Another remarkable feature In the scenery 
among these mountains Is the big trees. Of 
these eight groves have been already discovered 
and It is not atall Improbable that further research 
will light, upon more. They are scattered trregu- 
larly through the mountains, but are never found 
below the altitude of from MOO to 7,000 feet. In 
no other part, of the world have any trees of tho 
same kind ever been seen. The Redwood, a tree 
of a closely allied genus grows readily. In vast 
numbers and to a great hlght and girth Ir. 
the beautiful and fertile valleys Of the Coast 
Range, but the SeqnoUt otgantra flourishes only 
amid the Sierras. They range troui YR1 to 350 
feet. In hlght. and many have a circumference of 
from 25 to 30 feet. The Calaveras, the most north¬ 
erly of the groves, was first discovered in 1 h.vz, and 
since then tho following additional groves, men¬ 
tioned In their geographical order from North to 
South, have been met. with. Stanislaus, Crane 
flat, Mlraposa, Fresno, King's and Kaweah Riv¬ 
ers, North Fork Tulo River, and South Fork Tulo 
River. 
On the slope of tho mountains there are four 
well-marked belts of vegetation. On the foot 
hills, oaks, buckeyes and small, digger pines 
nourish; above these, at a hlght of from 4,000 to 
5,000 feet, pitch ptuc, Douglas Spruce, and cedar, 
are chiefly met with; the t hird zone extends from 
7,000 to 0,000 feat and consists mainly Of firs, 
tamarack pine and coniferous pHints; beyond 
these vegetation dwindles and after passing a | 
belt, of dwarf pines, bare rocks and snow alone 
meet the eye. The lofty peaks of the sierra are 
never entirely destitute of snow and for a large 
portion of the year they are extensively covered 
with it. in September and October it rests on tun 
Southern slopes only In deep ravines and clmsius, 
but on the Northern aides It Is In many cases per¬ 
petual. in winter It fulls often to the depth of 
40 or r.o feet, and vast glaciers have recently been 
discovered, always on the north slopes of the 
mountains, while evidences of ancient glacial 
action are everywhere abundant. 
The Sierras reach their greatest altitude to¬ 
wards their southern extremity, where Mount 
Whitney, the highest peak In the United States, 
rises to the hlght of I4 ,hn 7 feet. The hlght or 
some of the other dominating peakB Is as follows: 
Mt. Tyndall, 14,385 it.; Ml. Kaweah, 14,000 ft,; 
Mt. Brewer, 13,686 feet; Rod State peak, 13, too ft., 
and Mt, Dana, 13,277 ft. 
On tho west, of the mountains numerous spurs 
project Into the valley, and It Is among these that, 
tho richest deposits or gold have been found. The 
great auriferous belt extends from Fori Tejon 
1 northward into Oregon, measuring about 200 miles 
in length, by 40 in width. On the north and 
south of this, gold has been found In small but 
scarcely in paying quantities, while the central 
part of It forms the great gold-mlnlng region, 
which has yielded almost the entire product of 
he State. 
i- - -• * 
I 
Above all things philosophers seek to he pro¬ 
found, to search for the fundamental causes of 
things, and the more recondite and remote those 
seem to be, the greater appears the satisfaction of 
their Ingenious discoverers. To all people there 
Is a sense or pleasure, awe, or delight. In mountain 
scenery, and IIHubert Bprncbb considers man’s 
appreciation In this respect due, In a great meas¬ 
ure, to certain deep but vague combinations of 
tastes generated In the race during barbarous 
times, when its pleasant activities wero among 
mountains, woods, and waters; and that these 
forgotten associations of a remote auecstry, 
transmitted with considerable force to us, are 
probably the most potent elements In composing 
tho emotions which a flue landscape or a grand 
stretch of mountain scenery produces in us. 
Mr. Bain, another phllosopcr, while acknowl¬ 
edging some force In this argument, finds another 
cause for our satisfaction lu the sense of exulta¬ 
tion over the difficulties overcome in mountain 
traveling, while Prof, tyndau. readily agrees 
with both these learned worthies, but flnds an 
addltltlonal and, In his case, almost an excep¬ 
tional source of defight in mountaineering, on 
account of tho scientific lessons deduclblo from 
the significant marks which time and nature have 
legibly stamped on mountain scenery. 
To thoso capable of analyzing and accounting 
for their emotions, as well as to those who, child¬ 
like, lake defight in the multit udinous beauties of 
Nature, without ever dreaming or investigating 
t he origin or their feelings, the grand and varied 
scenery of this mighty ruugo will give an abun¬ 
dance of pleasure, and hundreds or tourists who 
travel to Europe each your to enjoy the charms of 
Alpine scenes, might easily find sights as grand 
and more beautiful amid the deep valleys, the 
abysmal chasms, tho precipitous ridges, and 
snow-capped peaks of the sierra Nevada. 
SUMMITS OF.T11U 8IF-KHA NEVADA. 
FROM HER OWN STORY. 
1IY IDA M. AI.BRO. 
“ There's no tollin' what ho would a’ done. He 
might a’killed himself and he might not," said 
the widow liAKKER, as she bent over Mrs. Mar¬ 
tin’s bright kitchen hearth to knock the ashes 
from her old clay pipe. •* The neighbors thought 
ho acted so Just to scare me. But I tell you, Miss 
Martin, when rolks happen to think that they 
might end tlielr troubles by makln' ’way with 
'euiselvcs, Old Nick has got a hold on ’em, and 
fie keeps a pullin’ ’em along until by and by ho 
has everything his own way. I wouldn't live 
through another such a time for what the whole 
place ts worth. Why, I Just lived In Tear and 
tremblin’ all winter long, and before spring camo 
I made up my mind I’d get away from there. Oh, 
the way they treated me! I tell you, anybody 
who’ll use a mother the way I was used-" and 
she gave her old head a mysterious shake that 
sent the gray hair, which was cropped oil straight 
across the nock, bristling out, worse than ever. 
She put, In her mouth tho stem of the empty pipe, 
strong with the concent rated odor of many pounds 
of tobacco, and took two or three long pulls, ouch 
one ending only when the thin dark checks drew 
toget her and caressed each other. 
“ Why did your son act 80 strangely?” queried 
Mrs. Martin, as she stood by the Ironlng-labio, 
putting tho finishing touches to a snowy table¬ 
cloth. 
•* ’Cause he couldn’t got all tho prope’ty into his 
own hands, tie wanted I should sign over my 
thirds to him and give him all the personal prope’¬ 
ty, and then I might a’ whistled for a Itvln’, or 
gone to tho poor-house, for all o’ what he’d a’ 
cared. But Wiixiam wa’ut so much to blame, 
after all. it was more his wife’s doln’s. She kept 
a settln’ him up all o’ the time. She was a high- 
strung piece, part Scotch and part Yankee. Her 
folks died when she was small, and she Como up 
sort o’ by luck and chance. ‘Mao,’ I used to tell 
Her, ’you never was anybody and you never will 
be anybody.’ Then wouldn’t her Scotch temper 
fly like sparks from a burton’ chimney In a high 
wind! 
*• No, there’d never been a word said about, the 
prope’ty If ton, hadn’t a’ gone and got married. 
He’d a worked the place Just as he’d done all 
along since the old man died, and I could a’ lived 
with him in peace. But as soon as he brought his 
4 Highland lassie,’ as ho used to call her, there, 
then, hurrah boys! there wa’n’t no rest till he’d 
got a deed o’ the land. The girls signed off for 
two hundred dollars apiece, to he paid when Bub 
comes of age. Then ho will have an equal share 
with the rest, which won’t he till three years 
trom next January. In consideration lor signin’ 
away my thirds, U 1 stayed there, l wasto receive 
a small sum o’ money each year, enough to keep 
me In clothes and tobacco. If 1 went somewhere 
else, I was tobe paid more, In quarterly payments. 
I had him pretty well bound, though he couldn’t 
see It. it wouid a’been better for them U they’d 
a’ used me well and let me stayed. But to use a 
mother the way I was used-,’’ and she com¬ 
pleted the sentence with a shako of the head that 
was suggestive of many frightful scones. “Well, 
I never want to see another such a time. Why, 
they liked to starved us to death. That- Jade of 
Wuxi a m's would cook up a lot of victuals and 
carry ’em over to the neighbors to koop ’em out 
O’ my way. 1 wa’n’t uguln to help about the cook¬ 
in’, nor do anything else as long 08 they wa 
bound to support, in©; would you, Miss Martin? 
I told ’em they wouldn’t catch mo a payin’ for my 
support and a doin’ enough besides to pay my 
