A TRIP TO YO-SEMITE in 1874 - PART 6

A TRIP TO YO-SEMITE IN 1874 – PART 6

Last week we left J.K. and Miss Teegarden in the cottage parlor laughing over a pencil, and J.K.’s odd remarks about a couple of rocks in the moonlight with profiles of a fish and an old man?

And we continue . . .

Next day our whole party and two others left for our homes.  My venerable friend, Mr. Kidd of New York and myself concluded we would fight it out in that line (at Smith’s Cosmopolitan House) if it took all summer, for mint juleps.

Bid goodbye to Hutchings at 8:30 AM, 27th of May, 1874 on horseback.  Lunch at Gentry's, 11:30.  It snowed crossing the mountain.  Rode on a bobsled at Tamarack Flat.

Sutton’s little Josh we had a heap of fun over.  Sutton carried a little red satchel and no one could imagine (what) was in it and Mr. Clarke said “Smedley, what has Mr. Sutton in his satchel?”  I said I didn’t know.  “I guess” said Clarke “that maybe it’s his little Josh.”  That set the whole crowd to a regular ha ha.  Poor Sutton.  He had to take the fun of the whole party.  (This was supposedly in mixed company?)

Arrived at Crane Flat at 3:30 PM and Hodgen's (Hogedon's) at 5:20.  Snowing like fury.  Here I had hid an old tin can intending to bring a snow plant to Ella but when I found the can and looked for the plant, someone had destroyed all within reach.  So I went down the gulch and stream quite a long way and got a fine specimen that I thought would please her and dug it up and packed it carefully with sticks so as not to flatten it, and put it lengthwise in my old satchel and brought it safely to her in Sacramento--good boy!  Did lots of good.

What a time we had at the hotel that night (Hogedon's), telling fortunes, talking love and etc. Met Mrs. Houghton. A fine lady who slept in No.1 but who snored and who peeked through the shakes (at the men!).  What a time.  What a time.  I won't forget that soon.

Left for Priest's, homeward.  Had a pleasant drive.  Felt somewhat sad that I had to return to dusty Sacramento.  Took dinner at Priest's, then down the long hill in a jiffy.  Left Jacksonville for Chinese Camp.  (They crossed the Tuolumne River to take a different route home, here.)  Stayed all night.  Took a stroll.  Quite a pretty place and nice drive from Priest's.  At Chinese Camp, received a postal card from Ca-F (?) from Sacramento.  After supper, stroll, and talk, we went to bed. Next morn all packed for home.

Garrett House was the only hotel in Chinese Camp so this has to have been where they stayed.

Chinese Camp late 1870s or early 1880s.

Chinese Camp these days.  Garrett House is no longer there, but the post office is still in the same building though I’m not sure which building that might be?  Perhaps the one beyond the 25 mph sign which, I believe, is the same building seen in the photo above on the right with the large front porch?

Splendid morning and fine drive and lots of fun for all in talking about the trip.  Crossed O'Byrnes Ferry and then on to Copperopolis.  Once a thriving mining town in copper, but now all dilapidated machinery rusting and idle.  Stopped a few minutes to look around, then left for Milton where we take cars, leaving our carriage.

The O’Byrnes Ferry covered bridge.  He would have crossed the Stanislaus River on/through this bridge.

The O’Byrnes Ferry bridge is now submerged under Tulloch Lake Reservoir, but the road behind where it was is still there only now it's behind a motel & restaurant.  The dark mass high on the right atop the hill is the ancient Stanislaus River which was flooded with hot lava millennia ago which hardened over time, the softer earth around it slipping away to leave the ancient riverbed high and dry.  Gold is still found underneath it today.  It’s now called “Table Mountain” and winds back and forth over the area with breaks here and there.  It would have been there when J.K. crossed the current Stanislaus River on the O’Byrnes Ferry bridge.  He doesn’t mention it, however, which seems odd because it is so obviously different from the rest of the landscape.

The ancient Stanislaus River now “Table Mountain” snaking its way along as seen from the air.

The copper mines J.K. spoke of reopened in the 1880’s & remained active until 1946 supplying copper (for ammunition) for World Wars I & II, and Copperopolis is now quite a thriving little place thanks to several subdivisions built around Tulloch Lake.

Copperopolis in recent times during a weekend car show.

  Got dinner at the Tornado Hotel.  Stopped at a lake on the way to water horses.  Quite a pretty little lake in the foothills. (I’ve no idea what lake he might have been referring to.)  Arrived in Milton at 11:50 AM.

After a few miles to Stockton together, we parted, leaving all but Mr. Sutton who went with me to Sacramento.

It was a lovely moonlight eve.  Soon after we got home after a dusting I took the snow plant to Ella winding up the trip to Yo-Semite Valley.

The splendid cane of manzanita wood I cut from near Glacier Pt. I left in charge of a man to keep when I went to Kern Island but suppose he burned it because I never saw it afterward.

Met several of the parties at Sacramento on their way east that we had been with in the Valley.  Spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Conant at Grand Hotel.  Met Mr. Clark also, and have had several letters from the parties since.

Just 3 years since I made the trip and the best one I ever made, meeting the most sociable people of every state, connected with the most magnificent scenery in the world.

I read this over and it seems as if it were but yesterday.  How I should like to see it again with another.  She could then see the snow plant in its natural growth and I hope we will someday see it together - wonders so grand.

I presume this is all I shall write in regard to what we saw and of the trip so very divine.

(signed)

J.K. Smedley

EPILOGUE

It's not known if J.K. ever did go back to Yosemite with Ella?  But their daughter, Hattie Bell, and her husband and children did . . . as did their children, their children's children, and their children's children's children along with their children!

On October 1st, 1991, I attended a gathering to bury a time capsule in Yosemite Park, ending a year-long celebration of the Park's first official 100 years.  The capsule is to be opened on October 1st, 2090 on the occasion of the Park's 200th birthday.  I signed a giant birthday card and wrote down my thoughts on a small slip of paper to be included in the capsule.  I wrote of my great grandfather visiting the park in 1874 and mentioned I now live in the area and love visiting the park, myself.  That my children and grandchildren have also been to the park, and how I hope many generations of our family to come will have the chance to enjoy visiting it as well.  I also wrote that I hope one of my great, great-great, or great-great-great grandchildren might be present at the opening of the time capsule in 2090 and have the opportunity to read my message.

The Time Capsule

And there it goes into the ground to be dug up in 2090 if someone hopefully remembers where it’s buried!

The capsule burial site.  There’s nothing to indicate this is where it is, but then it probably wouldn’t be a wise idea to advertise it anyway.  I wonder how much bigger that little tree will be 67 years from now?

:->

La Nightingail