Polk's Indianapolis (Marion County, Ind.) city directory, 1891, Part 131

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Indianapolis : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 892

USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Polk's Indianapolis (Marion County, Ind.) city directory, 1891 > Part 131
USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Polk's Indianapolis (Marion County, Ind.) city directory, 1891 > Part 131

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CALIFORNIA: ITS WONDERS AND RESORTS.

THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS.

UPPOSE, then, that we enter California by the Southern Pacific from Oregon. It is needless to describe the charming beauties of the Willamette, the Umpqua and the Rogne River valleys. We are not now looking for general beauties, which abound everywhere, but for fixed and popular resorts of pleasure-seekers. We might spend weeks of incomparable delight hunting and fishing in the Siskiyou Mountains; we might scale Mount Shasta and visit the many beautiful lakes of the Cascade and Siskiyou ranges. Soon after entering California the train stops at Ager; and thence we go by stage twenty miles to the Klamath Hot Springs, which lately have begun to attract hundreds of tourists. These remarkable springs of boiling mineral waters are situated in the valley of the Klamath, surrounded by all the glories of the northern mountains. A fine stone hotel affords comfortable entertainment for visi- tors; and in the vicinity are splendid hunting and fishing. If, as many tourists do, we should leave the railroad at Sisson, in Strawberry Valley, and make the ascent of Mount Shasta, we should behold a scene of indescribable beauty and grandeur.

MOUNT SHASTA

Standing nearly fifteen thousand feet above the level of the sea, we may see a won- derful country, covering a circle with a radius of hundreds of miles, and embracing many noted peaks, glistening lakes, long ranges of snow-capped mountains, and the far-off lava beds of the Modoc country. Every mile of this mountain trip from Roseburg in Oregon to Redding in California reveals extraordinary beauties unequaled by those of any other mountain range in the world; for here, instead of bleakness and desolation, are seen pictures which have received the kindliest, noblest, grandest and most refreshing touches of Nature's prolific brush, from the delicate beauty of wild flowers to the snow-covered summit of Shasta. The Alpine Club of Portland has accomplished much in bringing to public notice the entrancing beauties of the mountain lakes, peaks and gorges of the Cascade and Siskiyou ranges.

The Strawberry Valley is the best point from which the McCloud River may be reached. This beautiful stream rises in the eastern flank of Mt. Shasta and flows southward, its waters finally reaching the Sacramento. It is on the McCloud River that probably the finest fishing and hunting in the West may be found. The river is and likely will forever remain a wild and uninhabited stream. As a consequence there is nothing except hunting and fishing parties to drive out the game and des- troy the fish,-an extremely difficult task. The scenery is beautiful, and Mr. Sisson of Sisson has established a camp on the river for the accommodation of visitors. For those who enjoy an outing of this character, the McCloud River is an earthly paradise.

The mountains of the north abound in so many charms that it is difficult to make a selection for enumeration. The town of Sisson itself is one of the most popular

CALIFORNIA: ITS WONDERS AND RESORTS.

summer resorts in the mountains; and it is from this place that the grandest full- faced view of Shasta may be had. The elevation of the town is 3,555 feet ; and the air is remarkably pure and healthful. "Sisson's Tavern" is a charming hotel, where every comfort is furnished. Another place of great interest is the Soda Spring near Dunsmuir. The fine, pure, sparkling soda water has been brought in pipes from Shasta Soda Springs to a pagoda alongside the railroad. The Sacramento River, here a noisy, turbulent stream, flows past; and on the opposite bank are the famous Mossbrae Falls. There bold streams of water in great number and force burst from the rocks and rush down to the river in noisy cascades, scattering rainbow jewels with a lavish hand.

Dropping down from the mountains and following the Sacramento River from its source in a flank of Mt. Shasta to its mouth in the Bay of San Francisco, we pass some beautiful and romantic spots. Lassen's Peak overtops its giant companions in the Sierra to the east; and at its base are a number of remarkable geysers, from which, with great roars, issue volumes of boiling water and mud, and where' great pools of hot water abound, all pointing to the volcanic history of the great butte.

THE SIERRA LAKES.

At Sacra- Sound central floral in Winter mento, we may turn east ward and visit the fa- mous lakes in the Sierra near to the Central Pa- cific R. R. Lake Tahoe is a resort to which thou- sands flock every sum- mer. It is a beautiful sheet of wa- ter, twenty- five miles in length and from twelve to fourteen miles wide. It abounds with trout, and on its shores are some attractive hotels. The mountain scenery here is superb, and the summer sunsets of sur- passing beauty. Excursion steamers and sail and row boats are abundant ; and every possible luxury is provided. Webber Lake, another of these remark- able inland seas, all of which are be- tween six thousand and seven thousand feet above the sea level, is not far away ; and here there are good accommodations, and probably the best hunting and fish- ing in the world. Independence Lake is another of this group of mountain won- ders, with its attractive hotel and its superb fishing and charming mountain scenery. Still another of these Sierra

lakes, one of the smallest but the most famous, is Donner Lake. It is only three miles from Truckee, which is the town at which visitors to all these lakes leave the railroad. It received its name from George Donner, who, with a party of emigrants, was snow- bound at this lake in the winter of 1846. The most incredible sufferings were endured, and some of the party died from starvation. On all sides are towering snow-capped mountains. and the scenery is grand and imposing. It is famous for its trout fishing, and is one of the prettiest resorts in the Sierra. Returning we leave the railroad at Auburn and visit the won- derful Ala- baster Cave eight miles southeast of Auburn. It has large rooms and lofty arch- es, glitter- ing stalac- tites and pure water.

GEMS OF THE SIERRAS

CALIFORNIA: ITS WONDERS AND RESORTS.

WONDERFUL SPRINGS.

ROM these lakes we may return through Sacramento, and, passing through Napa and Calistoga, visit the Napa Soda Springs, the White Sulphur Springs, the Geysers and Clear Lake. These popular resorts are near together; and their great beauty and close proximity to San Francisco cause them to be thronged with visitors every summer. At the Napa Soda Springs there are elegant buildings for the accommodation of visitors. The springs are situated in a valley surrounded by lofty verdure-clad mountains, which lack the bold and rugged aspect of the Sierra. At the feet of the mountains lie the splendid orch- ards and vineyards which have made

the Napa Valley famous. It would be difficult to find anywhere else in the world so excellent health-giving waters set in the midst of scenery so beautiful. These springs are also a winter resort of THE GEYSERS great prominence, and are one of the objective points in the itinerary of Raymond and Whitcomb's winter excursions of Eastern people to California.

The White Sulphur Springs, on the same line of travel, near St. Helena, still retain all the popularity which in early days made them the principal resort for the fashionable people of San Francisco. This is one of the most delightful resorts in the State; and the new management, which has recently taken charge, may be depended upon to furnish the best accommodations. The natural attractions are unusually strong. Ætna Springs, sixteen miles from St. Helena by stage, are also very popular. Here are natural hot and cold waters for bathing and drinking pur- poses. The Calistoga Springs, at the town of Calistoga, show the general character- istics of the Soda Springs of Napa county, and possess rare healing virtues. Perched high in the mountains above Calistoga are the Harbin Springs. There are springs here of varying temperatures, one showing 118 degrees. There are many other hot and cold springs in this vicinity, including Adam's Spring, five miles from Glen- brook; Siegler Springs, two miles from Adams; Bonanza Springs, two miles from Siegler ; Howard Springs, fourteen in number, two miles from Siegler, and 2,220 feet above the level of the sea; Anderson Springs, ten miles from the Great Geysers ; Pearson Springs, fourteen miles from Lakeport ; Witter Springs, one mile east of Pearson ; Hot Borate Springs, near Lakeport; Highland Springs, four miles from

CALIFORNIA: ITS WONDERS AND RESORTS.

Kelseyville, famous for their douche bath ; Cook's Springs, in Indian Valley, Colusa county, yielding hot sulphur and other mineral waters; Hough's Spring, in Lake county, thirty-two miles from Williams ; Allen Springs, in Lake county, twenty-eight miles by stage from Sites, on the Colusa and Lake Railroad ; Bartlett Springs, in Lake county, thirty-one miles by stage from Sites, and one of the most popular resorts in the State. The easier accessibility of Bartlett Springs within the last few years has served to increase the number, already large, of visitors who annually seek health and pleasure there. The water is cold (though heated- for bathing purposes), con- tains soda, borax and iron, is heavily charged with carbonic acid gas, is cathartic, diuretic and alterative, and has a pleasant taste. A good hotel, a large number of cottages and excellent management assure the comforts of visitors.

The center of this remarkable region of volcanic springs is found in the cañon of the Little Pluton River, far up in the mountains in Sonoma county, 1,700 feet above the level of the sea, and distant one hundred miles from San Francisco. The rail- road which passes Napa terminates at Calistoga, and thence a stage line runs to the Geysers, the most remarkable boiling springs of the world, apart from those in the Yellowstone Park and Iceland. The trip to the Geysers, both by rail and stage, presents a series of panoramic views of unparalleled splendor. Apart from Yosemite and the Hotel del Monte, in their way the two noblest attractions in California, the Geysers exercise a peculiar and absorbing fascination. In the Little Pluton cañon, embowered in a sylvan scene of singular beauty and repose, with the added massive- ness of rounded mountain tops on either hand, there are one hundred springs of all sizes issuing from the fiercely hot interior of the earth. Surely the distance here from the surface of the earth to those terrific internal fires which formerly found vent in the great volcano now called Mt. Shasta cannot be great. This awe-inspiring phenome- non is now all that is left in activity of the violent volcanic disturbances which in the ages gone lifted California from the bottom of the Pacific. The waters range in character from that which is pure and cold to boiling caldrons of a black, thick liquid. There are cold soda springs and boiling alum and sulphur springs. Heavy deposits of sulphur, salts, ammonia, tartaric acid, magnesia, etc., cover the ground in places. There are intermittent boiling springs, from which jets of water and volumes of roaring steam issue at short intervals. The "Steamboat Geyser" is the most impressive of all, with its great body of steam thrown up under tremendous pressure, and with a heavy roar. There are hot and cold medicated baths, where remarkable cures have been effected. From innumerable fissures in the ground come jets of steam. The " Witches' Caldron" is over seven feet in diameter, and its depth has never been sounded.

The fourth leading place of resort in this part of the State is Clear Lake, about thirty-five miles north of Calistoga. The scenery which surrounds this beautiful sheet of water, compared with that of Lake Tahoe and its neighbors, presents all the striking differences between the Coast Range and the Sierra. At Clear Lake we find, instead of granite, snow-covered earth-giants arranged in wild and majestic disorder, finely rounded mountains and hills decked with verdure, and innumerable shady ravines and enticing nooks. The shore is singularly beautiful and gives an impression of infinite repose. The lake is between twenty-five and thirty miles in length, from ten to twelve miles in width, and thirteen hundred feet above the sea. . Many pretty islands dot its surface, and charming towns line its shores. Among the latter are Lakeport, the county seat of Lake county, a town of great beauty. The big mountain Konockti bathes its feet in the waters. The Sulphur Banks, at the lower end of Clear Lake, and easily accessible from Lower Lake, afford one of the most interesting spectacles to be found in the State. Through a mass of porous earth hot sulphurous vapors continually force their way, depositing beautiful but fragile sul- phur crystals on the surface. This curiosity is well worthy of a visit.

This account of the wonders of Lake county will close with a mention of the Blue Lakes, three in number, two thousand five hundred feet above the sea, twelve miles from Lakeport. There is much ruggedness of scenery, alternating with quiet wood pictures of exceeding beauty.

CALIFORNIA: ITS WONDERS AND RESORTS.

AROUND SAN FRANCISCO.

AN FRANCISCO itself is a suburb winter resort for residents of the Eastern cities ; but as it has a fixed population of three hundred and fifty thousand, it, unfortunately, under the common interpretation of the term "resort," cannot be so classed. Evidence, however, of the great charm of its climate in winter is found in the fact that during those months which in the East are appropriately called "winter," San Francisco is always crowded with visitors. Apart from the strong and generally unique character of its attrac- tions as a city,-such as its wonderful system of cable roads, its lofty hills, whose slopes and summits are lined with attractive homes, the close neighborhood of the two charming cities, Oakland and Alameda, and the near popular resorts, Sausalito and San Rafael, its beautiful land-locked harbor, its splendid park, with flowers in bloom throughout the year,-it has such attraction as an almost

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unbroken succession of bright days, a fine bracing air, a complete exemp- tion from epidemic and endemic dis- cases, and an energetic, virile population, whose zest- ful pursuit of pleasure is a natural consequence of its prosperity and health. The superb hotels and VICINITY OF CLIFF HOUSE theatres of San Francisco are a marvel to the world ; 'and within a radius of a few miles from its borders are many of the most noted health and fashion resorts on the continent. One of the chief attractions in the immediate neighborhood of San Francisco is Mount Diablo, a noble peak which rises from the Coast Range, east of San Francisco, and about thirty miles distant in an air line. A delightful trip is to leave San Francisco in the morning, quit the railroad at Martinez, take a team for the mountain, make the ascent (an easily accomplished task, as the road runs to the summit), and return to the city in the evening. The view from the summit is indescribably beautiful. San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, and dozens of other towns and cities. nestle closely on the ground far below; and San Joséis visible in the distance. Far to the north and west are seen the snow-crowned summits of the Sierra, with grand old Shasta overtopping them all. Directly east of Mt. Diablo are the Byron Springs, noted for the medicinal virtues of their hot and cold sulphur, soda, iron and magnesia springs They have also a natural hot mud bath, which has cured many a sufferer from rheumatic and other afflictions. Commodious bath- houses and good hotel accommodations are provided ; and they are open the year round. We leave the Southern Pacific train at Byron station, some distance beyond Martinez, and take the stage thence two miles to the springs.

The Coast Division of the Southern Pacific Company is peculiarly favored, as it is the highway to some famous pleasure resorts. It runs south from San Francisco to

CALIFORNIA: ITS WONDERS AND RESORTS.

San Luis Obispo county, with short branches to Santa Cruz, the Hotel del Monte, Monterey, Pacific Grove and other resorts. Just south of San Francisco, it passes through a number of beautiful towns that are particularly noted for being the country homes of San Francisco millionaires, including San Mateo, Belmont and Menlo Park. Through the forests of oak we catch a glimpse of the Stanford Junior University ; and there are many vineyards and orchards. Fifty miles from San Francisco is the charming city of San José, with its superb hotel and its numerous places of resort near by, including the Alum Rock Sulphur Springs and baths, in a pretty cañon, seven miles from San José. The road to the springs is finely macadamized, and is the fashionable drive of the city. It is at San José that we leave the railroad to visit the Lick Observatory, on Mt. Hamilton, twenty-six miles away. Hundreds of people throng to the Observatory every Saturday, on which day visitors are per- mitted to look through the greatest telescope in the world; and the use of the various instruments is explained by the courteous astronomers.

BYRON HOT SPRINGS

THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS.

N the Santa Cruz Mountains we find some remarkably enticing scenery. It is the famed "Shasta Route" on a small scale, lacking the superb grandeur of that scenery, but giving in its place some of the daintiest expressions of beauty that nature ever yields to her eager worshipers. The San Lorenzo River, shaded by great redwood trees, winds along now peacefully, and then in turbulent disorder; and near. it are the Big Trees. The more famous groves of the sequoia gigantea are those of Calaveras and Mariposa ; and next to these come the Big Trees of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The spot in which they stand is surpass- ingly beautiful. One of these giants is shown, in the hollow trunk of which lived a large family in early days. Fremont's cabin is near. These are favorite picnic grounds; and the trains always stop here for a considerable length of time. Throughout the whole of this mountain trip there are romantic spots which invite to rest. Beautiful streams of the purest water abound; and the waters are favorite resorts for the most expert fishermen of the State. Thousands of those whom an active city life has prepared to enjoy the luxuries which these mountains afford flock hither every summer, and hundreds of tents dot the mountain slopes and shady ravines. In these mountains is the world's greatest quicksilver mine, at New Almaden, easily reached by rail.

CALIFORNIA: ITS WONDERS AND RESORTS.

THE BAY OF MONTEREY.

HE watering places on the Bay of Monterey annually have an enormous aggre- gate attendance of pleasure-seekers. The shore is sheltered from the high summer winds and fogs which occasionally invade other parts of the Pacific Coast ; and the climate of both winter and summer is indescribably delicious. The absence of harmful frosts renders possible a luxuriance of outdoor flower-bloom unequaled in any other country in the world.

A branch of the Coast Division leaves the main line at Gilroy, and, upon arriving at Pajaro, divides, one branch running along the northern side of the bay to Santa Cruz, and the other skirting the southern arm, passing the Hotel del Monte, Monterey and Pacific Grove. Santa Cruz is a beautiful city, with a long sand beach, and during the summer is crowded with a population drawn largely from San Francisco and the interior cities of the State. This is true also of Seabright, Capitola, Soquel, Aptos and other favorite summer resorts on the northern arm of the bay. Another way of reaching Santa Cruz is by the Santa Cruz Division of the Southern Pacific Company. It is advisable for us to visit the Hotel del Monte by way of the Coast Division, then follow the contour of the bay around to Santa Cruz, and return to San Francisco over the Santa Cruz Division. This gives one of the most charming, picturesque and varied rides of about two hundred and fifty miles that may be found in the entire country. On the line of the Coast Division we pass through a level country filled with orchards, vineyards and grain-fields, while on either hand is a range of mount- ains in the distance. On the Santa Cruz Division the scene is changed. At Santa Cruz the road plunges at once into the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and after traversing them for thirty-five miles, winding through gorges and gulches, and here and there following the tortuous course of a beautiful mountain stream, it emerges into the Santa Clara Valley at Los Gatos. Near this place, at Saratoga, are the Pa- cific Congress Springs, situated in one of the most charming cañons in California. There are a delightful hotel and other accommodations. The railroad runs north- ward from Los Gatos through pretty villages and miles of superb orchards and vine- yards, passes through San José and Santa Clara, runs by the immense insane asylum at Agnews, strikes the Bay of San Francisco at Alviso, and skirts that wonderful sheet of water on the eastern side, passing through several delightful towns, and ter- minating at Alameda, on the eastern side of the bay, opposite San Francisco. At Alameda there are famous public baths which San Franciscans liberally patronize ; and the city is exceedingly attractive. Large ferry-boats transport passengers across the bay to San Francisco; and to a visiting stranger this is one of the most delight- ful sections of the tour.

THE HOTEL DEL MONTE.

HE southern end of the Bay of Monterey has an attraction of more than natural beauty-the Hotel del Monte, known everywhere as the "Queen of American Watering Places." It is on the railroad and a mile from the charming old town of Monterey. The hotel is a splendid structure of modern Gothic design, and is situated in the most striking and hand- some forest on the continent. This grove is composed of gigantic liveoaks and towering pines, and as the trees of both species are unusually large and present the more striking peculiarities of their kind on the most stupendous scale, they present a picture of unique effectiveness. The contrast between the oaks, sprawling, low and wide-spreading, and the pines interspersed among them, two or three times as tall, and straight and symmetrical, is exceedingly striking. In the heart of this great natural park is a flower-garden of one hundred and twenty-six acres. Apart from the vast expenditure of labor and money made on this garden, the natural conditions for floriculture which exist here are not equaled elsewhere in the civilized world. These causes make this garden the finest exhi- bition of skill and beauty in floriculture that exist ; for nothing in Europe, where the culture of flowers is carried to so high an art, can approach it in design, management

CALIFORNIA: ITS WONDERS AND RESORTS.

and splendor of color effect. In the grounds there are the Laguna del Rey, whose glittering waters cover fifteen acres of ground, and from the center of which rises a fine thin fountain, and upon whose surface boating is a pleasant pastime ; a curious maze ; numerous tennis grounds, paved with asphaltum ; alluring walks and drives without a particle of dust or mud; and numerous swings, settees, and a hundred other things. The hotel itself is a noble structure. It has broad verandas and contains five hundred rooms. The furnishings throughout are the finest that could be procured, and were manufactured especially for this hotel. In summer this superb resort is visited principally by Californians, and visitors from the Southern States and Mexico, who wish to escape their hot summers; but in winter it is filled with visitors who come to escape the fearful weather of the Eastern States and bask in the splendid sunshine of Monterey. It might be inferred from this incomplete description that the charges at the Hotel del Monte are proportioned to the magnificence of the entertainment provided. Such, however, is not the case. On the contrary, so much higher are the charges at the fashionable watering places of the Southern States that one may visit the Hotel del Monte from the East and save money despite the far greater distance traveled.

THE HOTEL DEL MONTE

The hotel is protected from the Pacific winds, not only by its embowering forest, but also by a high tree-grown ridge of sand intervening between it and the ocean. On the ocean side of this ridge is one of the finest sand-beaches in the world. It stretches for miles from Monterey around the bay toward its northern arm, and this beach is a famous resort for surf-bathers. For those, however, who prefer luxurious ease to the wilder sport of a plunge into the surf, there has been provided the great bathing pavilion of the Hotel del Monte. It is on the beach, a short distance from the hotel, and is one of the finest bathing establishments in the world. Four large swimming tanks, filled daily with sea water, brought to different fixed temperatures, constitute the central idea, but there are also luxurious baths of various kinds in private rooms.

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Polk's Indianapolis (Marion County, Ind.) city directory, 1891, Part 131

Author: R.L. Polk & Co Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Indianapolis : R.L. Polk & Co. Number of Pages: 892

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Indianapolis : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 892