Times Editor Visits Giant Redwoods

As vacation time comes round again, trips by motor to the various mountainous beauty spots of California are being considered and planned by a great army of people. Of particular interest for a short tour is the Giant Redwood countrv, which unfolds in just a few hundred miles some of the world's most wonderful scenery.

To interest readers of The Los Angeles Tirnes in this w'onderland not too far away, that newspaper sent its Automobile and Outdoor Editor, Lynn Rogers, on a 570-rnile trip to vier'r' and report on the great Sequoia tree countrv, and the storv of where he went and what he saw was printed in the Sundav Times of NIay 31. It was a most interesting story, and THE CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT, which has printed hundreds of stories about the Redwoods in the past, is proud to borrow and reprint Mr. Rogers' stor)', as tollor'r's:

High in the Golden State's wondrous Sierra Nevada stand I\{other Nature's forest masterpieces, the giant sequoia trees, which are remnants of once widespread forests that covered a large portion of the North American continent. Today only a relatively few of these great redwoods rernaitl tcl interpret the past and give promise to the future.

Beholding the colossal spires of evergreens that rise as high as a modern 16-story building, the minds of men find it difficult to comprehend that the timbered giants in the western section of Sequoia National Park are actualll' from 3000 to 4000 years old.

Viewed by Thousands

Each year, thousands of tourists return to this fabulous scenic area to find new points of interest, to discover even greater unexpected vistas and to experience fresh pleasures. Situated on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada \Iountains, Sequoia and acljoining Kings Canvon National Park form one of the most fascinating vacation lands in the \\'est.

During the regular 1952 season 913,000 people visited the two parks with a good representation frorn all 48 States as well as 15 foreign countries, Supt. E. T. Scoyen's figures show.

The scenic areas were establishecl by Congress primarily to preserve for public benefit several famecl groves of Sequoia gigantea or u'ashingtoniana. popularly knos'n as the Big Trees of California and the oldest living things on earth.

It gives one a jolt to realize that these forest kings which are so majestically beautiful today actually u'ere very old when the Babe of Bethlehem was born nearly 2000 years ago.

General Sherman Tree

The biggest sequoia of them all, the General Sherman Tree, wl.rich towers 272.4 feet above the ground and has a base circumference of. 101.7 feet, lifts its crown just 26 air miles west of Mt. Whitney, 14,495, which marks the eastern border of this vast park which was namecl after the Sequoia Indians'

According to history the first white men to enter this area were members of the Joseph R. Walker partv in 1839. Hou'ever, in 1856, Hale D. Tharp, a restless farmer from Three Rivers, visitecl Sequoia in search of pastures and a ranch site' Tharp was welcomed by a group of friendll' Yokut Indians'

In 1858 Tharp discoveretl Giant Forest and first viewed the big trees, one of r,l,hich alreacly hacl been described to hirn by the Indians as being so large it took 25 men, with hands clasped together, to encircle it. Eventualll' more settlers came into the area and by 1865 the last of the Yokut Indians had died frolrr u'hite man's diseases-

Driving an automobile from l-os Angeles over the 237-mile route to Sequoia is not only an easy jaunt but a delightful experience in the summertime. We acquired a brand-new 1953 Dodge Red Ram \r-8 Coronet sedan from Pelton Motors, Inc', S. Figueroa St. Dodge-Plymouth headquarters, and headed northward through Glendale and San Fernando, going over U.S. Highu-ay 99 via the Ridge Route to Bakersfield'

Six miles north of the traffic circle we turned right on State Highwal' 65 and headed up through the rich farming communities of Porterville, Strathmore and Lindsay. Two miles north of Exeter we turned right on State Highway 198 and began our uphill climb to the Park.

Statue of Bunyan

Just nine miles from Sequoia is a giant redrvood statue to the mythical rvoodsman, Paul Bunyan. It was carved in l94l by Sculptor Carroll Barnes and is a favorite with tourists who never fail to take pictures of it. The statue is really an advertisement for a nearbv cider mill and extensive apple orchards'

A short distance Past Three Rivers u'e entered the boundary of Sequoia National Park and sa\A' a large Indianhead sigrt representing Chief Sequol'ah, for lvhom the large trees \f,ere named. \\-e soon reached Ash \{ountain Ranger Station r*-here we paid the $l entrance fee which is good for the entire year, and were checked in by Ranger \\'arren Gardner'

In the absence of Superintendent Scoven, Ranger George A. \\'alker, his assistant, assigned Ranger Wayne Alcorn and District Ranger Don Erskine to our party. Continuing upgrade we passed under a huge overhanging rock known as Tunnei Rock. Near here is the Buckeye Flat public camp grounds, accessible the 1'ear round, and also a large trailer park'

Highway Climbs

The highway here runs high above the middle fork of the Kaweah River and t*'ists and climbs through beautiful country dotted rvith dogwood, buckeye, California laurel, whiteblooming yucca and other shrubby plants.

Sixteen miles from Ash \{ountain Station *'e reached Giant Forest u'here ll'e checked in at the lodge, which is at 6400 feet elevation. Giant Forest is the best known of the 35 sequoia groves and is a common point of departure on trips to the high mountain countrv to the east. Close by is the National Park lfuseum.

Next morning lve drove our new Dodge Coronet over toward Crescent }leadou'. Parking our car, we u'alked about 15 minutes to Tharp I-g, a fallen monarch which rvas burned hollow centuries ago. \\rith rough materials, Hal Tharp closed the open end and created a spacious cabin. Naturalist John I{uir, who spent several nights here in 1875, referred to Tharp Log as a "noble den."

General Sherman Tree

We visited General Shennan Tree next. It was discovered in 1879 by Trapper James \\/olverton, u'ho named it in honor of Gen. Sherman, under whorn he had served in the Civil War. Estimated to be 3500 years old, it is the oldest living thing on earth. The tree is 279.9 f.eet high and 36.5 feet in diameter.

Then u'e view Auto Log and Tunnel Log and climbed Moro Rock, 6719 feet in elevation, for a breath-taking glimpse of miles of mountains and valleys. Later we saw several deer gazing at us from the forest and while crossing the bridge over Lower Marble Fork w-e watched a big bear speculatively eyeing the stream for fish.

There are many sections where good fishing lakes and streams may be reached by the hiker or on horseback. pack animals and guides rnay be procured. There are several hundred miles of streams and scores of lakes containing rainbow, Loch Leven, black spotted, cutthroat and some golden trout.

Listen to Lecture

Returning to Giant Forest Lodge, we ate a hearty dinner in company of Manager George Mauger, and then listened to a nature lecture by one of the rangers. Varied entertainment, including square dancing and community singing, is offererl nearly every evening.

Next r-norning we set out for Lodgepole Camp, four miles northeast of Giant Forest. Lodgepole is a sl-rort distance off the Generals Highway which leads to the General Grant Grove section.

Returning to Generals Higliway we drove on to Lost Grove, passing over a huge bridge of native rock which spans Clover Creek. Our next stop was Muir Grove, a forest of giant sequoias 14 rniles from Giant Forest, and reachecl over a two-mile foot trail.

After another l5 rniles we reached the administrative headquarters near General Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. Turning right we drove to the parking ^r." ancl walked down a footpath to see General Grant Tree, second only to General Sherman Tree in size. It is 264 feet high ancl a little over 35 feet in diameter at its base.

We also visited General Lee Tree, the Centennial Stump, Panoramic Point, Big Stump .Basin, Sawed Tree, the Martyr Tree and Redwood Mountain Grove. It rvould require clays to visit every point of interest in this vast wilderness of beauty. Distance covered for the round trip was about 520 miles, including side trips. If you have a family an<l would like to heed the call of the open road this summer, Sequoia will fulfill all your vacation thrills.

Holmes Eureka Lumber Company

Celebrates Fiftieth Anniversary

(Continued from page 16) has long been linolr.'n in those territories.

Holmes Eureka Lurnber Company has a wonderful person_ nel, all the people working together as a team, like a large family. There are some 400 infected with this spirit. They liie the lumber business and enjoy workirlg for this progressive company. Everyone seems to realize that company policy and the company's custor.ners have built the enduring foundation these 50 years. One enthusiast put it this way: ,,We are fifrv years old as a company, but our people are going to keep us young." The organization motto is: "No matter how well things are done, there are ways to do them better; let's finil them."

Wesl Goasl Foresl Producls

c$nl""tr

Henry Ward Beecher

..SHAKESPEARE OF THE PUTPIT'

It is soid thot os o child, Henry Word Beecher hod o thick fongue, ond could not pronounce such words os "ivslice," yet he lived to be colled the Shokespeore of the pulpit.

For more thon 40 yeors he wqs one of the most conspicrcus figures in Americqn life. Preocher, editor, humorist, he wos one of the first to find science o reol oid fo raligion.

During fhe Civil Wor Beecher wos in Englond for o lime. For vqrious reosong, it seemed thot Englond wos obout lo recognize, in o poct with tronce, the Southern Confederocy. Beecher believed thot such recognition might be fotol to the Union, ond so he begon to speok, giving o series of 5 oddrerses, from Monchester to Exetsr Holl in London. Williom Toylor went owoy from Beecher's oddress in Livcrpool soying, "No such eloquence hos been heord in lhe world since Demosthenes pleoded the csuse of Afhens ogoinst King Philip."

Abrohom Lincoln, ofter reoding fhose speeches, told his cobinet thqt if the wor wos ever foughi lo o successful issue, fhere would be but one msn lo lift tha flog ot Fori Sumter. for without Beecher in Englond fhere might hove been no flog to roise.

Wa oi Western Custom Mill feel thot we con iustifiobly roise o flog over our QUALITY MltLtNG -so give us o csll for

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