Scenic Mount Lowe And Its Wonderful Railway - free ebook by George Wharton James

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Scenic Mount Lowe And Its Wonderful Railway

George Wharton James

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Scenic Mount Lowe

Scenic Mount Lowe

By George Wharton James. IN AND AROUND THE GRAND CANYON OF THE COLORADO RIVER IN ARIZONA THIRD EDITION. 346 PAGES. CLOTH. 8VO. ONE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS. $2.50 Net. Postage 30c. Extra. THE INDIANS OF THE PAINTED DESERT REGION SECOND EDITION. 268 PAGES. CLOTH. 8VO. SEVENTY ILLUSTRATIONS. $2.00 Net. Postage 25c Extra. INDIAN BASKETRY. THIRD EDITION. OVER 400 PAGES. UPWARDS OF 600 ILLUSTRATIONS CLOTH. 8VO. $2.50 Net. Postage 25c. Extra. HOW TO MAKE INDIAN AND OTHER BASKETS. SECOND EDITION. 140 PAGE

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SCENIC MOUNT LOWE AND ITS Wonderful Railway

SCENIC MOUNT LOWE AND ITS Wonderful Railway

How the Sierra Madre Mountains have been surmounted by Electric Cars, and the most Beautiful and Grand Views of Mountain, Valley and Ocean Scenery made accessible to all PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED FIFTH EDITION BY GEORGE WHARTON JAMES AUTHOR OF Travelers' Hand-book to Southern California In and Out of the Old Missions of California In and Around the Grand Canyon The Indians of the Painted Desert Region Indian Basketry; How to make Indian and other Baskets Etc., Etc. 1905 PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY LOS

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Scenic Mount Lowe Man's Love for Mountains.

Scenic Mount Lowe Man's Love for Mountains.

In all ages of the world man has been a lover of mountains. Ruskin says, "Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery," hence it is natural that man should love them and that they should exercise great and potent influence upon him. Carmel, Ararat, Hor, Horeb, Nebo, Sinai, Olivet, Hermon, Calvary, and others have left—through the literature of the Bible—ineffaceable impressions upon the highest civilizations of the world. All oriental literature abounds in references to mounta

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Distinguished Testimony.

Distinguished Testimony.

As a specimen of many such testimonials which have been publicly given in regard to the popularity of the Mount Lowe Railway, I append herewith portions of an admirable letter written by the Hon. W. C. Patterson, late President of Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, to its membership. The date is September 27, 1895. He said: "In the interest of my health and for the sake of most exquisite recuperation and enjoyment, I have made thus far thirty-nine visits to Echo Mountain, and several trips to the

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The Mount Lowe Railway.

The Mount Lowe Railway.

A few years since, a man whose boyhood was passed among the mountains of New England, conceived the idea that by the use of modern electrical appliances the summits of the highest peaks of the Sierra Madre could be reached and an easy route opened up whereby people could scale these heights with the same ease they ride over a modern railway. The result was the construction of the Mount Lowe Railway, the most scenic railroad on earth. The originator and constructor was Professor T. S. C. Lowe. He

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Origin of the Mount Lowe Railway.

Origin of the Mount Lowe Railway.

The genesis of the Mount Lowe Railway is not far away. In 1889 some preliminary surveys that had been made for the purpose of scaling the Sierra Madre were submitted to Professor T. S. C. Lowe. He became interested in the matter and decided to make a personal examination of the ground, and shortly afterwards placed his corps of engineers in the field for the purpose of making a thorough survey in order to determine whether the work was practicable. After the engineers had been at work upon anoth

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Rubio Canyon.

Rubio Canyon.

Rubio Canyon above the pavilion is one of the most picturesque and beautiful spots to be found in the mountains. Immediately on entering the visitor is charmed and surprised with the richness of the verdure, the trees, shrubs, ferns and flowers that greet his eye. From the valley the mountains seemed barren,—now we see that they are fairly covered with mountain mahogany, lilac, holly, and other chaparral, while in the deeper canyons, pines, spruces, bays, maples, sycamores and live oaks flourish

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The Great Cable Incline.

The Great Cable Incline.

The distinguishing feature of the road below the summit of Echo Mountain is the Great Cable Incline, run by a novel application of electric and water power. This marvelous piece of railroad engineering has called forth the unstinted praise of many eminent engineers. The scientific press has been unanimous in expatiating upon its unique features and designates it "the greatest mountain railway enterprise in existence," and says "the engineering problems have been solved in a manner to challenge a

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Echo Mountain.

Echo Mountain.

Seen from below, Echo Mountain appears as a mere abutment from the main range, but when one stands on its summit the name "Mountain" is then seen to be singularly appropriate, for it is dissevered, except by a small "saddle," from the main range by Glen and Echo Canyons—canyons [Pg 32] [Pg 33] half a mile and more in width and over a thousand feet in depth. Hence the location on this mountain, midway between the San Gabriel Valley and Mount Lowe, with towering mountains and abysmal canyons, affo

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Echo Mountain House.

Echo Mountain House.

On the crest of Echo Mountain Professor Lowe placed two hotels, one "The Chalet," which still remains, the other, "Echo Mountain House," which was destroyed by fire three years ago. It was a superbly equipped hotel, of magnificent proportions and unequalled outlook, where many visitors from all parts of the world congregated. It is the intention of the Pacific Electric Railway to rebuild Echo Mountain House in the near future. This decision will be gratifying to those who have experienced the de

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Lowe Observatory.

Lowe Observatory.

This Observatory is located on a slope above Echo Mountain. A walk has been constructed from the Hotel to the Observatory, so that all who desire to visit it may do so without inconvenience or fatigue. It is presided over by Professor Edgar Larkin. The instrument with which he is now searching the heavens is a 16-inch refractor, made in his best days, by Alvan Clark, the late lamented lens-maker of Cambridge, Mass., and it is, according to the maker's testimony, the best glass he ever made. Prof

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Professor Larkin.

Professor Larkin.

"Edgar Luciene Larkin was born in a log cabin, twelve miles north of Ottawa, La Salle County, Illinois, on April 5th, 1847. "But why? To this moment it has been an inscrutable mystery why Nature allowed this event to occur. It happened on a farm. My parents were poor enough to furnish a topic to a writer of modern socialism, such as 'unequal distribution of wealth'; 'submerged nine-tenths'; 'why billionaires exist' and the like. The log hut was in a beautiful place, near a stream of clear, cool

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The Spectroscope.

The Spectroscope.

About 1600 A. D., Kepler placed a prism in a beam of sunlight and saw what had not before been seen—so far as known—the first solar spectrum. A century later Newton darkened a room, admitted solar rays through a round aperture in a shutter, passed them through a prism and obtained a clearer spectrum than Kepler's. Little was thought of these things, however, until, when in 1802, Wollaston made a slit in a shutter, projected a spectrum, in which he was surprised to see a few dark lines. In 1814 F

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Great World's Fair Searchlight.

Great World's Fair Searchlight.

The Great World's Fair Searchlight, which is now so well known from its operation on Echo Mountain, first became famous at the World's Fair, Chicago, where it excited great interest, and surpassed all other exhibits in its line. After the Fair, it was taken to San Francisco and exhibited at the Mid-Winter Fair, where it delighted thousands from the Bonet electric tower, 264 feet high. When the Mid-Winter Fair was over, Professor Lowe purchased it and removed it to Echo Mountain, where it rests a

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Operating Machinery of the Great Cable Incline.

Operating Machinery of the Great Cable Incline.

Like many other things in connection with the Mount Lowe Railway, the machinery is unique and unlike anything ever before constructed. The power was originally furnished by water. For the first nine months the Great Cable Incline was operated by water power and electric power generated by two monster gas engines. Now the power is supplied from the Pasadena plant of the Pacific Electric Railway. It is transmitted by large copper conductors to the Echo Mountain power house, supplying current to th

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Glen Canyon.

Glen Canyon.

This is one of the many quiet and secret ferny nooks reached in a few minutes from Echo Mountain House. Bridle roads and foot-paths reach these secluded spots, and there in ferny dells, surrounded by towering trees and majestic rocks, charmed by the babbling brooks, the rustling of the leaves and the sweet singing of thousands of birds, one may while away the hours in delicious restfulness....

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Mount Lowe Eight.

Mount Lowe Eight.

To ride on well constructed bridle roads up mountain slopes, winding in and out on diversified paths, through and by bowers of fragrant trees, shrubs and flowers, looking up through towering pines to majestic cliffs and ponderous rocks, looking down into the depths of vast canyons, where deer find shady coverts, and looking out upon scenes of perfect beauty and sublimity—these things fill the body with vigor and buoyant enthusiasm, and the mind with lasting pictures of increasing interest. Reali

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The Phantom Sea As Seen from Echo Mountain and Mount Lowe.

The Phantom Sea As Seen from Echo Mountain and Mount Lowe.

One of the most exquisitely beautiful sights ever witnessed is when a low fog covers the San Gabriel Valley. This fog never rises above a level of about 2,700 to 3,000 feet, and when one is on Echo Mountain, 3,500 feet in elevation, the upper surface of this fog is spread out "like a phantom sea" below. The "cities of the plain" are covered with this snow-white or creamy pall. Underneath is partial gloom and dampness. Above, the sun shines upon a silent sea, whose waves are tossing and lifting,

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The Alpine Division.

The Alpine Division.

The guest who has reached Echo Mountain should not conclude that he has seen the chief beauties which align the route of the Mount Lowe Railway. Not so! What he has seen are but the adornments which are festooned around the vestibule of the greater glories of the Alpine division which carries him into the very heart of the Sierra Madre range, and amid the solitude which reigns among the higher peaks and spurs. This division extends from Echo Mountain to Ye Alpine tavern, a distance of five miles

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Nature and Art.

Nature and Art.

In the construction of the railroad Professor Lowe exhibited the same skill and energy that were so manifest in the lower portions of the route. The grade of the road has been made so low that one imagines he is riding on a level surface rather than climbing the steep and rugged sides of the Sierras. This grade enables the cars to be propelled with a great saving of power, and at whatever speed necessary to give passengers the finest views of the incomparable scenery which aligns the route. With

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Magnificent Views.

Magnificent Views.

But the grand views which are revealed along the route are the principal charms of the Alpine division. Until Echo Mountain House is reached the view is somewhat hemmed in by the nearness of the mountain sides, in Rubio Canyon and even when going up the Great Cable Incline. From Echo Mountain, however, a wider expanse of view is obtained, and as the higher altitudes are reached the scenery becomes bolder and the range of vision enlarged until it seems as though the whole of Southern California w

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The Circular Bridge.

The Circular Bridge.

Bridge builders, as a rule, build upon a tangent, and are very particular to have the floor upon a dead level. The reason that these two conditions are thought necessary is to avoid too much strain upon the structure, and in building railroads they are generally looked upon as absolutely necessary. Where the conditions are such as to admit of such construction it is undoubtedly the part of wisdom to follow the beaten path, but occasionally such a course would either largely increase the expense,

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Alpine Club House. "Hanging of the Crane."

Alpine Club House. "Hanging of the Crane."

Harrison Gray Otis, the able veteran editor of the Los Angeles Daily Times , describes the opening of the mountain club house, called "Ye Alpine Tavern," on December 14, 1895, in the following manner: "As was reported in yesterday's Times , the recently completed extension of the Mount Lowe Railway to the new 'Alpine Tavern'—five miles beyond the Echo Mountain House, and 5,000 feet above sea level—was made the occasion of an interesting celebration last Saturday. A hundred visitors or more from

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The Benefits of Mountain Climbing.

The Benefits of Mountain Climbing.

The higher one climbs in the mountains the less becomes the atmospheric pressure upon him, and lungs, heart and nerves all feel the reduction of the pressure. All experience new sensations of freedom and vigor, activity and exuberance, felt only on the levels in times of excitement or stimulation. The lungs expand and the breathing is more profound; the heart thereupon beats fuller and more vigorously, while the subtle oxygen, no longer stealing into the body in a half-afraid, surreptitious way,

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Health Gained in the Mountains.

Health Gained in the Mountains.

Physicians are now recognizing more than ever before the great value of conditions that exist in the mountains for the restoration of invalids to health. Hence year by year thousands of people leave the stern winters of the East, with their fierce snow-storms, blizzards, winds and tornadoes, to enjoy the equable, delicious climate of our sun-kissed land of the South, and nowhere can these benign influences be enjoyed as well as on the various elevations of the Mount Lowe Railway. Those who desir

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A Mountain Canyon in Winter.

A Mountain Canyon in Winter.

Mountain canyons are always beautiful. No matter how rugged the scenery is, Dame Nature is such a finished artist that she paints the most huge rocks, or the most gnarled and twisted trees, so that all the human painter can do in order to become famous is to properly interpret and place on canvas the touches which nature has imprinted on the landscape. At best man is only a copyist; all his "creations" and "interpretations" are suggested to him by some manifestation of the Great Creator painted

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The Flora of Mount Lowe.

The Flora of Mount Lowe.

The Sierra Madre are not composed of dry, barren earth heaps, but, true to their name, are Mother Mountains, fostering and protecting life's children. A refuge for all, for primitive man of past times, who was forced to depend upon them for water and food, and for the civilized man of to-day, seeking health and enjoyment in their oxygenated atmosphere and restful solitudes. For the lowest as well as the highest of organizations the mountains are a grateful retreat. The simple amoeba, whose exist

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The Coast Islands From Mount Lowe.

The Coast Islands From Mount Lowe.

The coast line of the Pacific ocean, as seen from Mount Lowe is peculiarly fine. On a clear day many islands can be seen from the summit, where the eye can scan a distance of nearly three hundred miles along the shore. Some of the islands rise from the surface of the water only a few hundred feet, their surfaces being high table lands, which can be cultivated; others are mountains, the highest peaks towering 3,000 feet high, while others are apparently the rocky tops of submerged mountains. The

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Looking from Mount Lowe Over the Valley.

Looking from Mount Lowe Over the Valley.

The San Gabriel Valley and the mesa lands lying between the Mission Hills and the ocean are choice bits of God's creation, as are also the interior valleys which radiate from them. This stretch of fertile land, all of which can be seen from some point of view on Mount Lowe, already contains two hundred and fifty thousand people, and yet only a small portion of the soil is cultivated. It is capable of sustaining a population of several million from the products of the soil alone, not to say anyth

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From Alpine Snow to Semi-Tropical Sea.

From Alpine Snow to Semi-Tropical Sea.

On several New Year's Days I have made this wonderful and memorable trip. The climatic conditions are so peculiar that within three hours' time of enjoying a swim in the warm waters of the Pacific one may be snowballing his friends, sleighriding or tobogganing on the heights of Mount Lowe. The accompanying pictures give some faint idea of the unrivaled charm of this unique trip. Sometimes I have started at the snow in the mountains, but on New Year's Day, 1897, I first took a swim in the Pacific

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From the Mountains to the Sea.

From the Mountains to the Sea.

Although the trip so briefly described above was taken on New Years' Day it must not be thought that it is a trip specially confined to that day. Snow generally is to be found on the north slopes of Mount Lowe from the end of November (after the first rains) until the middle of May, so that thousands of visitors may enjoy this unique trip. Stopping over night at Alpine Tavern, one may revel in the snow in the morning and be photographed at an elevation of 5,000 feet, taking a sleigh-ride to Insp

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Tri-Crested Summit of Mount Lowe.

Tri-Crested Summit of Mount Lowe.

No photograph or engraving can give any adequate conception of the grand proportions of this majestic mountain. Seen from Los Angeles, Pasadena, or the intermediate or surrounding points, its three crests are clearly outlined against the sky, and it stands—the proud monarch of the Sierra Madre range—centrally located and immediately overlooking Pasadena and the head of the San Gabriel Valley. The bridle road of the "Mount Lowe Eight" reaches its topmost crest, where there are delightful mountain

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A Forest of Pines.

A Forest of Pines.

Along the Alpine division the cars pass through a forest of giant pines, which covers all the northern slopes of the Sierra Madre. The symmetrical branches weave a network against the background of blue sky. These hardy trees grasp the granite rocks with their gnarled roots and send a lacework of delicate fibres down the almost imperceptible fissures for nourishment. The roots of pines and oaks have penetrated the crevices to a depth of twelve to fifteen feet below the surface....

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The Name.

The Name.

The "naming" of Mount Lowe was quite an interesting ceremony. A large party of distinguished citizens of Los Angeles and Pasadena had ridden to the summit to see the progress made in the construction of the railway and bridle roads, and an article written at the time by one member of the party and published in an Eastern paper, the Anglaise County (Ohio) Republican , says: "While in the enjoyment of the beauties and grandeur on this magnificent elevation more than 6,000 feet above the sea, some

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How to see Mount Lowe.

How to see Mount Lowe.

There are various ways of "doing" Mount Lowe, but many people do not give themselves time enough to fully enjoy the various attractions which are to be found along the route. To people of leisure who desire to thoroughly explore the canyons, enjoy the scenery in all its varied manifestations, many days can be profitably and most pleasantly passed, the varied scenery furnishing new enjoyment every day. Those whose time is limited should come prepared to stop at least twenty-four hours. By taking

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Summer on Mount Lowe.

Summer on Mount Lowe.

The Sierra Madre Range has long been regarded as the most beautiful location in which to escape from the heat of midsummer, or to make the change of climate and scenery. Heretofore the seashore has been more largely patronized on account of its ease of access, but many hundreds of people have annually made pilgrimages to remote mountain resorts because of the pure air and healthful surroundings there to be found. The building of the Mount Lowe Railway into the very heart of the mountains, and th

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The Summing Up.

The Summing Up.

In closing the history of this remarkable enterprise, one thought overshadows all others as we contemplate the author and his work. It is the thought of the unsolved mysteries and sublimities and beauties of these mountains—their inaccessibility, their remoteness—had it not been for the persevering efforts of Prof. Lowe. The dark curtain that had hung for ages over these craggy chasms, these phenomenal canyons, these magnificent forests, these abysmal depths and cloud piercing heights, these gro

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The Beauties of Mount Lowe.

The Beauties of Mount Lowe.

And no words of mine can express the charms, delights and beauties of Mount Lowe better than the following apt and eloquent summary by Dr. J. H. Barrows, of Chicago, the well-known President of the Parliament of Religions at the World's Fair, and later, until his lamented death, the honored President of Oberlin College, Ohio: "Thousands of trees grow out of its sold granite slopes; soft mountain breezes sing luring songs to the trees, the birds reply in a perfect ecstacy of liquid melody, the ca

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Other Picturesque Trips on the Pacific Electric Railway.

Other Picturesque Trips on the Pacific Electric Railway.

It was from Mount Lowe that the President of the Pacific Electric Railway gained his first insight or "oversight" of the vast possibilities of the region in and around the city of Los Angeles. When it was suggested to him that the time was not far distant when the whole of this region, from the mountains to the sea, would be threaded over with electric railways, he was inclined to regard the suggestion as chimerical. Time has made his the hand to perform the improbable. Nowhere in the civilized

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Long Beach.

Long Beach.

One of the most interesting trips out of Los Angeles is over the Pacific Electric Railway to Long Beach. This enterprising city is located twenty-one miles southeast of Los Angeles on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Its location is such that the natural advantages make it the finest seaside resort in California. Taking the cars at the corner of Sixth and Main Streets, the city of Los Angeles is soon behind us and we are "spinning" along at sixty miles an hour over the smoothest piece of broad-g

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Whittier.

Whittier.

The great Quaker poet has here his California namesake, a beautiful town nestling on the lower slopes of the Puente Hills. Here Pio Pico, the last Mexican Governor of California, built a home for his young bride, and here, forty years later, three Quakers decided upon this as the location for a town they had decided to establish. That was fifteen years ago. Now it is a prosperous town of fully six thousand inhabitants. In 1900 it had but one thousand five hundred and sixty inhabitants; in 1902,

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San Gabriel.

San Gabriel.

This historical landmark was founded by the Franciscan Fathers Padres Benito Cambon and Angel Somero September 8, 1771, for the purpose of converting the Indians in that territory to the Christian faith. The Indians readily yielded to the teachings of the mission Fathers, at one time there being 1,700 Indians under their supervision at this Mission. The old Mission structure is substantially built of brick, covered over with adobe as plaster. The walls are from four to six feet thick. To-day one

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Monrovia and Baldwin's Ranch.

Monrovia and Baldwin's Ranch.

About sixteen years ago an enterprising citizen of Los Angeles, Mr. W. N. Monroe, realizing the beauties and natural advantages of the foothill country, developed water where the town of Monrovia now stands, and laid the foundations of the enterprising city of that name. It stands to-day a marvel of beauty; verdure surrounds you on every hand. The agricultural possibilities that have laid dormant through the ages have been brought to a reality, and this section is now considered one of the riche

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