barbers and beds preface a quiet night. At
early morning away we spin for " Frisco."
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
Shortly after noon we are met at Oakland by
Sir Knight William P. Morgan, a member of
our own Commandery residing here, who kindly
welcomes us and, acting as guide, conducts
us across the ferry to the Golden Gate city and
the headquarters of St. Elmo, No. 9, at "The
Baldwin," first floor, room twenty-eight. Our
way is amid the most elaborate and profuse
decorations. Not only this portion but the
entire city is robed in holiday attire ; miles
upon miles, from roof to sidewalk a bright flut-
tering sea of color. Immense paintings, costly
Templar emblems and designs, burnished suits
of armour, life size figures of Knights on foot
and mounted, banners of rich hues, and
frequently of costly workmanship, national and
state flags, mottoes of welcome, intricate show-
window decorations of wondrous beauty, thou-
sands of long lines of pennons crossing every-
where overhead, and huge triumphal arches
transform the entire city into a dazzling, be-
wildering dreamland, a scene of beauty as far as
r66
OUR QUARTERS.
the eye can reach in every direction. No city
on the continent ever even approached this.
The overarching lines as seen from higher points
seem like solid pavements of bright colors
over which an army might march.
We meet our friends at our quarters. Our
rooms are decorated in beautiful style. From
the ceiling are looped long festoons of ferns
and flowers with heraldic shields ; the large
mirror crossed by letters of rare flowers form-
ing the words, "Thrice Welcome," the mantles
and tables filled with costly exotics in Knight
Templar designs, and mottoes of welcome
about the sides of the rooms. Mrs. William
P. Morgan, the daughter of Hon. Horace C.
Wilcox, of our own city, had taken pride in
doing this work with her own hands. Her
elegant suit of rooms in this fine hotel are also
at the disposal of our party, the windows afford-
ing fine views of the principal streets. Our
own windows also give us excellent views. To
Sir Knight William P. Morgan and his esti-
167
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
mable wife, St. Elmo Commandery is greatly
indebted. During the entire time of our stay
they have done all in their power for us. The
reception accorded to visiting Sir Knights is on
a scale of princely munificence. All over this
great city the "golden gates" are open wide.
Such royal entertainment is unparalleled. Dur-
ing the days of the grand processions all places
of business are closed, and even the courts are
not in session. The absolute order observed
everywhere is surprising. On these days, as
soon as the miles of tossing plumes and impos-
ing regalia take up the long line of march, the
horse cars are removed and not a team of any
kind is to be seen on these streets. The myr-
iads of lookers-on are decorously keeping
within the curbs, and the entire width of the
streets is unobstructed for long hours.
One very noticeable matter is worthy of
mention. Notwithstanding the fact that costly
California wines are flowing everywhere " as
free as the air you breathe," we have not seen
168
HOSPITALITY.
a single intoxicated man during our entire stay
in the city. One cannot walk two blocks here
on any day without meeting a band of music
followed by lines of Sir Knights. All day and
most of the night, all over the city, is one un-
interrupted ovation, and this goes on for days.
The Californians are the most hospitable peo-
ple on earth, and the great host which is
swarming everywhere during these notable days,
are received by all, with the heartiest demon-
strations of welcome. The Triennial Conclave
at San Francisco will never fade from the
memory of any who were so fortunate as to
participate. To every corner of this great con-
tinent will be carried memories of this bright
era, in which St. Elmo Commandery of Meri-
den is proud to have a share.
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
CHAPTER XV L
Sir Knight Judge Coe kindly furnishes the
following concerning the Geysers :
Notwithstanding our stage ride of more than
two hundred miles in visiting the Yosemite and
Big Trees, a portion of the party could not
forego the anticipated pleasure of a trip pro-
nounced by many as the most "enchanting and
diversified" of any on the Pacific coast. Sir
L. E. Coe and wife, Sir J. W. Coe and wife,
and Sir H. H. Strong and wife accordingly
started on the morning following our arrival
at San Francisco for the Geysers, which are
about 100 miles from San Francisco in a
northerly direction. Our route was via the
Napa Valley, passing in view of Goat Island,
Mare Island with its navy yard, San Pablo Bay,
which we crossed by ferry, the Good Templars'
Home for Orphans, and the Napa Insane
Asylum ; the principal towns en route, Vallejo,
170
X., AND FOSS, JR.
Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga. The Napa
Valley lying between two coast ranges, the
Napa mountains on the east and Sonoma
mountains on the west, is one of the most
highly improved and productive portions of
California. On arrival at Calistoga, seventy-
two miles from San Francisco, we left the
cars for a stage ride of twenty-seven miles,
the ribbons handled by Clark Foss, the famous
stage driver of tourist writers, who drives
to Fossville, at which place he keeps a hotel
where we stopped for lunch and to change
horses. From Fossville to the Geysers we
had for our driver Charlie Foss, an only
son and, we thought, the equal as a driver, of
Foss senior. This, like the Yosemite stage
rides before spoken of, was up, down and on
the sides of mountains, where often the stage
was moving in one direction while the leaders
of the six horses were running in another,
giving the passengers varied views of scenery ;
of the ravine, a frightful distance below,
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
and the beautiful valley and mountains beyond.
Charlie showed us the " Elephant," which is
formed by the outline of one of the mountain
peaks on the right. On the top of the moun-
tain we obtained magnificent views of the
fertile Napa and Sonoma valleys, together with
the coast ranges of mountains and the Pacific
Ocean far to the west. We stopped again to ex-
change horses, at which station were an elderly
couple, who kept "specimens," trinkets and
small beer for sale. The ride down the mountain
was exciting and quickly performed, arriving at
the Geyser Hotel between five and six o'clock.
The hotel stands 1800 feet above the level of
the sea, on the south side of a valley through
which flows the Pluton River. In the hills
and mountains on the opposite side of the
valley are the Geysers, or "Geyser Springs."
These hills were partially hidden from view
by the escaping steam, something like the
fogs at times creeping up our West Peaks,
or like the smoke from extensive forest fires.
172
THE GEYSERS.
We improved the hour before dark in visit-
ing the near Geysers or volcanic hills, situated a
hundred rods to the right of the main Geysers.
It is a knoll of an acre, having a yellowish
surface, with every other conceivable color
intermixed. This surface was composed of a
brittle crumbling substance which had been
ejected from below or which had been formed
by the action of the escaping steam upon the
surface rocks and earth.
A hundred jets of steam were escaping
through the ground like the escaping of smoke
from a coal pit through every crevice, the whole
surface of the hill being hot. There were also
many hot water springs proceeding from the
ground, and from this hill the hot natural sulphur
water and steam are taken to the bath house in
the immediate neighborhood. The air here and at
the hotel is thick with sulphur, and even was
noticed by us a mile before reaching the hotel.
A sulphur steam bath taken later in the even-
ing was pronounced the best ever experienced.
'73
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
The next morning we were awakened by the
guide saying, "It is now five o'clock ; at half-
past five I start to show the Geysers. All
should wear old shoes and ladies should wear
waterproofs and leave their dress skirts at
home." The guests of the hotel who had not
hitherto visited the Geysers were soon ready.
All were furnished with long staves and quickly
made the descent to Pluton River, some
seventy-five feet lower than the hotel. After
crossing the stream we soon reached the base
of the mountain and the foot of a canon run-
ning at right angles with the main valley.
This lateral canon in which are situated most
of the springs, is called " Devil's Canon," and
down it flows a small colored stream of water
called Geyser River. The canon is V-shaped,
with the wall on the west side higher than
that on the east. The ascent through the
gorge is quite steep and slippery, yet the banks
on either side rise faster than the gorge itself.
The springs and objects of interest are mostly
174
A HO T SPO T.
t
at the bottom, or in the lower parts of the side
walls. We first visited an iron spring, then an
alkaline spring, then a sulphur spring, and, as
we advanced up the ravine, w r e found hot
springs impregnated with Epsom salts and
magnesia and then a neighborhood where
nearly all are sulphur. The ground is burning
hot under the feet, the stream which is
formed by the various springs is hot, the walk-
ing sticky and slushy, and the atmosphere
stifling.
Almost every spring and nook and corner
has a name. Among them are the " Devil's
Arm-chair," "Devil's Kitchen," "Devil's Ink-
stand," " Devil's Canopy," " Devil's Stewpan,"
"Devil's Teakettle," "Pluto's Punch Bowl,"
"Witches' Caldron," " Devil's Pulpit," " Devil's
Apothecary Shop," " Steamboat Spring,"
" Temperance Spring," " Hot Acid Spring/'
" Lemonade Spring," " Devil's Oven," etc.
The water in these springs is generally warm
and of greatly differing degrees of temperature.
175
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
Iron Spring is 73 ; Alum Spring, 97 ; Alum
and Sulphur Spring, 156 ; Epsom Salt, 146 ;
Witches' Caldron, 195, Alum Spring again,
1 76, and the Geyser stream itself formed by a
combination of every kind of medicated water
shows a temperature of 102. The water from
the " Devil's Inkstand" put into a bottle looks
like writing fluid. The " Witches' Caldron " is
a spring some eight feet in diameter, of un-
known depth ; the water black and thick with
mud, the violent ebullition giving it something
the appearance of boiling down sorghum syrup
in a huge pan over a very hot fire.
At one of the openings near by, the
steam escaped so violently as to throw aside
all objects we attempted to put over or into it.
Even stones were quickly displaced. At
one point we could distinctly hear noises in the
banks which sounded like hammering iron in a
machine shop. This is appropriately named
the " Devil's Work Shop." At another, above
the hissing and bubbling noises was the sound
176
RARE WONDERS.
as of a boiler blowing off steam ; called
" Steamboat Geyser." We tasted the crystal
formations around the springs and steam
vents, and found apparently pure Epsom salts,
sulphur, magnesia, saltpeter, etc. Side by side
are springs of sulphur water and pure cold
water. One hundred and fifty feet above
all apparent action, the temperature of the
clay there found is 167. On the east bank
of the canon we found the clayey earth to
spring by the weight of a person walking
ing upon it like a spring-board. Some of our
party made haste to get off from it for fear of
going through to an unknown region. Here,
too, we found the " Devil's Paint Shop," the
clay being of a scarlet color, about the same as
we saw on many Indian faces at Wallace and
other places. Undoubtedly the coast Indians
a few years since often resorted to this wonder-
ful place to procure their war paints, and to heal
their sick.
It would seem that the multitude of mineral
777
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
combinations found in the " Devil's Apothecary
Shop " might be sufficient to cure all diseases
that flesh is heir to. One writer has said : " On
every foot of ground we had trodden, the crys-
talline products of an unceasing chemical action
abounded : alum, magnesia, tartaric acid, Epsom
salts, ammonia, nitre, iron, and sulphur."
Bayard Taylor thus describes the canon :
" Over the rocks crusted as with a mixture of
blood and brimstone, pour angry cataracts of
seething milky water. In every corner and
crevice a little piston is working or a heart is
beating, while from a hundred vent-holes above
our heads the steam rushes in terrible jets.
I have never beheld any scene so entirely in-
fernal in its appearance. The rocks burn under
you ; you are enveloped in fierce heat, strangled
by puffs of diabolical vapor and stunned by
the awful hissing, spitting, sputtering, roaring,
threatening sounds, as if a dozen steamboats,
blowing through their escape pipes had aroused
the ire of ten thousand hell-cats."
178
THE RETURN.
To " do " the geysers took us about an hour
and a half. On our return to San Francisco
we chose a different route from the one taken
before, to wit, the Cloverdale and Sonoma
valley route, \vhich consists of another of those
mountain stage rides of fifteen miles to Clover-
dale, the road generally very narrow and very
high above the ravine, affording a variety of
beautiful mountain and landscape scenery.
The " Turk's Head " was pointed out to us.
It is a rock formation and the most perfect
natural profile ever seen, not excepting the
"Old Man of the Mountain." We were
fortunate in our traveling companions, who
were Sir Knight and Mrs. Bunton, of Boston,
and Mrs. Tristam Burgess, chairman Ladies'
Reception Committee, of San Francisco. At
Cloverdale, \vhere we stopped for lunch, we
found the thermometer to register 1 10, yet
ladies who took the train thence for San Fran-
cisco took their furs, and placed them in the
racks of the cars ; they were needed before
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
they reached our destination. Our railroad
ride through the Sonoma Valley gave us
another opportunity to see the vast wheat fields
and extensive orchards and vineyards, made
productive by the wonderful soil and climate of
California. Some of the principal towns on
the road are Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Santa
Rosa, Petaluma, and San Rafael. The dis-
tance from Cloverdale to San Francisco is
ninety miles, the last thirteen of which were
by boat across San Francisco Bay. It was
a delightful sail, with views of the city, the
setting sun and the Golden Gate. Thus ended
our two days' trip to the Geysers.
180
QUOTATIONS.
CHAPTER XVII.
From San Francisco papers of August 2 1 :
* When a mere holiday crowds the
sidewalks and fills the windows with the intelli-
gent faces of such men and women as one can
see only in a land where all are born free and
equal, we wonder at the unmistakable evidences
of the rivalry which marks the struggle of life
in the centers of civilization ; the sight of the
thousands that move through the streets and
the thousands that look at the spectacle from
their homes, fills the observer with amazement
at the immense vitality of a modern city.
If the frequent holiday scenes in a great city
be so potent to arouse admiration of its vast
energy, how much more effective in awakening
the wonder of the beholder, must such a
demonstration as that of yesterday in San
Francisco have been. The countless multitude
of human beings that spread over every thor-
i8r
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
oughfare, was not the familiar crowd which
gives to the city an ordinary holiday appear-
ance. The sea of faces that might have been
observed from any window which commanded
an unobstructed view of the Templars' march
betokened an outpouring of the population
such as one sees but seldom in a lifetime, and
then watches with growing surprise that such
density of life can be dominated and controlled
by universal regard for order.
The continent knew yesterday that the
metropolis of the Pacific was to be the scene
of a most remarkable pageant. To-day it may
be said, with slight exaggeration, that half our
State has learned from personal observation
that the demonstration was a spectacle, the
grandeur of which was only paralleled by its
novelty and exceeded by the unbounded admir-
ation and unrestrained friendliness of the hun-
dreds of thousands through whose decorous
ranks it passed.
It would be a hopeless task to attempt, by
182
THE PAGEANT.
the simple lines of a pen-picture, to describe a
single detail of the grand demonstration that
aroused San Francisco yesterday morning and
made the length and breadth of its streets for
miles dark with restless hosts of sight-seers and
gay with banners of silk and gold. The valley
of the city, viewed from the heights up which
the railroad cars traveled with their loads of
spectators, presented an appearance not easily
forgotten. From every building of note rich
banners floated in the fresh, beautiful air that
came briskly across the hills, laden with the
odor of the ocean. Endless rows of flags and
pennants waved and fluttered over the black
masses of people, whose movements were sug-
gestive of the concentrating strength of a great
army. The whole surface of the city seemed
instinct with life. The streets accommodated
but a portion of the populace. Looking down
from the elevation of California street, the eye
dwelt with surprise on the groups of eager
spectators that occupied every roof along the
'83
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
line of the procession and gazed with appre-
hension at the adventurous tenants of dizzy
cornices and tall chimneys, that almost trem-
bled under their unaccustomed burden.
The flutter of silken banners, the rush of
vehicles, the ceaseless ebb and flow of the tide
of humanity, all aided to impress the observer
with the magnitude of the demonstration
which the city was about to witness. Nothing
seemed to have escaped the decorator ; no
window was so rich in architectural attractions
or so modest in its dimensions that it was
deemed above or below the necessity of the
popular ornamentation. The high and the
low, the rich and the poor, the leaders of
society and those to whom that word bore no
significance, had equally exerted themselves to
show their approval of the day's event and
their desire to usher it in auspiciously. From
the roof-tops of the plebeian quarter and from
the towers of Nob Hill the ever-present deco-
rations waved their greetings to the stranger
184
THE KNIGHTLY HOSTS.
and their encouragement to the Knights who
were "to the manner born." Above all, rising
to imbue the scene of universal friendship
with the spirit of harmony, came the strains of
martial music as the Knightly hosts moved
toward the distant avenue where the pageant
was to begin with a grand review.
Looking down from the hill the spectator
saw the black masses on each street flecked by
the white plumes of the Templars as they
either stood in waiting to join the main col-
umn or marched to meet it. The magnificent
uniforms, the troops of mounted Knights and
the glitter of polished weapons as the sun
pierced the morning mist and gleamed on the
banners of silk and gold, added the last touch
of military pomp to the scene and completed
the illusion. It required no great stretch of
the imagination, with the rustle of the banners,
the trampling of the hoofs and the echoes of
bugle calls to carry the scene back to the
twelfth century and invest it with the martial
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
dignity of the preparations that ushered in
Prince John's great tourney on the field of
Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
A closer inspection did not lessen the illu-
sion, and when the Knightly hosts marched
into the splendid avenue which had been
wisely chosen for the review, it was easy to
find in the thousands of stalwart forms, whose
grand bearing elicited popular applause, some
figures that might have typified the dauntless
Knight Ivanhoe or the invincible Coeur de
Lion himself. Never before had the aristo-
cratic avenue of the city seen such a pageant,
and never did it so thoroughly discard its
reserve and strain with such plebeian earnest-
ness to obtain a full view of the spectacle of
the hour. Every mansion had flung open its
windows to their fullest and placed in them
bevies of San Francisco beauties, whose flash-
ing eyes matched well the splendor of the
parade and whose cheeks put to shame the
delicacy of the roses climbing up the trellis
iS6
THE REVIEW.
with true Californian luxuriance. The small-
est point of vantage from which the review
could be seen was jealously guarded by some
occupant, to whom time was of no moment,
the increasing warmth of the sun no inconven-
ience and the insecurity of his or her position
of no consequence.
Van Ness avenue was the scene of the
greatest interest and brilliancy in the day's
programme. It was here the 5000 Knights
were drawn up in line and were reviewed by
the Grand Master of the United States, and
as he passed down the line riding a beautiful
white horse, richly caparisoned, attended by
his suite, banners were dipped and Sir Knights
presented swords in one continuous line of
steel. Immediately after the Grand Master
reached the left of the line, the order " Column
Forward " was given and the procession wheeled
down Van Ness avenue into Eddy street, where
a reviewing platform had been erected for the
Grand Master, which he already occupied as
187
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S,
commandery after commandery and division
after division passed in review.
The procession was composed of an advance
guard and ten divisions, each under command
of a Past Grand Commander, and San Fran-
cisco witnessed a pageant never equaled on the
Pacific coast in point of display, picturesque-
ness, extent, or pomp that of the Knight
Templars of yesterday."
A description of each commandery and
division not being of interest in this connection
I only include a portion of the report of the
Fourth, as this was composed principally of
New England commanderies (Boston not be-
ing included).
" The Fourth Division was commanded by P. G. C. Nicholas Van
Slyck, of Rhode Island, with a corps of efficient aids, and escorted
by Golden Gate Commandery No. 10, of San Francisco, preceded
by the First U. S. Artillery Band. Then followed in order
The Grand Commandery of Maine.
The Grand Commandery of New Hampshire.
The Grand Commandery of Vermont.
The Grand Commandery of Connecticut,
each Grand Commandery accompanied by a few Sir Knights from
their respective states."
188
ST. ELMO, No. 9 .
" On the left of this division was St. Elmo
Commandery, No. 9, of Meriden, Conn.,
thirty-eight swords, bearing a beautiful white
banner trimmed with gold. On one side is the
picture of the Castle of St. Elmo, set on a
barren rock. Above this is the name of the
Commandery in letters of gold and on each
side the words "In Hoc Signo Vinces" are
placed. On the reverse side is a passion cross,
with K. T. on each side. The regalia of this
body of Knights, is pretty as well as emblematic
of the Order. The cross, sashes and belts are
black velvet trimmed with either silver or gold
fringe, also studded with emblems. The hats
are the old black cockade fashion, with black
plume floating over the back. An apron
adorned with a skull within a triangle hangs
suspended from the body. Their regalia being
old pattern, and more elaborate than most
other commanderies in the line, taken together
with steady marching by platoon, drew fre-
quent applause from the crowds along the line
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
of march. St. Elmo of Meriden is deserving
especial mention in this connection, as coming
from the extreme eastern portion of our
country, and parading with more swords in
proportion to its membership than any com-
mandery east of the Mississippi River."
THE WEEK'S PROGRAMME.
Saturday, August 18 Reception Day.
Sunday, 19 Templar Service in the Grand Pavilion.
Monday, 20 Grand Parade and Review.
Tuesday, 21 Promenade Concert, Grand Pavilion.
Wednesday, 22^-Excursions, Grand Banquet and Concert.
Thursday, 23 Excursions, Receptions and Grand Orchestral
and Promenade Concert, Grand Pavilion.
Friday, 24 - Laying Corner-Stone Garfield Monument in Golden
Gate Park, and Excursions.
Saturday, 25 Grand Competitive Prize Drill. Excursion
tickets provided for any regular train throughout the State, with
special excursions to San Jose, Santa Cruz, Monterey, the Napa
Valley, etc., with ocean excursion trips.
Front Itinerary.
" For a distance of thirty-two miles, or as