1956

PLEASE NOTE

The special issue of Yosemite Nature Notes for 1956 will be "Self-guiding Auto Tour of Yosemite National Park." It will be the June issue and will be sent to all subscribers. Additional copies may be obtained from the Association for 50c.

THE MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF

THE Yosemite NATURALIST division AND

THE YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION, INC.

Preston, Superintendent D. H. Hubbard, Park Naturalist Wilson, Assoc. Park Naturalist W. C. Bullard, Asst. Park Naturalist R. W. Carpenter, Park Naturalist (Trainee)

XXXV MAY 1956 NO. 5 HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

By Odin S. Johnson, District Ranger On May 23, 1956, the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company will amount to about one million dollars and annual maintenance is expected to cost about $50,000. Three permanent maintenance men will live in Yosemite. In 1909 this company has taken over all local and long distance calls. Now Communications in Yosemite will handle all calls, both local and 9 distance. This changeover is a step in alignment with the present policy of the Department of the Interior that the National Park Service should encourage private enterprise to handle its operations wherever practicable. It will make it possible to replace old, equipment with the most modern types. The new system will be operated with automatic switching equipment, replacing the faithful Yosemite operators. These oft-unapologetic ladies have played an important part in this community since beginning with the ranger force in 24-hour duty and faithful assistance in emergencies under all circumstances. They most certainly will be missed when their cheerful "Number, please" is replaced by the mechanical voice of the installation of all equipment by the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company and management of the park.

The first communication system to Yosemite Valley was a telegraph line constructed along the Big Oak Flat route from Sonora to Yosemite Valley in 1870. (See "The First Telegraph Wire Laid to Yosemite Valley," V33:53-55, Yosemite Nature Notes, June 1954.)

Later, in 1882, a new line was strung by Western Union and came into the Park via Berenda Grant's Sulphur Spring, and Wawona. It was used by the Army from 1890 until 1908.

The following information was gleaned from annual reports to the Secretary of the Interior by the Acting Superintendents. These were the different commanding officers of the troops stationed here from 1890 until 1915, during days of Army management of the park.

As early as 1905, pleas were help was obtained for the Admit made to the Secretary for funds to 'ration to construct a telephone 1 construct telephone lines from headbetween Headquarters andV, quarters to outpost stations, the urwona. " In this same year permissi gency for such telephone service was also given to the Yosen being emphasized by the fact that Transportation Company, the it was more than four days' travel semite Terminal Hotel, and Mr. C. to these posts, and often by the time of the Sentinel Hotel, tc constru( instructions could be received from temporary telephone line from headquarters by courier the need Portal (which had iust become for action had passed. terminal point of the Yosemite T. In 1906, a plea was again made, ley Railroad) to Yosemite Vol' stating that $2000 would be an for the purpose of learning the n amount sufficient to build lines to ber of passengers and stages the outposts. which to provide. An interesting In the 1907 report to the Secretary note is that to this day during s we read, "Through the Signal Corps tier the Merced ticket agent phci of the War Department, material and the Yosemite Park and Curry

This switchboard has handled all of Yosemite's telephone calls since 1950. Chief Operator Ruth Mahn, Collie Olsen and Dona Donielson.

office in the valley and gives them The contract with the Pacific Telephone information. In winter phone and Telegraph Company was when the bus arrives at Yosemite modified in 1912 to provide an aflixage, the agent phones the Ahwah nual fee to the government, and the Ahwah Hotel to tell them how many government in turn would pay for guests to expect. The Interior Department transmission of its telephone and profited from this 1907 permit telegraph messages. As there was no cost to the government The 1913 report complained of too for the construction of the El Portal many telephones on the line and Yosemite line, even though the government recommended that a central office was allowed to install two phones on the line. and switchboard be installed and that heavier telephone wire be used. In 1908 through the courtesy of In 1914 when the Army was relieved the War Department, sufficient material of administering the national was obtained for constructing parks and civilian employees took a telephone line from Yosemite Valley over, a 30-line switchboard was installed. to Hetch-Hetchy, Crane Flat and This took care of 26 government Hex Ranch (Mather) outposts were phones, 11 for the concessionaires, connected to this line. According 3 phones at El Portal, and 3 at to the report this wire was strung Wawona, with a total of 87 miles across a distance of 35 miles in the relatively of line. short period of 15 days. Through the utilization of this extended service In 1915, improvements were made to Fort Hetch-Hetchy and Hog Ranch to facilitate further the communication were reached by a large detail 2½ service. The switchboard's capacity days earlier than otherwise would was enlarged, and heavier have been possible. In the same wire was strung. In this year there year the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph were 153 miles of line and 66 phones Company, with the permission in use. Today there are about 600 of the Department of the Interior, phones in use in Yosemite National noted a line from El Portal to Park and 600 miles of line. Sentinel Hotel. This enabled Yosemite Valley to be in telephonic The switchboard installed in 1914 communications with the outside world. was located in an old building The contract stated that government across the road from the present movie pavilion in the Old Village. Return messages would be sent In 1917 the exchange was moved by the to the Administration building, then government located between the present store In 1909 forty-seven more miles of building and the movie pavilion. telephone wire were put up to the Sentinel Grove, the Merced Grove, In 1925 when the new Administration and Lake Eleanor. Three other trails building was built, the exchange were to be connected by a system to was moved into it and extensive provide spring service at Aspen Valley, Soda work was carried on in improving Springs, and Buck Camp. the telephone system. With the thought of keeping the beauty In 1910 and 1911 the lines were of the park unmarred by telephone maintained by the soldiers. At this lines, 8000 feet of underground cable time an extension was made to was installed. Today with the Wawona and Curry (not a military camp) changeover, the work of putting telephone and to the Sentinel Hotel. lines underground goes on. phone lines underground goes on.

The last telephone operators to work in Yosemite. Left to right. Front row. Ruth Mahn, Rogers. Collie Olsen. Dona Donielson. Back row. Jane Foushee, Jo Ann Page. Also in 1925 Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, to meet the of modern mobile radio equipment increased long distance telephone in vehicles and at points now not increased long distance telephone reached by the telephone system. traffic, installed an "A" type carrier. Mention was made earlier of the This is a device that makes one wire automatic dial switching equipment carry several conversations at once. which is now being installed. This In 1938 to overcome toll line failures will be in a new building in the due to frequent storms, a radio link parking area a short distance north was installed between Yosemite and Merced. In this building, known as the Community Dial Office, all local calls

In 1934 radio communications was introduced as a permanent part of including El Portal, Arch Rock, Cascades, the park communication service and Foresta, Crane Flat, Nevada supplement the wire lines. Fall and Merced Lake will be handled automatically. Similarly a community dial office at Wawona will In 1946 and 1947 the Pacific Telephone handle local calls there, including and Telegraph Company Chinualna Village, South Entrance improved their long distance carrier and Mariposa Grove, Chinquapin service again. Since then and Badger Pass. To reach Tuolumne up to now there has been a constant Meadows and surrounding effort maintained to enlarge the system outpost phones such as White Wolf, to meet the increasing demands Yosemite Creek, May Lake, Tenaya for satisfactory telephone service. In Lake, Glacier Point, and points outside spite of the continued improvements of the park, the system becomes the present 155-line switchboard is more complex, necessitating a microwave inadequate to take care of the heavy radio system. To call Tuolumne summer traffic. The new automatic Meadows from Yosemite Valley, switchboard will have a capacity of 400 lines, which should provide adequate for example, the message is service for the time being. carried by cable to Turtleback Dome The next step in improving communications where the call is radioed to Mt. Bullion, will be the installation of a high point near Mariposa.

From the Merced relay station where the call is relayed to the terminal exchange station at Tuolumne Meadows, the message goes to the Merced telephone operator who dials the Tuolumne Meadows number. From there the call goes to Mt. Bullion, which relays it back to Turtleback Dome. From there it is relayed to Sentinel Dome, where a repeater sends the message back. Below is a diagram of the new telephone system which will make this seem less complex: Flat

YOSEMITE

Community Dial Office Nevada Fall Merced Lake /1 A Tuolumne Meadows Glen Aulin Tioga Ranger Station Tuolumne Meadows Vogelsang Pass Turtleback Dome Sentinel Dome Glacier Point Merced. Mt. Bullion Yosemite Creek Chinquapin Tenaya Lake May Lake Yosemite Creek White Wolf (Badger Pass) Wawona Community Dial Office Wawona Local Chilnualna South Entrance Mariposa Grove UHF or NA radio Toll Station Regular Telephone Radio Terminal Cable or Open Wire Radio The contrast between the very first telegraph line in 1870 and the complicated system being installed in 1956 is indeed great. With the new dial telephones, we will miss the personal touch of our local operators who could always be depended upon to know where the Through the past winter and spring, doctor was, tell us when the latest Yosemite residents have seen baby was born, if the river was going green telephone trucks with their to flood, or whether the Joneses crews of men busy laying cable, were out of the valley on vacation installing new dial phones and various when they did not answer their other equipment for the new system. phone. Too often thanks go unsaid; Although we will all welcome but to these ladies go our heartfelt the speed and efficiency of the new thanks for their unselfish devotion to their jobs.

THE YOSEMITE VALLEY SCHOOL

By Laurence V. Degnan

CONCLUSION

Another visitor, whom I have special reason to remember, was The school term generally closed Miss Sarah Horton, a very lovely lady, with a little exhibition, or "entertainment", who operated a girls' school with recitations, dialogues, in Oakland, California. Every other tableaux, and the like, attended year she would take a group of her by the parents and anyone else who girls to Yosemite for the summer, might care to view the proceedings. where they generally occupied Miss Hall closed one of her two Hutchings' cabin. She and my terms on October 16, 1889 and the mother became great friends, and other on October 17, 1890, both with used to discuss plans for my attending appropriate exercises, the second of the University of California, many which I remember vividly. The audience, years in the future. One day, consisting of 16 or 17 people, during Miss Hall's second term, Miss were seated on benches strung lengthwise along the walls of the Horton visited the school, and being a teacher herself, took a great interest in the proceedings. Miss Hall put us through our paces, and my act was the reading of a little poem (the title and author of which I do not remember) dealing with a bird's addiction to cold water. I do not think I will ever forget these two lines, which the bird speaks:

Cold water, cold water, O that is my lay. And I sing in its praise as I twitter away.

I swept through the piece without a hitch; then Miss Horton threw the well-known monkey wrench by asking me the meaning of the word "lay." Did I know it? No! Of course not! I was embarrassed, of course, but my feelings were nothing compared to Miss Hall's; she could cheerfully have boiled me in oil.

At the close of the schoolroom, Miss Hall invited the gentlemen of the audience to say a few words. (In those good old well-ordered days, ladies, like children, were to be seen and not heard, and so they were not asked to speak)

Mr. William Coffman, of the firm of Coffman & Kenney, who operated in the stables, was the first to respond. He was an excellent speaker, and

Mr. William Coffman, of the firm of Coffman & Kenney, who operated in the stables, was the first to respond. He was an excellent speaker, and made an impressive talk; all the men who followed him (except Julius Starke) began by apologizing for not being Demosthenes that Mr. Coffman was. Starke, who had taken over Adolph Sinning's woodworking and curio shop after Sinning's death on June 20, 1889, was quite often drunk, and whether it was so on this occasion or not, he made a long, fluent speech of his own, apologizing to nobody. He described his

feelings and emotions, repeating often the phrase "in my heart," "in my heart," with his hand over his heart, and bowing.

Then my mother learned about my fumble, and I do not suppose I heard the last of it for the next couple of years.

crossed the bridge", by Oniska Kenney, "Bill Mason's bride", by Tissie Barnard, and "How Jimmy tended the baby", by Charley Kenney were exceedingly well rendered. Blanche, Alice and Kay Kenney, Lawrence and Daisy Degnan, Emmet and Hattie McCarthy recited very nicely, Walter Kenney, Allan Keys and Guy Barnard The closing tableau "The Gates Ajar" showed to great advantage Yosemite's pretty school girls. (Signed) 1. X. L The Mariposa Gazette of October 23, 1886 devotes an entire column to an account of the closing exercises of Mamie Kerrins' first term at the Yosemite school. (She taught the school in 1886, 1887, and 1888; her sister Annie in 1891 and 1892). This was before my time at the school, but most of the performers were schoolmates of mine later. On this occasion also, Mamie Kerrins delivered a recitation, and she seems to have been followed by a guest artist, mentioned by the Gazette as follows: Miss Kerrins' able recitation was followed by one from Miss Cora Currie, of Chinese Camp, by request, and the beautiful manner in which "Over the Hills to the Poor House" was given, held the audience in deepest silence, a hearty burst of applause greeting its finish.

Miss Hall wrote in the school register, under the list of visitors on October 16, 1889, the words, "Closing exercises said to be a decided success. F. M. H." Similarly, on October 17, 1890, she wrote, "Closing exercises said to a success. F. M. Miss Kerrins put on more elaborate shows, which were held in the Guardian's (Galen Clark's) office in the Cosmopolitan Saloon building, a large room adjoining the office. Some smaller rooms, perhaps being Clark's living quarters, were used as dressing rooms for the performers.

If my memory is correct, Miss Kerrins did not limit the exercises to the closing of school; I think she put on at least one mid-summer performance. I know it was staged when her sister Mamie was visiting in the valley. (Mamie Kerrins did visit Annie in the valley in July 1895 and Mamie helped to train the girls in their various acts. She was an elocutionist, and in any entertainment that she was connected with, she generally had a prominent role, singing for an act of her own. On one occasion she elocuted with grace and power, with a heavy, dramatic intonation.

Following account of the exercises at the close of Annie Kerrins' term in Yosemite is quoted from the Mariposa Gazette of October 24, 1892:

"Yosemite School taught by Miss Annie Kerrins closed Oct. 16th. An entertainment was held on Friday evening at the Guardian's office. The programme consisted of recitations, drills, dialogues, and tableaux, with a laughable farce. "The Taming of the Shrew," by Tissie and Guy Barnard, "Bill Mason's Bride" by Charley and Blanche Kenney, "Kate Shelly's" (sic), and "Allan Keys was heartily applauded. "The Wand Drill" was also a pleasing feature. The following participated: Blanche Tissie and Alice Kenney, Lawrence and Daisy Degnan, Mamie, John McCarty, Charlie and May Kenney. The recitation "How Kate Shelly Mrs. W. E. Gallison, teacher, 1893-94

in the later years of my attendance the closing exercises became less elaborate, and sometimes were dispensed with.

At a meeting of the Yosemite Commission, at their meeting in the valley on June 4, 1896, the Commission adopted less elaborate, and sometimes were motion by Governor James Bud, dispensed with. II is the order of the Cornmissioltn And so, from year to year, life "o stage company shall maintain an at either hotel in the Valley, nor shall progressed at this little schoolhouse,gent of any stage company reside at back among the rocks. Its shortcornhotel, and any stage company now ings were recognized however, and an office at either, hotel shall remove said office to some other pia,.. at a meeting of the Yosemite Commission in San Francisco on July The next step, evidently in 13 1896, Commissioner Boggs made pliance with this order, was the a :.potion that a committee be ap struction that some summer, pointed to petition the State Legislastage and telegraph office at ure for an appropriation of $2,000 side of the road near the site of for the construction of a stone school present Le Conte Memorial Lo i horse in the valley. This was made a location that was probably eh the special order for the next meet because it was nearly half wav ing of the Board, but at that meettween the two hotels, and a neat inn August 10, 1896, it was laid over the name of Colton was place, until the next meeting, to be held charge. The new office, how, Sep iember 14, 1896. In the meantime, did not operate very long, as on August 24, 1896, the principal destruction of the Stoneman Ho howl in the valley, the Stoneman House, burned to the ground, and on August 24, 1896, left it high the schoolhouse picture changed dry, in the middle of nowhere a_~ completely. Indeed, it would seem as hotels were concerned, an that the rivalry between the valley ' s was abandoned as a stage off i {we hotels, the Stoneman House and the Sentinel Hotel, had indirectly At the next annual meeting or pr.._.ded for a new schoolhouse. Commissioners, held in the va l Ever since 1888, when the Stone on June 3, 1897, the Guardian's ma:- House began operations, and nual report called attention to Blaze s and Leidig ' s hotels were need fora new schoolhouse, torn down, the field was left to the pointed out that the abandoned sStoneman House and Barnard's, la office would be suitable for the l ter known as the Sentinel Hotel, and Pose. The action on the Guardia the competition between the two was suggestion is thus recorded on p keen. J. J. Cook, the proprietor of the 131 of the minutes of the Coon Stoneman, would protest to the Cornsinners for their meeting of Jun missioners against the Sentinel's 1897: soliciting of business, to the detriThe question of a new building for s merit of the Stoneman. Likewise, house having been thoroughly discusse motion of Commissioner Ostrander, A. B. Glasscock, proprietor of the seconded, the Guardian was instruct' Sentinel, would complain against prepare the building constructed last similar soliciting by Cook, to the for stage office and situated on the roan tween the Sentinel Hotel and the Sto pdetriment of the Sentinel. Apparently House, the same to be occupied as a

as cr result of this wrangling, the school house.

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Old office-school in 1907, Miss Kitty Dexter, teacher. Front row from left: Alice Degnan, Edith Sovulewski, Ellen Boysen, Lillian Parks, Evelyn Tucker, Eugene Tucker, Harlow. Back row, Miss Dexter, Mrs. Boysen, Mr. Sweetland, Ruth Degnan. Subsequent to this action, the building was turned over to the school and we moved into it for the remainder of the 1897 term. Because of illness in our family, our teacher, Miss Rosa White, had to return to her home in Stockton. Cosie Hutchings took over at the new school and we finished the 1897 term. The other teachers at this location were, in order: Julia McClenathan, Alice White, Roy White, L. Craighan, and Kitty Dexter.

My own stay at this new school was short: early in the 1898 term I stopped out of school and went to work as a roustabout for Mr. N. L. Thomas, a prominent lawyer from San Francisco, who from August 15, 1898, had a camp there (with about a dozen hired men and many house guests coming and going), on the very spot where Olive Camp Curry was to start Curry Village the following year.

I stayed with Mr. Thomas until he left the camp; then I was sent away to boarding school and my school days in Yosemite were ended.

The new schoolhouse was a vast improvement over the old one, and served nicely in its original location until some time during Kitty Dexter's tenure, probably 1909 or 1910, when the building was moved to a spot near the forks of the road about 300 yards southwesterly from the site of the present National Park headquarters. It was succeeded in 1918 by the present school building, near the northeast corner of J. M. Hutchings' little farm. This schoolhouse, in turn, is being superseded by a new one, to be completed in February 1956. The old telegraph office-school house has been used as a residence for some years, but is scheduled for demolition and replacement by a newer residence in the near future.

Although the school plant was steadily improving, the short terms always bothered my parents, who sought some means of making up for the time lost during the long winter vacations. Accordingly, whether or no teacher was available, we were not permitted to throw our books aside at the close of school, and leave them

5E YC) :;I;MI'I'I : Nl1'I'lllii : Nt f'I'I ::', On May 28, 1908 the Native Sons of the Golden West held a convention in Yosemite Vc during which two flags were presented to the Yosemite School, which had been move its north-valley site. Colonel Benson, miliary superintendent, holds the American flag. Chil,. from Iftc left, Alice Degnan, Ellen Boysen, unidentified girl, Mildred Sovulewski, Ruth Deg,. Evelyn Tucker, Virginia Best, Grace Sovulewski, Eugene Tucker.

At school resumed in the spring, we had to continue studying at home. At times, one of our kind teachers, Mrs. Nell Rivers (who later became Mrs. C. B. Atkinson) held informal winter school sessions in our house; as I became older, my winter chores (chopping wood, shoveling snow, and the like) were increased by the addition of the very important task of teaching my younger brothers and sisters.

On one or two occasions my parents, at their own expense, hired a teacher to conduct school in the valley during the winter. One such teacher, who taught us during the winter of 1897-98, was Miss Eugenia G. Higgins, from Stockton, who had taught in the schools there. She was a friend of Miles Wallace (the Guardian who succeeded Galen Clark) and his wife, and during her stay in Yosemite, lived with them in their quarters in the old Cosmopolitan Saloon building. The school sessions were held in a vacant room in the house formerly occupied by Adolph Sinning and his successor, Julius Starke, across the road from the Guardian 's office. At another time, after I had gone away to school, my folks arranged for Nettie Craighan to live at our house and conduct a winter school there. As time went on, and the number of permanent residents in the valley grew (particularly after the completion of the Yosemite Valley Railroad in 1907), the school terms were lengthened to about seven and one-half or eight months. Then in 1916, the regular full school term was adopted. Today the school is the latest word in modern, well-equipped plants, constructed by the U.S. Office of Education, with 5 teachers and 104 pupils. The teaching staff, provided by Mariposa County, consists of Mrs. Pauline Shorb, principal and teacher of the sixth grade, who has given me much kindly help in gathering information; Mr. Art Turner, seventh and eighth grades; Mrs. Hazel Overton, fourth and fifth grades; Mrs. Edith Lamkin, second and third grades; and Mrs. Bona May McHenry, first grade and kindergarten. The school has indeed made a long journey from the log cabin of 1875, or even from the rough little shack of my time, with its mosquitoes and its audience of long, green lizards.

But unchanged through it all is the spirit of the loyal, hard-working teachers who, whether on a log or in a tent, in a shack or in a modern schoolhouse, do their best with what they have, in the vital but sometimes trying and thankless task of molding Americans.

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

The Yosemite Valley School in 1875, Miss May Anderson, teacher.

The Yosemite Valley School, 1956. With new flagpoles, new flags fly. Miss Edith Lamkin is one of 5 teachers, 1956.