Number of people visiting park in private cars season of 1914_ the date of last annual report__ Number of people visiting park in private cars season of 1915. Automobiles visiting Glacier Point after extra $5 fee was taken off on Number of people visiting Glacier Point in private cars_ 7,166 739 20, 814 10 417 1,520 881 3, 890 369 Automobiles camping in public automobile camp, Sept. 1, 1913, to Sept. 30, 1914, the date of last annual report____. Number of people camping in public automobile camp ground season of 1914__ Average number of people in each private automobile entering the park during the season of 1915_. 1, 107 31 1, 219 8, 180 470 Records show 39 per cent of the automobiles entering the park during the 1915 season camped in the public automobile camp ground. Private automobiles passing through the Tuolumne Grove of Big Trees Number of people visiting the Tuolumne Grove of Big Trees___. Private automobiles passing through the Merced Grove of Big Trees___. Number of people visiting the Merced Grove of Big Trees-Private automobiles passing through the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees-- 1, 440 Number of people visiting the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees.. 2, 527 13, 974 Automobiles entering the park during the season of 1915 came from the following points in the United States and foreign countries: AUTOMOBILE SERVICE ON FLOOR OF VALLEY. Rent automobile service was installed on the floor of Yosemite Valley on July 16, 1915, at a low rate of hire, to carry tourists from camp to camp and to points of interest, also to make special trips over the Tioga Road, which enabled visitors to see the high Sierras with ease and comfort. This service made it possible for tourists to visit all points of interest on the floor of the valley without fatigue, as many visitors are unable to make trips by wagon or on horseback, on account of their physical condition. This service has also partially reconciled the automobile tourist, who is not allowed to use his automobile for motoring on the floor of the valley. The drivers of these rent cars are efficient men who are familiar with all roads, turnouts, sharp turns, etc., and with the locations where horse and foot trails lead into the main roads, the arrival and departing time of all stages, etc., on the floor of the valley. Tourists in private automobiles are not allowed to use them for motoring on the floor of the valley, save as a means of ingress and egress, as the average tourist is not familiar with turnouts, sharp turns, the places where trails lead into the roads, the arriving and departing time of stages, etc., and would be almost constantly meeting other traffic at unexpected places, and the likelihood of accident would be thus greatly increased. Furthermore, the roads in their present condition are too narrow to handle all the traffic that would result if private automobiles were allowed to run about as they pleased, in addition to the regular transportation companies, and there would undoubtedly be many serious accidents each season. For this reason the roads should be widened and improved as soon as possible. AUTOMOBILES ON THE TIOGA ROAD. The Tioga Road was opened for travel on July 28, 1915. This enables visitors in private automobiles to drive 260 miles through the park on a fee of $5, ascending to an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet above sea level. The view of mountain scenery at this height can not be surpassed. The Lambert Soda Springs are located in the Tuolumne Meadows, in the eastern part of the park, near the permanent camp of the Sierra Club, who had 2,236 visitors registered during the past season. Before the opening of the Tioga Road, visitcrs to the Lambert Soda Springs were obliged to travel on horseback over the mountain trails. About 350 automobiles have passed over this new park highway since its opening. VISITORS. Visitors to the park during the period October 1, 1914, to September 30, 1915, were distributed as follows: Visitors entered the park by the following means of transporta tion: Yosemite Transportation Co., from El Portal___ 19, 078 Wawona Stage & Turnpike Co., from Wawona___ 2, 538 Big Tree Auto Stage Co. (A. B. Davis), operating from El Portal to Yosemite via the Merced and Tuolumne Groves of Big Trees_ 2,213 Number of tourists registered at Soda Springs and Tuolumne Meadows__ 2, 236 Number of tourists registered at Glacier Point hotel_‒‒‒‒ 4,369 CONCESSIONS. The following is a list of the concessioners operating in the park during the season of 1915: Lease, special use, and water-power permits under act of Feb. 7, 1905, segregating lands from Yosemite National Park and placing same in Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests. Period of concession. Indeter minate pe riod. Do...... Name of concessioner and privilege granted. Yosemite Valley R. R. Co. Lease dated Sept. 5, 1905, grants to company right Yosemite Valley R. R. Co. Special-use permit issued by Forest Service, ap- 1 Per annum, on demand of Secretary of the Interior. Compensation exacted. 1 $1,000 5 ..do.. 300 ..do. 2,000 May 31, 1916 180 Oct. 31, 1915 1,200 .do. 14 .do. 14 Lease, special use, and water-power permits under act of Feb. 7, 1905, etc.—Con. Period of concession. ndeter minate period. cut. Name of concessioner and privilege granted. City and County of San Francisco, Cal. (transferees of Sierra Ditch & Water Co.) Right of way for reservoir site (known as Cherry Valley Reservoir site), comprising 630 acres of land in the Stanislaus National Forest, under lease granted July 30, 1908, to Sierra Ditch & Water Co. All timber cut to be paid for at stipulated rates from $1.50 to $5 per thousand feet, according to kind of timber Do....... Yosemite Lumber Co. Special-use permit, approved by district forester, Forest Service, June 27, 1911, for right to construct logging railroad and inclined tramway in Sierra National Forest, for removal of timber adjacent to company's road. All timber used to be paid for at rate to be fixed by forest supervisor, Sierra National Forest, which shall correspond with prevailing stumpage rates charged on said national forest when timber is cut. Stipulations signed by company June 20, 1911, and approved June 27, 1911, by District Forester F. E. Olmstead, accompanying the permit, require annual payment (outside of charge for live and dead timber, standing and down, cut, damaged, killed, or destroyed along right of way, title to which at time of cutting is in United States) of $1,200 on demand therefor being made by the Secretary of the Interior. Do. Do...... 50 years*... Yosemite Lumber Co. Special-use permit, approved Nov. 22, 1911, by E. G. Yosemite Lumber Co. Special-use permit, approved Nov. 22, 1911, by E. G. 1 Per annum, on demand of Secreдary of Interior. Compensation exacted. 1 $945 1 1,200 11, 85 810 584 2 Value of all timber cut and paid for on right of way (payment of $406.56 made May 3, 1912, and $334.56 made Oct. 3, 1912), $741.12. EXCERPT FROM ACT OF CONGRESS APPROVED DECEMBER 19, 1913, GRANTING TO THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CERTAIN RIGHTS OF WAY IN, OVER, AND THROUGH CERTAIN PUBLIC LANDS IN THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AND STANISLAUS NATIONAL FOREST ADJACENT THERETO. Section 7 of the above act provides that for and in consideration of the grant by the United States as provided for in this act, the said grantee shall assign free of cost to the United States all roads and trails built under the provisions hereof; and further, after the expiration of 5 years from the passage of this act the grantee shall pay to the United States the sum of $15,000 annually, for a period of 10 years, beginning with the expiration of the 5-year period before mentioned, and for the next 10 years following $20,000 annually, and for the remainder of the term of the grant shall, unless in the discretion of Congress the annual charge shall be increased or diminished, pay the sum of $30,000 annually, said sums to be paid on the 1st day of July of each year. Until otherwise provided by Congress, said sums |