The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-11-26
CORRESPONDENCE.
(For the Chi<f)
A VISIT TO THE NATIONAL. PARK.

EprroR R.s,,s cH,yr:NWhen my wife and left home
in the latter part Of May last 70 spend ,ne IN tnt
visit the great National Park on the OF th'
Yellowstone and Madison rivers At one time however
we thought We would have abandon the trip account
Of the of hostile Ind in that vcin
ity and would likely have done So had not his Excel
Iency Governor Franklin Potts believe that Is the
way he signs his name made reconnaissance in person
and reported that there danger but there were
numrr Of persons no s coBtended that General Gus
teri expedition into the Blark Hills would drive the Sioux
back that way for shelter and II We went the lnsnns
with old that had been loaded
years and cut Of repair generally that
Of a pitchfark or a usr of od-fashoned foreeps with
which the doctor generally brought hi. patient up sahd
ing when extracting a Troublesome tnoth Armed with
this Formidable implement Of destruction. remained
calm and amid the ghtul predictions oil all the
old grsDts in the country feeling confident that We
ek. on the rnutc an untod number of red skins
would bite the dust; now II makes me shuddeI
i n tbs +" family With that sx sh"oter The Indian
problem would most likely have ceased to puzzle th. ps
IL the Christian statesmen ana the
broadbrm Quaker agents been numbered with the things
Bni will now turn from the contemplation of subject
fraught with such unpleasant reflections and give the
readers of the Chief first brief history OF the location
and extent Of the Park and second an account 81 onr
trip to that truly wonderful REGION and It's mAsnneeh'
wonderful Land a. this Park has very appropriately
named is located according To niaPmlkers Ill
rectIy in the of Wyoming Territory
others however. divide between Montana Idaho and
Wyoming Which Of them are c"rrect leave Tor wiser
geOraphers than determine. One thing do know:
il located high up among the eagsy peaks on the EAST
miles the up the Madison river southeast Of Viz
gnia City, Montana Territory. and is sc"peof country
five by sxtyhve miles in extent set apart Ma
tonal Park By the second session Of the Forty
Second Congress and such is not open to settlement and
Previous to the summer Of 1873 wagons could get no
the Park than Henry Lake, in iia' when Nir
ginia City enterprise forward and opened wagon
road from the lake the ERE Hole river the Lower
Gsyer Basin aditance Of thirty i've miles where tourists
now their wagons and Wander among the bewder
ing Of this great museum on horse back
On the morning Of August 10, ls74 We left Virginia
City in conpahy with Samuel Word and family, and
wend.d our way slowly over the Madison divide and
halted for lunch Spring Greek. beautiful stream OF
sparkling water eaping down of the mount
aims hch skirt the Madison valley the caught
trout, and were way again. passing
beyond the settlements into a wild uninhabted country
with vast mountain chains looming up either side OF
and the freful Madison our left winding like angry
SERPENT as il makes way through valley
Missed the trail and kept the side of the Madison
six miles further, and halted for the night
soon after which Mr. o. b. Barber wife of Virginia
CITY who proved to be very agreeable travelling compan
hound for the Park also Supper dis
a,ced and our horses securely pckete prevent
from wandering back to their old range after lively
jokes around the camp fire. and several Intellectual attempt
ciouy stolen grasshopper had weretred for the
beneath dark and threatening cloud and
lned to sleep by the sound Of the gentle Pasrng ram
ia their onward hight 10 the ocean.
ing Eight o'clock this morning found hunting way
up the Madison valley Saw our first antelope on to the
left miles but as was saving my ammunition
for larger game they escaped immediate slaughter Passed
up the valley elevated piece of beautiful table
land by six miles in extent covered with rich
bunch grass which quite number of cattle and
horses belonging. Doubt to ranehman farther
down the Madison eisurey grazing Twelve o'clock
camped for dinner the banks of Ruby Greek
and travelling in the mountains always did mpart wig
appetite was soon diminishing our stock
commiSsary with astonishing rapidity. Dinner
over myself Mr.. Word, and his two little started
down the creek fishing and entered beautiful eanyon
where has its way through solid rock
depth hundred feet for a distance Of four five
hundred yards about midway of which punges heaong
caught very trout Returned to camp, RESUMED
journey and crussed the cr ek at ugly ford af
camp Wire Creek the addition number Of
in the persons OF old uncle Bob
get everything readiness approaching shower and
doing ample justice dish Of smoking trout
pacity such decacies shut ourselves in from the
raging elements and in the dreamy land of Nod
bounding space chatted pleasantly with friends
far away, from whom We had bong been separated
August 81 Had a cud, drzzlins rain last night Break
fast over again resumed Journey but dscov
that the dim trail bad been Ia follow for the
last day and half led of into what seemed To rs i'm
passable mountains Sent scouts ascertln whether
Il best ahead turn TO the left cross the Mad
river and strike the main trail the opposite side
Concluded the latter course was best and made way
to the river by passing down an almost perpendicular
fifty yards in width and from to three feet deep and
goes rushing down the rough rocky bottom at fear
ncos ~ SesutifrH lite va.,ey where We found plenty
good grass for horsesin fact the whole route with
new e% ea%e nrk ysn ny 6sI sa eS%e
sweeping up the valley from the north west accompanied
white with hail stones. Crossed back 10 the west side
the again. above where the fork Of the
cmptes its st waters into the main river The
tains here begin tn push boldly to the river until
ten miles further up they euminaie In the Grand Canyon
Df the Madison about three miles below which canpc
for the night.
picket ropes with sheet ice The dark clouds that
hung like a shadow about the mountain peaks y-ster-
day evening passed away during the night and the morn
broke in upon calm and serene, with clear sky
few white hercy clouds, that chasing each
,ther the heavens The road here leaves
The river to avoid the above referred to- and after
ascending two three abrupt elevations leads al"
through Reynolds Pass in the Rocky Mountains, which
elevation OF fret above the level oi the
hle crossing this pass plenty Of antelope.
Dut failed to make arrangements with Of them for
rloin STEAK As passed over onto the Pacific slope
NE behed Henrys Lake, beautiful sheet of kyblue
spread out before in the distance. Passed
lown gentle slope and camped on small stream near
he lake, where caught fine salmon trout, which
bound in all the tributaries Of the Columbia river Hen
Us Lake u some four miles long by three miles in width
md has depth Of fifteen feet In the deepest places II
urrouned BY beautiful valley which covered during
he Summer with rich green carpet Of grass. and
walled in by high and rugged mountains whose lofty
'umnits clad with perpetual Sawtelle. old
who has been IN the country since 1866 and
said be gentleman Of refinement and TASTE build
cOmfotable looking residence in the valley west
4 the lake His annual catch of trout which dis
Of principally in the Virginia City market is said to
e immense
Henry Fork Of Snake River its source in this lake
rom whelce it flows of south and emptes the
Snake River Market Lake where the old Hud.
on Bay Company had trading post number of years
20.
We passed north Of the lake and after drive Of some
hrre miles we entered Targee Pass through paruw
ugged canyon which gradually widens out into valley
from to three hundred yards in width. Up this
alley the summit of the mountains which here
caches altitude of 1908 above the sea level We
amped for the night where found wsod, grass and
Of the very best in abundance / may be vain-I
eckon mnst be-for s1mehow could help feeling
up the world when clin bing among the
louds-in fact think whole company frum the way
hey bov"red around the campfire in their
clothing felt like had all suddenly taken raiss
the world and now occupying elevated position
August % We awoke this morning and found the grass
ristng with white frost; but frOst in the mountains
oes not affect vegetation like il does in the States
ne Rocky Mountains down Beaverdam Greek which led
out into the Upper Madison Basin. This basin has
rcular shape and looks Ia be twenty thirty i've
lilies either way. The lower portion Is covered
18th rich luxurian growth Of grass IL the
not too short well adapted agricultural purposes
he upper part, in which We nooned is covered with
forest of pines. and has the appearance in many
aces Of having been b1rnttq einder far back in
y gone age of the world. =
Along the banks of the Madison, which winds like
rpent through che central portion Of the BASIN
acks Of the mountain bison. small species Of buffalo
lat never at large the plains but hde themselves
in seclusion- Various other kinds Of came
elk and black cinnamon bear also abound in the
ayiiy umbered mountains that surround the BASIN At
upper end Of the basin the road again the
and enters the Fire Hole Canyon. which extends up
river distance Of miles crossing the
more, Of the fors bring very ugly Near the
,per crossing eamped ur the night and while looking
uuDd found nice pOol Of water Just the right
mperature for pleasant bath which the ladies' pro
daarr - 49,