River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-12-16

On the LIST of March, 1872, after this
report ofLeut. Doane had been made, an
act was passed by Congress defeating
and setting apart, as a public park or
pleasure ground for the benefit and en-
joyment Of the people, large tract Of
land in the Territories Of Montana and
Wyoming, lying along the headwaters Of
the Yellowstone. This includes and en-
braces that portion Of the country alluded
to above whose attractive localities and
wonderful geysers were first discovered
by Lieut.. Doane and the party which ac.
companied him in 1870
Under the above named act of Con-
gress, this Park is made the exclusive
control of the Secretary Of the Interior;
but it may not be out of plaC for me TO
state in this report that it IS the wish and
desire Of this department to unite with
the Secretary Of the Interior in doing
wha. is possible to be done wi Ia the lin.
tied appropriation at hand for opening
and surveying this region, 50 appropri-
ately called Wonder land. AT present
it cannot be reached except ~ long and
.iresome travel, off from the usual route;
but when railroads are built in that d..
rection, and when that region is opened
to more prompt communication, it will
doubtless be the resort each year Of
thousands Of those who will seek to visit
il.
| satisfied myself while there that, with
the expenditure Of moderate amount of
money, roads could be located 50 that
travel through the Park might be easy
and unimpeded. Should an appropria-
tion be made by Congress looking toward
the surveying Of interior roads, in order
that the inaccessible localities Of the
Park be opened to the public, the War
Department could, through its engineer
corps, with economy and at moderate ex-
pcnsc, do much toward accomplishing
what is desired, and the roads so made
would be important for military uses.
The curiosites of the Park are rapidly
being destroyed. How they can be pre-
served is a problem, but they should be
saved; and, if authority were given to
the War Department to make a survey
Of the routes alluded to, and to station
one or two companies Q. loops in or
near the Park for 1.-The purpose of pre-
venting spoilation, which will other wise
frequently occur. have no doubt of the
the result would be satisfactory.
THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.
The officer designated, in pursuance of
the Presidents order Of Jan. %, 1874, to
take charge Of the contribution to be
made by the War Department at the In.
ternati0na' Exhibition of 1875, has labor
ed to organize the means within the De.
partmcnt Of making display of our war
materials equal in extent and variety to
any similar contribution to like exhibitions
in this or foreign countries. Cooperation
on the part of the several contributing
bureaus has been secured through the
medium of officers selected by their re-
spective chiefs, and to whose duties has
been 81 peradIed that of collecting
arranging and disposing of the art'
Giles and materials designed to l..
displayed, under the direction of th 4
officer referred to. The total expense /
making full and satisfactory exhibit Of
our war-materialS has heretofore been
estimated at $4,000 Congress, at the
last session, appropriated only $l33,000
of this amount, and burdened the appro-
priation with pro-rata share of the ex-
pense of any building that might be
erected for the accommodation Of the en-
tire government exhibit. Experience has
shown that the amount thus left for the
practical exhibit of the War Department
is inadequate; and | recommend that
Congress supplement the appropriation
already made with further one granting
sufficient to make up the sum of $780,
600 for The practical exhibit of The De.
partment.
WN. w. BTIKNAp.