The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-09-23
WONDERLAND.
Our First Bear. and How Il Was
Killed.
In the Park--The Beauty Of Mud
Pies Lost II the Grandeur
Of Mud Pots.
"

lead US over TO Grey Bull River, the
main tributary of the Big Horn.
The Indians whom we met on Green
River informed us that we would
find buffalo in this region, and we
concluded to have some sport with
this large game. We had decided
to go into camp, when the Guide saw
buffalo; the cook and Scientist
claimed that the animal was d bear.
The Cook and Guide would see.
Leaving the horses in charge of the
Scientist, they approached to within
a few hundred yards Of the brute,
and found it to be buffalo grizzly,
such as are found only in this region.
1t is useless to say that the boys
changed their course when they
made this discovery. Keeping to
the right, they placed a ridge be
tween themselves and the bear, and
taking deliberate aim, with all eyes
upon two trees, they fired, and, OF
course, missed bruin. The second
Yolley broke one of the animals
hind legs, and after some responsible
bowling and tumbling he ran di-
rectly towards the shoetists, and
they in turn ran toward the above
mentioned trees. They say that
safely was not their object. They
only wished to see which direction
the bear took. Crossing small
creek, the bear passed around the
ridge, and fastened to cool his
wounds in a larger stream which
lay to the right. To this place the
Guide and Cook followed him,
and when they came in sight
their game had remained so
long in the cold water, that he
could do nothing but intimate to
them what he would do if he had
four legs instead of three. Standing
ing at a safe distance they succeeded
in putting six shots where they
would do the most good and the
seventh, fired by the Guide, went
crashing through bruins skull.
The Guide and Cook had killed their
first grizzly. Taking some steaks
just to sample the meat we went
into camp.
The next three days we spent in
crossing the Sierra ShOShone noun
tains, not finding any buffalo and
getting back to the Yellowstone.
We travelled down this river with
its bottoms rich with grass, extend
ing on either side of the stream to
the distance of a mile and a half.
Here on the Upper Yellowstone
the CAD flies, horse flies and mOsqui-
fnncy 6alInhtn6 RI hn o1-fxr
horses ana men Sufferlng alike Irom
these pests. The "bugs" were not
fastidious and seemed intoxicated
with pleasant anticip2tions,whet
sinking a shaft in a bootleg or bury
ing their long lanceS in the cuticle
of man or beast. The writer has
seen q mosquito work diligently and
with a hope illumined countenance
to find blood in a piece of leather
and die of grief when he could get
nothing but foul air for his trouble
and perseverance.
At o'clock in the afternoon Of
July 14th, we came in sight Of Vel
lOwstOne Lake. This beautiful
sheet Of water is situated in the
southern half of the National Park.
Thirty miles long by fifteen wide,
with It's crystal waters and densely
timbered shores, it presents at any
point fine study for an artist and
a shrine at which the wOrshipper Of
nature can offer his deyOtions.
Travelling down the shores of the
lake we found the timber so dense
that We were obliged to ride in the
water for some miles.
The next day we came to what
are known as Locomotive Springs,
so called from the peculiar Kissing
sound, caused by the escape Of steam
from the springs. These steam
vents and springs are near what is
called Steamboat Point, on the
northeastern shore Of the lake.
The steam in many places escapes
from apertures from One-eighth OF
an inch to three inches in diameter.
Each builds for itself a little cone
varying in color from bright red to
white; the mud or paste of which
they are formed being too hot to
handle with comfort. The creeks
which flow into the lake south of
this point and between it and the
river are alum creeks. The water
is clear and inviting, but one sWal-
low paints an expression upon a
countenance such as one seldom
sees.
From the springs we assembled
Skunk Creek to its source in Turbid
Lake, a distance of three miles.
Turbid Lake is half mile long by
one-fourth of mile wide, and its
waters are in a constant state Of
ebullitiOn. Here we decided to rest
for a day and take in the wonders OF
the vicinity. In the forenoon of the
following day we enjoyed a much
needed bath in Game Trail Greek,
small feeder of the lake. Besides
taking a bath we successfully car
ried on a laundry for2twO or three
hours, and after a hearty meal and
a nap we rode bareback a distance
of three miles to Steamboat Point
and Crystal Beach. Steamboat Point
is rocky bluff extending into the
lake, and from an immense fssure
in the rocks a steady discharge OF
steam takes place with deafening
roar.
The party took a bath in the icy