Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-07-19
In the GeySer Region.

In the Geyser Region.
Notes of an August Trip to the Yellowsopa
| The Yellowstone par k, be it remembered
IS volcanic region of nearly 40C0 sauar
miles, which congress has set aparl as
. pleasure ground for all people for all time
III lies mostly in the northwest corner n
wyoming territory, and we enter by wa,
OF virginia City. Previous letters hay,
outlined the various marvellous natura
J manifestations which combine to max,
this Wonderland, as it has come to b,
called. The word park, however, as an
piled TO it is likely to be misleading. Th,
reader, following association, viii tbinl
OF the well kept pleasure grounds in oul
eastern cities OF foreign capitals; but on
mere are no impertinent signboards warn.
ing the passer to keep off the grass,
there is no gray coated policeman perpet
ually on guard. and we have at last found
park where the beauties of nature arc
not combated by board of ignorant poll.
ticians. The Yellowstone park is more
Ike the great property parks of England,
wilder and on far grander scale as we'll
as extent. but yet like them. Roads are
few and far between, there are MANY
natural park-like groupings of pines,
reminding one of Colorado, magnificent
landscapes spread beneath lofty and some.
times snow capped mountain peaks.
streams plunge into deep and mvsterious
canons, elk, deer and antelope give life to
the scene, and all waters not tainted too
strongly with sulphur, swarm with deli.
cous trout and white fish. Let us first
study in detail the most remarkable hot
water region in the world, repeating the
geysers of Iceland on a grander scale,
producing worthy rival TO the TIE Tar.
anita spring of New Zealand, and parallel
ing the springs and mud geysers of Java
How many Americans know that our gey-
sers outnumber those of all the worlGi
beside, and operate on a grander scale in
the frequency of the eruplions. the volume
OF water cast and the hight to which it is
thrown; and surpass all others in the
brilliant ornamentation Of their chimneys
and basins built up by the mineral deposits
from the hot silicious waters?
After week spent in delightful noun.
taineering we descend into the valley of
the main Madison OF Fire Hole river,
which is shut in by high, volcanic, pine
clad mountains. gashed with deep gorges
and strewn with fragments of trachvete
and obsidian. Our first camp is made in
the north border of the park. where a
rough hotel has been erected by Mr..
Marshall, who lives here the year round
with his energetic little wife and n brood
of nut-brown, rosy children. The loo
hotel ncstles at the foot OF high cliffs, with
a natural lawn of brown grass stretching
away to tho forks of Fire Hole river. while
spring brook flows by the door. The
last Marshall baby, by the way, was born
here, and the governor of Wyoming has !
been up to name tho infant and promise
her q gift of $4,000 from tho tcrrito,i,l
legislature plcdgcl whose redemption
ought to be difficult, unless this gushing
official proposes to make the present out
of his own pocket. Here Is genuine
pioneer life. Last winter the women Of
this primitive hostclry shot II too inqli5i
tive bear when Bruin began digging into
the root house. The decd was worthy of
our Puritan mothers. and shows us that
pioneering is about tho Same thing IN
to-day that it used to be in the
early life of New England.
The valley for a distance of 10 miles is
full oil steam like laundry on washjng
day. for here many of the springs and the
great geysers are located. Tho rivers flow
hot water, and boiling fountains arc con-
venient for washing purposes. We push
on for five miles along the base of the
hills and skirtng the river to n wide desc
late. looking plain. Here are the "paint
pots. bubblng watts of semi silcious clay
which varies in color from creamy whito
% pink or slate; "lIell's half acre" a gap.
NC opening in the earth disclosing
llsslng purgatory; and the great blue
polling spring. Those preachers in the
beautiful Connecticut valley who are teua-
,ious of an actual boiling and roaring hell
'ould find most realistic suggestions ont
lere for word painting of the dreadful
'lace. Yet imagine the stiffest stickler
or the old fashioned doctrine among
hem all would scarcely enjoy his concop, +
ions OF such hereafter when LOOKING =,
through scalding mist into the deep dam. =,
lation of hot spring Or defunct crater.
me felt like the Dutch traveller overland =
Vho encountered hot spring down in :
jtah. Tie had clambered out of the canvas. :
overed vehicle with its family party and :
unks,-the germ of the sleeping. car, bv /
,e way,-and, after something of scram- :,
10 came upon clear spring which boiled :,
18th tlendish turbulence. He thrust down u
cautious hand, and then tore back to the :,
nprotected family. "Donder und bltzenl v,
ANS, boy, drive on; drive on! Hell is :.
1ly Elm half mile from herei" ire r
The blue spring is 250 feet in diameter, u u
huge mass of indigo water seething in T.,
apparently bottomless abyss, beautiful, ;, IT.
1t cruel as fate.-The closing of This ..
ocky mountain region has been most ~
onderiul to our eastern eyes, but this is +,
depth OF blue, shading on to the merest 81
adow of a suggestion of color that tran. -, -,
ends our imaginings. Nor is this all ~ ~
the edge ofthe spring the blue meets !,
I'd graduates into all the colors of the ~ ~
ectrum. 1t would baHe an artist to "r "a
scribe, much moresto depict Oh canvas, q. 'a
tints and shadings which nature has It., IT,
Wished on this spot, and any attempt to a.
produce them would be ridiculed rs un. ~ ~
1shing exaggeration. The walls of the W. W
ring are some 20 feet high, and on one W. W.
lie is break whence the water flows T'' ~,
TO the river through channels whose ~ ~
DIS are brilliantly colored with scarlet W.n W
How and green, vivid contrast to the w. w.
lite surroundings. With closer SIGHT "a %
3 revealed ecru, lemon, buff, bronze "'
ok and fawn tints On frosty mornings
nbows glorify the stream which rises
d the whole effect is gorgeous in the
treme. In this Lower Geyser Basin. as -.
IS termed are smaller springs, deop ="