The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-05-23
THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.


act assigning the regions of the head
waters ofthe Yellowstone river, in Mon
tana, for great national park. A Mr..
Lanford, of Minnesota, was appointed
its superintendent. In the ensuing
year, 1873, he made his first annual
report.
1t is reasonable to suppose that
when an official salary has made a
roost within public park, life within
its precincts will assume serious pro-
portions and secure a tenure safe
against ordinary mischance. Yet we
are unaware of anything concerning its
congressional status. If it were a pri-
vate bill we would telegraph an inquiry
to the capital. But no member of
Congress knows anything about a bill
of merely public interest of ten years
ago. That Mr.. Lanford has not faded
out of being, that he has preserved his
statu quo, that subsequent annual re-
ports have followed this, are good
enough Prescriptions to warrant some
remarks. But even if the national
park has become national pastoral
resort it is not without interest in the
light which Mr.. Lanford has thrown
upon it.
1t is this first annual report, covered
with nine annual layers of Texas dust,
that we have come across. 1t is we'll
got up everyway, its Typography good,
its topography comprehensive, its de-
scriptions clear and full; while the
wonderful discoveries it shows invite
liberal legislation on the part of Con-
gress which we trust has, long ago,
placed congressional history of much
interest on record.
The report before us relates that a
considerable part of the grounds is
contained within the limits of Wyo-
ming, but that there is no access from
that direction owing to great wall of
basalt, in some places mile in height
and perpendicular, which can not be
scaled nor crested by any known pro-
cess, and which will bar effectually all
access till tunneled, or otherwise util-
lied by art means. Approach is diff
cult even on the Montana side, where
the Yellowstone region is entered.
Visitors are compelled to come on
horseback, and through defles not
wide enough for carriages and
too wild and tangled even
for bride venture, or FESTIVE
steeds. But with reasonable outlay
carriage roads, and we should say even
a railroad may invite valetudinarians
to come and astonish their over-diag-
nozed stomachs with refreshing drafts
and purling baths from hot springs, va
por springs, mud springs and others
of the Spa variety. There are geysers
of prodigious size, volcanoes that throw
mud, $50 feet water falls, and canons
of 5000 feet depth, streams that cover
everything under their surfaces with
crystallized coats of lime, mountain
and rock scenery, to which the art
agonized Central park wonders of
Gotham are pale sentimentalites, I'M
mentionable among natural world
wonders, such as the Yellows-
stone region is unwilling, and has we
trust been unwilling, at the open
sesame of the commissioner. Doubt
less the large portion of the great
park which this report leaves yet I'M
explored will discover novelties WON
derful beyond precedent even in AM
erican topography.
We propose to institute calls for Mr..
Langford, or his successor in office,
and lay out some editorial ink on this
Yellowstone national park question.
In the meantime it will be necessary to