The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-12-02
YELLOWSTONE PARK.

law-n,akirg bodies.
Y0EL0WoTO1gD PARK.
A Washington dispatch under Tie
date Of the I'd, ulk gives some infos-
nation Concerning the condition Of
Yellowstone Park, that b nat gen.
orally known ~ this Territory. Up
on the authority Of NJ. G. F. Hobart,
Division Superintendent Of the
Nnrthcru Pacific Railroad, u says
that Interpretations hsvs been COM
United In the Park 70 such IN ex-
tent that II it h not handed over to
the care Of . company It will In . few
years cease tn Re worth visiting. The
park h now we'll Supplied with elk,
black tail deer and Rocky mountain
sheep, running In large herds, but 1t
the rate ct which these animals have
been slaughtered lately they would
he exterminated In lw6 years. Re-
Gently seven elk were shot. lying one
~ the top Of another. a small drove
was used merely ~ targets by some
ruthless sportsmen. WHO had mo NE
Tor meat and who did mt even
take the hides OIL: Great damage b
beins done BY camp 6res lighted
without care, and LEFT without being
extinguished. The guides. soltliers
and servants who attended General
Sherman and his party In the recent
visit to the Park did an enormous
amount Of mischief. The camp fires
burned over II, 600 acies of woodland,
and geyser shafts were knocked down
with hattering rams for the sake Of
getting . few speeimens."
It h quite possible that Mr.. Hobart
states only what be knows to b true,
in which case the Superintendent q
that land II wonder. he's sadly neg
lcctcd lis duties, especially in permit
ting battr,ixO-St,nss to be used to
knock down geyser shafts. There b
doubtless much useless killing II
game anil destruction Of natnral curl
osities IN The Park, bat Il Won d re-
quire the services Of regiment o.
wstchful sentries to prevent It alto.
gcther. Whether game and geysess
would he ietter protected by hand
ing the Park over to the care VI .
company, 10 Mr.. Hobart saggests, b
extremely problematical. Sightseen
and tourists generally are relic hunt.
ers and the fear Of = eosnpany's rules
and regulations, would OTTER but .
slight barrier to their desire to obtain
. beautiful specimen, even II they
were compelled to use battering-
rams to obtain Il.
Mr.. Hohart's apprehension may
probably he accounted for by the last
that he b . prominent member ola
company that sometime ago entegsd
into . contract with the Secretary Of
lbc Interior to erect hotels and pro-
vide accommodations aud facilities
for visitOn to the Park. And bis
evident desire 10 obtain . lease Of It
from the government may have OPP
Grated against his viewing its pres
ent condition from an encouraging
STANDPOINT. But he this - It
may We hope the government will
not hand "vcr this land u euri0sities
aud woniless to the care and keeping
Of any company. It he's been declar-
Ell . National Park, and let It - ~
main. This great government can
well afford to protect Il from vantlsl-
Ism, and II the present Superinien-
dent has mot sufficient help I, per
form that duty, Congress should lose
no time In granting It 10 him. The
people Of the Union sholld protest
against itsbeingleaeed to any company
Or corporation, who would usc It for
speculative purpases, aud sell the
Erans'e.t sights upo" the face Of the
Els,l,e ut a certain sum caeh ~ apples
IRE aOld from q baxkei. The Park
should TX free to all who choose to
visit It and not be pat into the hands
Of parties who would exact toll ut
the Approach to every geyser.