The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-18
THE YELLOWSTONE VALLEY
Typographical. and Other Features of
the Great National Park.
A Place Where There Is No Sunday-Seeing
the Wonders for Fifty Cents a Day-NO
Churches, but Plenty of Papers.
From stan Correspondent Of the journal.

| From Stan Correspondent Of the Journal
| LIVINGSTON, Montana, Aug. 13.-The Asso-
ciated Press excursionists stopped two hours
to-day in this mushroom city, on their way
home from Yellowstone Park. Livingston is at
the foot of the Belt range, the entrance to the
Rocky mountains and midway between the
great lakes and the Pacific coast. 1t is the
point of departure to the Yellowstone Park,
at the third and last crossing of Yellowstone
river, which the railroad follows for 400
miles 1t is true western frontier town;
the headquarters of the Clark's Fork silver
mines the junction OF the main line and the
Park branch and will probably be one of the
leading towns of Montana. 1t has 1000 in
habitants most of whom have located within
the year.
The Yellowstone rises in the mountains, q
hundred miles to the southwest, and flows
through the world-renowned Yellowstone
lake and park. The town is on a level pla-
teau, directly at the foot of the Belt noun
tains.
Three miles south from Livingston the
beautiful but rugged Snow range opens its
portals just enough to give the river an out
let, and through the canon thus formed the
branch railroad enters the park. The rail
road has shops here, and the town Is dis
tributing point to the mining regions be-
yond, and is the headquarters for park tour
lists Here on the westward train we met
DIR. Henry Jameson, of indianapolis, and
Hon. Graham N. Fitch of Logans-
port, on their way to the park.
Their party had stopped at the Little Mis-
souri, river and there shot deer at long
range, and were big with expectations of
future sport. They take IN the park for ten
days and then spend week or more hunting
in the mountains. We also met Mr.. Charles
Tapking, of our city, who had hired team
guide and blackboard, and had made the en-
tire tour of the park, camping out he was
sunburned and happy, and desired to be re-
membered to his indianapolis friends.
The Clark's Fork mines rich in silver, lie
directly south, and the hills about are occu-
pied with cattle ranches. The road to the
mines runs through the park, and long lines
of ten-ox teams, each drawing two wagons
loaded with silver and lead, may be seen
vending their devious way down the noun
tains o the railroad terminus.
Lingston is the most convenient place to
leave for the Crazy mountains, which are the
favorite breeding places of the elk. The skulls
of the elk with large antlers attached, may
be purchased here in good condition
for S., and many travellers take them home
as evidence of the good hunting somebody
else has enjoyed. They are the favorite seats
about the campers fire. l saw two 'pard-
ners," one hunter and the other trapper
sitting solemnly opposite each other, each on
the Bonded bow of an antler before the camp
fire at which they had broied the two pound
mountain trout caught from the Yellow
stone at the mouth of Tower creek. They
then stuck the heads as trophies on the
prongs of the antlers, "sinched" the packs
on their mules, secured them with the 'dia-
mond hitch" using thongs of elk hide, and
took their winding way afoot driving their
mules before them down the Gardner river
canon to Mammoth Hot springs. To be sure
it was Sunday by the calendar and customs
of the East, but the Sunday line is crossed
when one leaves the States and enters the
mountains. No one rests here unless he is
weary. Each makes his own Sabbath when
and where he needs it.
CHEAP SIGHTSEEING.
Our travellers were pushing on from Idaho,
where they had been working on the rail-
road grades, to Missouri a thousand
miles away, and at cost OF less than
fifty cents day, were sauntering through
the park. They lived close to the bone
slept on the ground and under the sky took
little thought for the morrow, and seemed
| as happy and careless of care as the trout
they caught or the mountain grouse they
shot. Their desire seemed not to be how
much of thought or stuff they could acquire
and control, but rather how little they could
do with Their material life and needs
food, shelter and clothing-was bound up in
their packs and carried on their mules
which they followed with all the patience
and determination of the patient brutes
themselves; and yet these philosophc men
of the wood, with true Indian wisdom. were
caring for themselves, were happy and
healthy, were taking in and enjoying daily
wonders of nature that their property and
care-cursed brethren who dwell in cities
never expect to see. and were, withal, as in
dependent of the Northern Pacific and the
mighty thought and resources that lie back
of it as the colonies of prairie dogs
the Associated Press excursion is
now gliding among. Probably both
hunter and ground-squirrel have
but the one fear-too much civilization and
progress for their comfort or safety.
These men were true half-breeds although
no Indian blood coursed IN their veins, but
rather they seemed in feature and address Of
purest Anglo-SaXon stock They were a
cross between the culture and progress of the
East, and the wildness and animal steadfast-
ness of the West. They were not cowboys"
were not subject to the craze of whisky and
revolver, but were only peaceable mountain
men, intent on their one idea of getting
living and at the same time making the tour
of the continent Another couple followed
on their path that Sunday morning down
the mountain, and while far from the temple
they did not profane the day. One Observed
as they rode along, the effect of fire glacier
and mountain rain in sculpturing the valley
and canon of the Gardner; the other traveller,
though far from his church and people let not
the day pass without conducting service, and
with rod and net under his arm, and loose
bride rein hanging on the pommel, read to
his comrade from Emerson's Problem