The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-08-29
rHE WONDERS oF WONDERLAND.
The Extent and Nature of I'll. National rArG-sc
MonOtopous Grass Plat, Bat Variety Of
Wonders and AttraetioAs-rhs Hot
Springs and spoutins Gsyssrs.

an hour, including our stops at all place.
other than those mentioned. This you vii
admit Is good running over such stretch
OF new road and single track.
The Yellowstone Park is not exactly
what its name might imply to many people
It is not one great inclosure Of grassy plat
like the famous South Park on the Union
Pacific branch between Denver and Lead
vile, Colorado. 1t is rather system oil
parks. It's area is very large, over 3,5OO
SQUARE miles, which is over six times the
area OF the Pan Handle Of West Virginia or
about seven times the size OF Belmont
county, Ohio. Il embraces mountains and
mountain spurs, and In the valleys thus
formed flow several rivers. There are also
the different basina in which are found the
hot springs and geysers, which have given
this park the name Of "Wonderland."
THE PARK.
The Park lies mostly in Wyoming Ter
ritory, but there is strip otit on the north
and northwest in Montana, and on the
southwe.t in Idaho. Almost within its
boundaries rise the great rivers Of North
IAmerica-the Missouri, the Colorado, and
the Columbia. Until recent period, how
ever, strange as it may seem, 1t has been,
despite its wonders, practically unknown
to the world. Lewis and Clark missed it
entirely in their celebrated exploration OF
the Rocky Mountains in 1906, and in
fact the first authentic information in re.
gard to it does not seem to date back Of
| 1858. DR.. Hayden's report says that prior
to that time the region was known to but
few hunters aud trappers, and their tales
| in regard to its wonders were treated as
the widest OF romancipg. have myself
talked with Patrick Gass in bis day, the
| last survivor OF Lewis and Clark's expedi-
tion, and remember no mention OF the
wonders Of the Yellowstone on his part,
nor do / recall any allusion to them in
Editor Jacobs biography OF Gass.
have said that no mention was made OF
the Park in the journal published by Lewis
and Clark. While this is true, 1t is also fact
that the earliest reference to the hotsprings
| is in the stories OF a trapper named Coulter,
who accompanied the Lewis aud Clark OK
pedition across the Rocky Mountains. He
remained near the headwaters OF the Mls-
souri on the return OF the expedition, and
was taken prisoner by the Indians soon at.
| ter. but In 1910 returned TO Missouri and
told the people marvellous stories OF lakes,
OF burning pitch, hot springs, 2eysers, and
land on fire, in this Yellowstone Park,
all OF which they discredited, and the
locality was even ridiculed as "Coulter's
hell" Nobody seems to have thought 1t
worth while to verify his stories by follow:
ing M his explorations. The wonders OF
"Wonderland" laid practically dormant
and almost unknown until after DR.. Lacy's
expedition in 1868, and even his report
does not seem to have created any special
sensation. As late as 1859 Cook and Folsom
made prospecting tour through most OF
the park territory, and their account OF
what they had seen seems to have attracted
considerable attention, but 1t was not until
after Hayden's report OF 1871, and only, as
it seems, on his urgent Recommendation
that Congress took enough interest In the
matter 10 pass In 1879 the act which sets
aside the Park as land that shall not be sold
10 settlers.
WHAT TIE PARK CONTAINS.
Since the expedition Of the Associated
Press party this year l have been curious
to see how little is generally known as to
what the Park really Is and what 1t con-
tains. presume that not 5000 people in
the United States have been in the Park,
and not 10000 have read anything special
in regard TO It. Now, however, that 80
many editors have been here no doubt the
country will be much better informed here
after-iH fact flooded with information.
The "wonders." " as they are called, oi the
YELLOWSTONE Park consist mainly in It's
geysers and hot springs, but not wholly, Tor
The two cataracls, and the lake and the
grand canyon Of the Yellowstone are oi
themselves great aud grand sights, The
upper cataract Of the Yellowstone is 1853
feet high and the lower 800 teet-bothi
higher than Niagara-while the grand
CANYON through which tho river flows after
passing over these falls Is, as respects Its
wild and cEaggy character, Its great depth,
and the exquisite character OF It's colortng,
one of the great sights Of not only our con-
tinent but Of the world.
| hesitate 10 say how many hot springs,
large and small, there are in the different
narts Of the Park through which We have
tonrneyed and Camped for week, but |
am probably not out Of the wav when | say
that there are 5000. interrogated our
principal guide on this Ioint Sihce our re-
tnrn. and he says that ! am quite within
honnds in this estimate. In the smaller
hss,n 6SS have been catalogued. Is this
moi something wonderful Of itself?
have mentioned our arrival at the
Mammoth Hot Springs on Sunday evening,
the 5th. after a series OF almost serieus sd-
centuries var In the wagons that connect with
the cars some is miles from the Park. We
were ouartered ut the new hotel 10 course
Of erection, by the Rufus Hatch Improve;
ment Company"-a great barn'!ike palatlal
wooden hotel, which will be an imposing
edifiCe when finished, but as yet quite
crude in its interior and exterior appoint
ments and surroundings. However we got
pood beds and good meals aud were made
Generally comfortable. On Monday, the
tith, after an early dinner, one-hGlt OF our
party set ont on its camping expedition aud
ssItl;s.4siStk. "a: ssggs $cJtt F ssse ss.se
back and part in NPE6ns. Our uniforms
consisted largely Of cloth or blue flannel
shirts and either our poorest suils or in lieu
NJ the latter mud colored canvas overall
anti specially provided for the occasion,
together with gum oVerGoats. The array
was very unique Il not imposing as It pull.
ed up before the hotel before setting out
on the winring way up four mile noun
tain road. Your correspondent was mount
al ON a Umatilla pony, that for capacity to
trot hard and slow, and straight up and
down, had probably no rival In the caVal'
NaIa
THE HOT SPRINGS.
Perhaps before starting through the PARK
/ should say few words about the Gar
diner river valley from which We were te
, set out and in which the so.Called man
moth hot springs are situated. Almos