The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-11-08
The Geysers in Yellowstone Park.

In single valley saw fifty geysers,
the meanest of which surpasses the
very noblest which has been elsewhere
discovered.
The whole number in the park has
been stated at 3 $780, 1t might as we'll
have been set down as $4,000, for new
ones are all the while discovered, and,
what is more, developed, or may say
created
AS time runs on, the Glass Mountain
in the park will be visited as new and
yaster Giants Causeway, the grand
canyon will be sought as analogous to
the gorges of Egyptian Thebes, and the
lake praised as the best American fac
simile of the bay of Naples. In size,
contour mountains-especially the jag
ged or notched horizon lines as they
cut against the sky-these two water
sheets are full of Resemblance. Frank $
Island in Yellowstone Lake again and
again recalled to me Capri towering in
the mouth of the Vesuyian Bay. Nor
are these similarities so surprising when
we consider that in both localities the
geological formations are volcanic.
On the whole, however, nothing in
the park is worth notice compared with
the unique marvel of geysers. Lakes.
forests, mountains, cliffs, rivers and
waterfalls, in comparison with the jewel
they wrap up are as paper and Irvine
which are thrown in for nothing when
we purchase anything precious.
Geysers, then, first, last, midst and
without end, are the glory of the park.
The word geyser is Icelandic, meaning
EguSber, and was taken from that tongue
because the phenomena it denotes were
first observed in Iceland.
ButAmerican geysers have many man.
ifestations, though chiefly as springs, as
spouts and as pools. "Pools, spouts,
springsp How poor these words seem
as | contrast them with the things /
must use them to denote. What waters!
so clear you cannot see them and step
unawares into their streams. Waters
like Milton's ''pure hyaline and CLASSY
sea"-or st. john sea of glass mingled
with fire-or the Spanish poets foot of
silver tripping along on street of gold
it has formed for its passage.
Years ago / first met an intelligent
pilgrim from the park and begged to
know what had most impressed him
there. His answer was color. The sig
nificance of his language l could not I'M
derstand till my own eyes saw what he
had seen. But my own impression was
his as soon as | reached the Mammoth
Springs. / climbed terrace after ter
race, looking down on pools which
each seemed a gem sometimes small
rs a bosom-pin, sometimes acres large,
Turquoise, opal, amber, gold-stone, en-
erald-all melted, flowing, running OF
steaming. The shapes of the settings,
the depth of the water unfathomable to
the eye, the hues varying with every
breath of air, every change in cloud OF
sunlight-all lent new magic to the
view. The jewelry which in Floren-
tine, Neapolitan or Russian regalia
bad admired as world-famous, was here
reproduced and magnifed million
times. The impression which was thus
first stamped was cumulative for ten
days afterward. Each last view seemed
still loveliest, the actual vision of each
beauty surprising the memory of all
that had gone before it. Thus, as our
guide day after day ushered me into
new entertainments, | was inclined to
say ''Thou hast kept the good wine un-
til now.n
In the great geyser basin, on first get
ting up at dawn, could think myself
in q New England village far up the
Connecticut-the same hills, pine
woods and engirdling mountains-the
geyserite floor was not unlike Vermont
snow. The steam of the seventy gey-
sers looked just like the smoke of morn
ing chimneys.
But this illusion could not last more
than an hour, for Old Faithful is gey-
ser more sure to spout hour by hour
than your clock is to strike.
For three days I watched and ex-
iItlted in his faithfulness, and that all
the more as l gazed on many monsters
around him which refused to show any,
thing of their might. His performances
in heights of jet, volume of water, and
grace of outline at least equal anything
in the Grandes Faux at Versailles, on
which Louis XIV. lavished so many mil
lions. Yet his utmost efforts are feeble,
compared with theeight-fold pulsations
of the so-called Grand Geyser, which we
were also so fortunate as to witness, Just
as we We're turning our backs on the
valley of spouting fountains, scores OF
which we had seen more or less active
with leaping waters.
Contrasting Old Faithful with the
lthrong of fitful and unreliable spouters,
i was reminded of Millions Abdiel,
faithful found among the faithless,
faithful only he-among innumerable
false unmoved." Indeed, I was con-
stantly coming a mint of phrases tovent
my admiration. 1t suits me best to say:
Zone God in Heaven, and one Old Faith
full on earth. Cor. Wisconsin, State
Journal.