Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-09
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.

Among the multitude of Ubiquitous
grand Iarcen1es which have been commit
ted upon the public during the past TWEEN
ty-five years, there is none, perhaps, more
outrageous than the lease of the hotel priv
ileges of the Yellowstone National Park to
a company of capitalists, consisting of
Rufus Hatch, Hobart, Brother -in-la"
Douglass and others. The lease was grant
ed by Joslyn, assistant secretary of the in
terror, in Secretary Teller's absence, at the
earnest solicitude of our immaculate ex-
statesman, William Window, who did not
dare to appear in person as one of the
stockholders of the company, but commit
ted his interests to the care of his kins
man, devoted henchman and worshiper.
The lease Is one of the most extraordina
ry on record. 1t grants for nominal con-
sideration the exclusive and perpetual
right to the company to build hotels and
other structures for the convenience or
comfort of tourists, and compels the Unit
ed States army to drive out all intruders,
including sportsmen, Indians, traders and
all other persons save those who may con-
tribute to the Golfers of the hotel keepers.
Gov. Crosby, of Montana, alleges that it is
the intention of Hatch and his associates
to establish vast cattle enterprises
close to the park and secure I'M
limited forage and immunity from dis
turbances in their trespass by controlling
the park as hotel monopolies
The lease, he says, covers some 1000 acres,
embracing every object of interest to tour
lists, and the company mean to let their
cattle obtain free pasture over the remain
ing millions of acres. The scheme is
nothing more nor less than device for
permission to rob the public, and is in all
its details gigantic plan of extortion and
a perversion of the terms of the act dedi-
eating the park to the public use.
Gen. Sheridan, who passed a portion of
last summer in the park, made report to
the war department 2 short time ago pro-
testing in the strongest possible tsrms
against the lease of the park privileges to
the company in question or to any other
combination of capitalists. Senator Vest, of
Missouri, also called attention to the lease
upon the floor of the senate, and pointed
out its enormity. For these services the
legislature of Illinois passed joint resolu-
ton of thanks to both of the officials re-
ferred to. A copy of the same resolution
was offered in the Minnesota senate yester-
day, but its passage was anita gonized by
Senator j. B. Gilillan, who has, it is al
legged, a financial interest in the Hatch
company. It was laid over under the rule,
notice of debate having been given. There
should be, however, no doubt of its final
passage, Minnesota has more direct in
terest in the Yellowstone park than
ony other state in the Union,
for all the travel to and
from the park will pass through our state.
If the great national pleasure ground is
committed to the keeping of monopolists,
that travel will be greatly restricted, while
if it is left free to the world, people from
every section will flock to see its won
ders and to breathe its health-giving at
mosphere. The consummation of the
lease can yet be prevented, for it is the
opinion of eminent lawyers that it is ille-
gal, and can be set aside. Congress, at
any rate, has the power to abrogate it, and
whenever influences can be brought to
bear npon that body should be used both
by individuals and by the Legislatures of
the several states.