Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-09-05
NO. Al
IN THE YELLOWSTONE.
President Arthur Arrives Safely
at the National Park.

UPPER GEYsER BASIN Yellowstone
National Park, August 24.-At l
O'Clock to day, after dusty march of
twenty-six miles over rough trail, the
President and party arrived in the Up
per Geyser Basin of the National Park,
and went into camp near an old, faith
full geyser, who greeted the travellers a
few minutes after dismounting with
one of his hourly eruptions. All were
very tired and hungry, and the exhibi-
ton, that seemed specially to greet the
Chief Magistrate, could induce but few
of the party to abandon the lunch and
rush to point for observations of the
display.
The afternoon was devoted to rest
ing, bathing and overhauling the outfit,
and little attention was paid to the
geysers beyond those in the immediate
vicinity of the camp. All the travel
ers were impressed with the wonders
surrounding them, and tomorrow will,
no doubt, prove day of interest and
pleasure.
After their ride on horseback of $50
miles, every member of the expedition
is in the Dest of health, and not an ac-
cident of the slightest character has
occurred on the whole journey to mar
its pleasure.
The white frost was still thick on
the blades of grass and leaves of the
shrubs, glistening in the morning sun
light like diamond dust, and the mists
and vapors rested close to the surface
of the river as the presidential party
mounted at 6.45 last Thursday morning
and started out for the days march.
The night had been the coolest the
party has yet experienced, the ther-
mometer marking twenty degrees at 6
A. NJ, and in the mess tent the water
which had been served out few mo-
ments before the party sat down to
breakfast, formed network of ice on
the under surface of the glasses.
The trail was very crooked and bad
over low range of mountains covered
with pine forests. At intervals, open
grassy parks were found, but most of
them were only few acres in area.
About twelve miles out the party came
upon the lower falls of the Lewis, or
Lake Fork, u dark, gray gorge cut
through solid walls of volcanic rock, its
sides being nearly perpendicular. Five
miles further on the party went into
camp in a lovely open park at the
North end of the Lewis Lake, the only
spot on the shore line which is not
| densely timbered. The camp was
named Logan, in honor of the Senator,
who was to have been one Of the party,
and whose unavoidable absence has
been regretted by all encamped at the
beautiful spot.
The tents look out on this beautiful
sheet of water, and the sound of the
swirl of the waves on the beach mingled
pleasantly with its twin sisters, the
sound of the soughing of the wind in
the trees near by. Along the line of
march on Thursday, were seen large
quantities of Indian tea, a diminutive
species of evergreen whortleberries, five
to ten inches high, found only in tim
ber and at an altitude of from 5000 to
10000 feet. The Indians are fond of
the tea made from the dried leaves and
stems of this plant, and it is said by
those who have drank it that it forms
a pleasant substitute for our own.
The day before Wednesday, the
party remained at Camp Strong, the
surroundings of which are worthy of
more than passing notice, grassy bot
tom encompassed by mountains clad
with evergreen trees of all sizes, from
the young Seeding up to mature age,
scrttered singly, grouped in clusters,
or massed into dark forests. The tents
were pitched on the banks of the Snake
River, which here possesses all the at
tributes of frst-class trout stream,
clear, pure water drippling over pebbly
bottoms, with here and there swift cur
rents, eddies and deep holes.
Looking back over the course from
Fort Washakie, where the party first
mounted their horses and abandoned
wheeled vehicles and took the Indian
trail, which has led through fertile val
Ieys, across the Bad Lands and over
rugged mountains, there are many
memories which linger pleasantly in the
minds of every member of the party.
The hail storm at Camp Crosby, the
dust which sifted in The tents at Camp
Tenton, the trail across the fallen tim
bers are forgotten in the pleasant asso-
Citations of the rest of the journey.
Located in bend of the Gros Ven
tire River, from the crest of which the
trail led, looking down on it, the trav-
eIers obtained their first good view of
the royal Tetons, or Titans, as they
should be called To the West was
forest of pine and spruce mantling the
mountain, to the South and East clay
and sandstone rising high in the sky
and rich red from its iron coloring,
masked, here and there, by green
foliage. The short, thick grass of the
little valley furnished splendid grazing
for the animals, and the trout within
twenty feet of the tent, made the I'M
mediate surroundings most attractive.
Then tie Titan Basin, large as the
State of Rhode Island, and covered at
this time of the year with nutritious
grasses, and profuse in evidence of be-
ing the winter grazing ground of deer,
antelope and elk. The near future
must practically determine its value for
stock purposes. Then Jackson's Lake,
as seen from crest of high lluff on
the line of march, a gigantic sapphire,
its surface fretted and blown into white
caps bv the winds which swept down
over Mount Moran, and, moaning, lost
themselves in the gloomy forests be-
yonnd. The scenery along the route
will furnish pleasant memories in the
wears to come Enough game has been
killed to satisfy the wants Of the party.
Thursday we entered the precincts of
the Park, and the buffalo and elk can
look at US with perfect safety, for Gen.
| Sheridan has piven strict orders that