The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-22
THE NEW NORTHWEST.
Special Correspondence.

LIVINGSTON. NJ. r., Oct II, 1888.
Travelling little more than a hundred
miles from Billings 10 this lively town
one meets with constant succession of
genuine surprises. for here we are in the
famed Yellowstone Park, which may be
appropriately termed the Wonderland,
not only of America, but of the world.
As did not count them, take the word
of the tourist that there are ten thousand
hot springs within the confines of this
park, which covers an area of just 3, ,575
square miles. The park lies principally
in Wyoming territory, fragments of it be-
ing allotted to Montans and Idaho, and
here have been tlmbled together indis-
criminately caverns, canons, ravines,
lakes, rivers. creeks, forests and noun
tains whose sides present the most aston
ishing geologic specimens of natures
handiwork The objects of special inter
est, however, both to the tourist and the
naturalist, are centered about the Nam
moth Hot Springs of Gardinersrivcr and
upon its west bank. These springs are on
the side of White Mountain, extending in,
terraces that seem to have been laid out by
human hands a thousand feet about the
stream the side of each terrace present
ing the appearance of frozen cascade
from the white deposits issuing from the
upper series of springs. A perpetual
spring fifty feet in diameter. with water
so transparent that objects can be dis,
cerned at a depth of twenty feet, is a
handy thing to be had about ones house,
but when to this is added the advantage
OF obtaining the water at any temperature
from the boiling point down, it is pos
session that must be coveted by all who
affect cleanliness, health, and solid com
fort, to say nothing of it as the realization
of the dream of those who have sought
way to escape the ills of the washing dav.
Near these springs Uncle Rufus Hatch
has his new hotel, which promises to be
/ the resort of thousands who will Journey
here to witness scenes such as are not
presented elsewhere upon this planet of
onrs. A pathway well,worn leads from
the valley to the plateau to the dead level
table-land from which is presented a
view of three score of springs, each
throwing out its jets of boiling water and
steam, and below at the top of each sue.
ceeding terrace the same beautiful scene
is repeated. Avolume would be required
to describe picture that tires the eye
with its beauties and heats the imagina
| tion with feyerish anxiety lest the won
drous spectacle shall suddenly dissolve
and pass away.
But the geysers What can we do but
| imagine mighty cauldrOn away down in
the bowels the earth, whose contents
having no other means of escape have
worked their way between stratas of earth
and rock until they have reached the sur
face? And here they are vomiting FORTH
some of them at regular periodsand others
| when they feel like it, columns of mud
and columns of water alternately A few
slight spurts aud bubbles of the blue hot
water are the preliminary skirmish that
forecasts the eruption, and then with a
suddeDness that is horribly startling there
comes hiss like that of the escaping
| steam from the exhaust of a locomotive
and then a roar, and then the water OF
mud you can have your choice. The
kissing and the roaring continue for only
a few minutes and what was all commo-
tion down below moment ago has now
the silence of the grave.
Gibbon canon is one of the most de
lightful portions of the park and is al
ready the fayorite haunt of the tourist
who enters it through charming grove
that skirts the side of Gibbon river which
has to be crossed and recrossed many
times, for which trouble, however, the
traveller is rewarded with superb feasts OF
picturesque beauty the whole distance
The river here is confined in its passage
j through narrow gorge which is walled
by huge irregular boulders of dark coloret
stone, covered with moss At the Quite
of the gorge the river is divided, the waite
upon one side rushing over a ledge ans
, going down in cloud of foam, while the
other is spread translucently over the fan
tantastically piledup bouIders like thread
of lace. This is really one of the grea
wonders of this wonderful Wonderland,
the like of which is not to be seen in an,
land under the sun. Here is a distane,
of hundred feet of waterfall into a pro
digious basin upon one side of yer
narrow river, while with no perceptbl'
dividing obstacle, the waters part com
pany at the brink, one portion angry an
all in commotion, and the other peaceful
and bent on minding its own business
Out of the Gibbon Canon and ava
from the Gibbon River and its falls, W
emerge into the light of q sweeping viey
Of the Twin Buttes, and beyond them
peak after peak, the interminable chat