National Republican., 1883-02-27
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.
To The Editor.

on the Yellowstone Park company and the
action Of tho secretary of the interior in re-
gard to IL. / have no Interest in this enter
| prising company; but have the same inter-
est in the Yellowstone park which every citi-
zen should have, and no more-a strong de-
sire to see its curiosities preserved and its
game and timber protected. The plan that
best serves these ends is the plan l favor.
While was an officer Of the department had
supervisory charge Of matters pei eItaining to
the park, and / presume the interest thus
created has caused me to examine into the
question of protection to the park more
closely than otherwise would. Vandalism
within the park has been of yearly occur
renee. Its finest curiosities have been de-
] strOyed or injured, game has been necdlessly
slaughtered, timber has been burned through
careless fires-in fact, despite the watchful-
! ness of Supt. Norris, the work of destruction
has been carried on. The mcager appropria-
tions of congress for the care and manage
mcnt of the park have done but little TO Sc
cure protection. The presence of some re-
sponsibe parties having an interest in
caring for the park has long been q neces-
sity. But they were not forthcoming.
The secretary of the interior was
authorized to lease lands for hotel purposes,
but no responsibles parties put in an appear
ance. There are plenty ofapplicatons. Many
entire capital in the attempt to haul into the
| park the first load of building material. This
! has been the status of the lease question since
| 1872 until the formation Of the new company.
do not enjoy the personal acquaintance of
any of its members. While l might feel
! tempted TO criticise their business sagacity,
l cannot but praise the liberal proposition
| which they have made. They propose to do
I what no individual capitalist has thus far
been induced to do-invest q large amount of
money to provide suitable accommodations
for visitors to the park, and have obligated
themselves to share in the protection of its
matchless wonders. If what they agree TO is
[ carried out in good faith, and can see no
reason why IL should not be, they should re-
| ceivc q vote of thanks from congress, instead
of its opposition. If they are allowed to
carry out their plans they will not only con-
! venience the thousands who visit the park,
| but they will do more to protect IL from van
| dalism in one year than the usual congress
! SiOnal appropriations could in twenty years.
Admitting the worst that is represented in
! Senator Vests resolution, you will find that
some 1000 acres of the widest lands of Amer
ica are to be leased to n company for 50 per
| acre per year for the term Of ten years. In
other words, that the government is renting
/ its rocks and mountains for more money each
year than IL is getting for the fee simple
of its richest agricultural lands. At the end
! of ten years it would receive $4,000 for lands
that, aside from their euriositcs, would not
bring in the market the twentieth of this
amount. In addition to this, IL would
still own the lands, the rare curios-
ties would be preserved, and the gem
cral public, having enough money to roam
4 through this Switzerland of-Americ1, would
have had during the term of the lease first
class accommodations at prices fixed by the
government itself.
As the report said that the agreement
...N- 4
monopoly" | determined to fully understand
this formidable document. i read il care
fully. l weighed each article. l considered
its language, and then l arrived at this con-
clusion: If there was any monopoly in IL tho
largest share was controlled by the govern
ment, and the best portion of the balance was
likely to be absorbed by the public. The
to Acting Secretary Joslyn, whose signature
is appended to it.
On the part of the government it agrees to
lease certain lands TO the company permits il
to use such building material as may be
necessary, grants all the water that may be
needed for hotel and bath house purposes and
to run necessary machinery, agrees to allow
enough arabic land on which to raise vcge-
tables grain, and forage for the company's
use, and hedges about and restricts these
privileges with conditions, which, in effect
place everything under the discretionary
| power Ol lHe SeCIethry OF inc lHlbTlOT
On the part of the company IL agrees
to erect one principal hotel and such
auxiliary buildings as may be necessary
TO accommodate the public; provide such
stage and livery and guide accommodations rs
may be needed; place yacht, sail and row
boats on the waters of the park conform in
prices to n schedule fixed by the secretary OF
the interior; submit to his inspection and ap.
proval all plans and designs; erect and Oper.
ate telegraph lines, and transmit free all gov,
ernment business; establish such stores
or trading posts rs the secretary may
deem necessary; and last, but not
least to surrender all improvements
to the United States at the end of its term,
provided its lease is not removed, leaving the
question Of compensation to the action OF
congress. In consideration of good behavior
and general fidelity to the stipulations en-
tered into, the government agrees to give the
company the exclusive privilege of enjoying
what has been granted. This clause is about
equal to q guarantee that the lessee shall en-
joy TO himself what he has leased, yet the cry
of monopoly" has gone up from this harm
less and innocent clause, while the last pro
vision that no member Of or delegate to con
gress nor any officer agent, or employe o
the United States shall derive any benef
from the agreement has not as yet assumed
even the zephyr form of criticism or protest
q If the Yellowstone Park company can
stand the ironclad restrictions found in tn,
agreement and contract the public ought no
to complain. OF one thing | am reasonabl,
certain: If they are allowed to carry ou
their plans the visitors to the park will no
be among those who will protest. They vii
have reason to thank the secretary of the in
terror for his sagacity in exercising his au
thOrity in the direction of public profession
If he is not interfered with he will make i
possible to fix the responsibility o
, any imposition or vandalism within
the park upon responsible party, AM
? this of itself will give a sense o
, security to every visitor within its borders
, He is entitled to the highest credit for hi
1 actions thus far, and when all the facts con
nectcd with the Yellowstone transaction be
! come better known no act of his adminstra
| tion will be more warmly appreciated thar
| the one which secures proper comfort, con
e venience and security to the tourists VIII
: enter the garden of the gods in the matches
wonder land of the west. Respectfully,
: Late Assistant Secretary of the Interior.
A MINERS TRIBUTE TO SENATOR TABOR.
TO ne Editor.
Idle gossip, instigated by newspaper para
. graphs written upon mere conjecture an
without personal knowledge, has many time
: done great wrong to worthy people.
All men are not great. Some are bOrl
: great and others have greatness thrust upo
Z them and when an unknown man is shot lill