Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-19

Two Days Journey I'm the Great
National Park.
TRANSPORTATION By WAGON AND PoNY-FRE Ez-
ING AT NIGHT AND swELTERING AT NOON.


Correspondence New York Times.
UPPER GEYsER BASIN, Yellowstone National
Park, August 26.-Stting in the door Of q CON-
modious house tent, stretched across stout
timbered frame, your correspondent sees reach
Ing out to the right and left a semicrcle of
similar tents, 20 in number all shining in the
morning sunlight, while eager tourists are run
ming across the open space IN front to look at
the stream of hot water and steam which Old
Faithful. the pet geyser OF this wilderness of
geysers. Is beginning to toss high into the air
with tremendous hiss and roar. The party of
% which left Mammoth Hot Springs two days
ago has partly recovered from the fatigue Incl
dental to two stages of the journey through the
park. although there are some members
of it who rode on horseback who prefer stand
ing to sitting, and others who are re-
minded, by lame backs and sides,
of the unavoidable consequences of long rides
over stony and billy roads in not too easy
wagons. The start from the springs was de-
layed on Friday until noon. and the sun was
beating down holly when the Doctor who had
been put in charge of the first detachment of
Gr. Hatchs excursiOnists. rode Off at the head
of five mounts. including three 1ades-one the
wife of the London journalist the second the
daughter of Chicago physician, and the third
the wife of the Medical Purveyor of the Army
Two New York journalists, one a rider of expe-
rience and the other quite ignorant of the hab-
Its OF the 'bucking cayuse" completed the
mounted cavalcade. the rest of the procession
being made up of large covered wagon hold
Ing seven passengers lighter vehicle holding
three, and two others that each carried five per-
sons besides the drivers With the help of
double tOwng-teams the horses and wagons
were enabled to climb through the white dust
of the Hot Springs and to the top of Terrace
Mountain. the ascent of which begins within 100
yards of the hotel. So difficult were some of
the hills to mount that the gentlemen OF the
party and one lady who was an excellent pedes-
TRAN, got out and toiled on foot through the
dust and heat, from resting bench to bench,
until the top was reached. At one side of the
road, just at the ridge of the mountain, the
guide led the way to spring. from which every
body obtained a refreshing draught of soda and
sulphur water sparkling i'm its clearness. Once
over the mountain the road led down into a
valley. bounded on the west by foot hills that
lay in the shadows of the Quadrant Mountains
upon which the snow glistened in large patches,
while on the east, close to the road. were lofty
hills covered with grass and thinly sprinkled
with evergreens. In the bottoms. along the
frequent streams, the grass grew rank and
sulphury green, and there were pretty groves
OF dwarf willows, some knee-high through
which the road was cut and which gave to that
portion Of the valley the name of Willow
Park- Away at gallOp went the guides
and the mounts; sending clouds of
dust behind to find a lodging in the
and Indian creeks. which were made by fOrds
there was general halt, watering of horses,
and merry passing around of the guides tin
cups. The waters were cool and agree
able-a pleasing change from those at the
springs, which were not as good as found in the
hotel The roads, which were Indifferent at the
beginning of the journey, became poor as the
tourists proceeded, and soon after crossing
Indian creek they became positively bad
scarcely more than wide trail. not cleared of
CT n,,l ,tN Ii,
Ing of branch of Indian creek through the
erection OF dams by beavers, who had con-
structed their elaborate works in irregular lines
from side TO side of the valley holding the water
In pretty green-edged basins that occurred at
Intervals Tor more than mile. engaged atten-
ton until the party were under the Obsidian
Cliffs. These bold and impressive walls of
black glass-like rocks rise in ragged lines hun
dreds of feet above the road, and where they
have been cut down. to form bench upon
which the wagon road is constructed, the frag-
ments glisten like diamonds where they have
been crushed by heavy wheels. There was a
frantic wish to gather specimens of this black
glass. and when the journey was resumed the
horses were soon painting and struggling up the
White Hill. road along the side of mountain
covered with dead pines and cedars Frustrated
BY fires which had swept destructively through
the forests years ago. Trees of ten or fifteen
years growth shot up between the rOtting
trunks to give promise of renewal of the once
vigorous forest. The men of the party were
again out on the road, tOiling through the
ehalky dust. evidently the deposit of some
unseen sulphur springs, now at rest, that had
been beching forth their alkaline waters for an
unknown number of centuries. When the top
OF the hill was reached. and the pedestrians
turned to look to the west, they saw a magnifi-
cent view of distant mountains, rising blue and
family gray. with snow streaks along their tops
Mount Holmes towering highest of all directly
In front, while Bells Peak and the Quadrant
Mountains reared their cones and pyramids
further to the north. Again the road led into a
valley, past the Lake of the Woods a pretty
sheet encircled by dark pines and cedars, and
for time the riders on horseback and in wagons
were screened by frequent natural bowers of
branches.
The kind and thoughtful guide-book makers
prepared the tourists for the horrible stencil
that was presently waited under their nOstrils
and the eyes of those Of poorest sight soon dis
covered a number Of springs near at hand evil
IDENTIFY very strongly impregnated with sulphur
They dubbed up in the swampy soil, spreading
desolatiOn and thick layers Of calcareous deposit
over many acres Of land. Camps of government
surveyors, the station of one of the Presidents
special line of cOuriers, and the hating places
o. independent parties of tourists were passed
al sending up aromas of cooking meat and boil
Ing coffee upon the cool evening air to cause the
Hatch eXcursOnists to long for their own camp
and supper. brisk ride over a road along
broad meadow, with a fine pine forest rising
at its edge, brought the tourists. Just at
dusk. to the camp at Norris Geyser Basin
The half-dOzen house tents found here were
pitched on a grassy slope only a few hun
dred feet from the rapid Firehole creek
After dark the air became rapidly cool, and
those who had been warm but an hour before
La shirt sleeves and thin jackets were anxious
to put on thicker coats. and even OvercOats
were not burdensome and soon became neces-
sary. large party of Philadelphians who had
arrived earlier had already been
quartered in the tents. and the sleeping accom-
were soon exhausted. Eight per-
sons were appOrtioned to each tent with four
beds. and. after most of the ladies and the more
delicate gentlemen were provided for, two
ladies' and eight Orten gentlemen were assigned
to sleep on such soft spots on the floor Of the
dining-tent as they could select, without mat
tresses or pillows Your correspondent was
one OF the unfortunates to whose lot it fell to
ZEE one OF the sleepers on the ground. coarse
hemp carpet Is rot a soft mattress and it is not
always easy to find fluctuations in the ground
THAT Will exactly nit the lines Of the human
body Before the blazing campfire, around
when The guides and drivers had fingered to
tell stories OF frontier lfe had been deserted an
hour, ana the dining-tent had been well filed
with recumbent figures covered with blankets
three or four OF the largest men began to snore
pOrtentously. The temperature fell rapdly
and after few hours of shiverlng. broken rest
the .tenderfeet" of the party gave I'M the at
oia oh