The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1884-12-06

Babe released from his leading string,
and away we went through parks, can
yOns, basins, and over mountains until
1880 p. IN. we descended from the sum-
NIT of the Firehole river range. and
saw the lights blending invitingly from
the windows of the Firehole hotel. Mr..
Henderson and the Babe had got in
some half hour ahead of us, and Mrs.
Henderson met us with a smiling face
and a hearty welcome. We sat down to
a supper that would have satisfied a
London alderman or German empe-
ror. Our first days drive of 40 miles
over the mountains was equal to to
miles on the level roads Of the MlSSlS-
sippi valley. On the morning OF the
18th our party, with Geo. w. Marshall
as pilot, started on foot to see several
basins to the south Of his hotel, which
has been seldom seen and never des-
cribed. l ought to state that Mr. Mar
shall is an enthusiast on all matters re-
lating to the Park and it's innumera-
BILE objects of in terest and but
for his guidance, what l am
about to describe would be terra in
cognita to me and to others. now un-
derstand one Of the secrets oS his ropu-
larity with tourists. He knows Ns' ere
everything of interest is to be found
without loss of time. He adds to the
enchantment of these wonders by the
earnestness Of his admiration and the
eagerness with which he seeks to en-
thuse others. He has also the good
sense to keep the most beautiful hooks
and basins hidden from the vandal ana
the specimen fiend who is continually
seeking that he might destroy. Going
south and up the Firehole river we
came to Etfervescent spring close by the
river. When a stick is thrust into the
spring anywhere it Immediately effer-
vesces like champagne when it sparkles
and froths on being poured into glass.
The walls are light, beautiful blue
and the rim is a solid border of silica.
About 800 yards south Of the Efferves-
cent spring we entered the first Of the
four Chemical Basins, similar to what
has been called Paint Pots in other parts
of the Park. The first Chemical Basin
contains large number of bowls filled
with paint of every hue and all degrees
of consistency from the liquid that
splashes to the mush that slowly and
heavily bubbles as the liquid becomes
exhausted. In nearly all OF the bowls
we found every shade OF green that in
dicates the presence Of arsenic; also
sulphur in large quantities, and when
these minerals blended the colors were
beautiful beyond description. The
fourth and last of these Chemical Ba.
sins attracted the special attention OF
Baron F. II. Won Lindern, OF Amster-
dam, Holland, who visited the National
Park in October, 1884, to such a degree
that Mr.. G. W. Marshall, by permission
of Superintendent r. E. Carpenter, gave
it the name of Lindern's Basin, and the
largest bowl at the head of the Basin
Lindern's Flower Pot. This bowl con-
tains rich cream-colored paste of the
consistency of half-churned butter
This immense mass of boiling mush
extending over an area of 30 feet in cir
cumference is literally covered with
tlower-shaped bubbles Of every conceiv-
able form-morning glories, lilies, roses
sunfowers, bluebells succeed each 9th
er like the infinitely varied forms in the
Kaleidoscope. An instant the rose ap-
pears in full bloom, and then the modest
lilly becomes tempting strawberry, a
tiny buttercup, ripe orange, or the
dimple on maiden's cheek, all this
phantasmagoria occurs without haste
and yet without delay. About 200 yards
southwest of Lindern's Basin we came
to Microcosm Basin, which to us was
the most wonderfully beautiful spot we
had seen and in so small space, the
circumference being only 12O yards
AS the name implies it is a world in
miniature. Here could be seen rivers
lakes, oceans, forests and mountains
active and extinct volcanoes. Some OF
these mountain peaks were simply
vents, emitting dense columns Of steam
and putting like steam engine going
up heavy grade with train of cars
others were, during eruption, belchine
forth lava which in heavy masses ran
down the slope of the mountain sides
filling the valleys among the foothills
to overflowing. Etna, Hecla, Vesuvi
us, Cotopaxi, ETC., resembling these vol
canos in form. The Bulldog and the
Cannon Ball were peculiarly interesting
the sides Of the former would slowly
move and open like the jaws Of bull
dog, then belch forth it's lava and sud
denly close with snap like the closing
of trap. This performance was re
peated eight or ten times during erup
tion. The latter pointed pyramid
while in activity, threw out balls o.
thick mud to the height of several feet
at intervals of few seconds, a dozen o.
more charges were thus fired, each ont
accompanied with dull thud. Grea'
underground rumblings were heard an(
terrible earthquakes shook the thi1
crust, which broke under us in severa