The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1885-07-18
LOWER GEYSER BASIN.
A Glance at the Unfrequented Wonders Of
That Region.

EIREIiOLE HOTEL, \ ELLOWSTONE
PARK, June s, 1S85.-The great summer
. waves begin to flow into the National
l Park. These waves carry on their crest
0 ed tops visitors from many states, home
: and foreign. find on the FirehOle Ho-
tel register % names for last evening
. and 36 booked for tonight. This hotel
can now provide comfortably for 80
people and the prOprietors are construct
ing cottages as fast as possible to double
the capacity. James II. Dean is clerk
and has the faculty in an eminent de-
gree of making everything snug and
homelike. Visitors are so courteOusly
treated and Hospitality entertained that
they arrive with pleasure and leave with
regret.
In company with W. II. Fuller OF
Minneapolis and Mr.. I. L. Brown OF
Dakota revisited much Of the ground
described in the manual recently pub
lished at your office. We found Oscar
Swanson camped mile south OF the
Firehole hotel. He is opening a new
road starting at the FirehOle hotel, run
ming thence south to Hell's Half Acre.
When we entered upon this new road
Mr.. Fuller remarked that zone could
easily see that an old railroader was
foreman on this work" This road is
but a short distance from Baron Lin
dren's Garden where the flowers are in
perpetual bloom, but where no specimen
hunter dare pluck single flower from
among the millions that blossom and
perish every hour. Near this floral
paint pot is the equally famous Micro
cosm Basin with it's miniature noun
tains from whose volcanic centres there
ascend white lava and clouds Of steam
without a moments cessation, also
the Nimbus spring, the Skull Geyser
and host of other wonders too numer-
Gus to mention. We also visited the
the famous Thanatopsis spring, the
Fountain and Mammoth Geysers, neith-
er Of which we saw in eruption. We
passed the Parlor Basin which contains
the Venus Geyser and its satellite steam
assistant, both of which are most re-
markable whether in action or in repOse,
also the Mirror, the Necklace, the Dia-
mond, the Mystery and numerous other
beautiful springs. Crossing Ebony creek
whose black, inky water runs over a
corallike growth much resembling the
lava of Vesuvius we halted at Othello
Fountain where Mr.. Brown and myself
indulged in a luxurious hot bath. We
were the first, SO far as l know, who
undertook to explore this beautiful lake.
We were surprised to find it's walls lined
to depth of several feet with soft
jelly-like substance that answered ad-
mirably for soap. In the middle of the
lake we found no bottom as far down
as we dared to dive. Could some one
secure lease Of this fountain and clean
it out, prepare bath houses, furnish bath
ing suits and make it an attractive wa
tering place it would add greatly to the
pleasure of visit to the Ebony Basin.
The charges for bathing being under
government supervision no extOrtiOn
or exclusive prices would be allowed.
We went up the north shore of Wal
purgia Lake as far as the Marguerite
and Champagne Geysers. The Faust is
still further up the Basin and Mr.. Full
er had time to visit it while Mr.. Brown
and myself were luXuriating in Othello's
Fountain. These three great geysers
are always in action. In winter they fill
the whole basin with vapor and keep
Walpurgia Lake seething hot from its
upper to it's lower end. We crossed
neck of timber land in southerly di-
rection until we entered the Mammoth
Geyser Basin near Sepulchre Spring, in
going down which we passed many
wonders among which were the Blister
ed Terraces, the Fury, the Fiend and
the Fairy, whose names indicate their
characters. The Seraph held for some
time on her most bewitching and beau
tiful terraces. We were unanimous in
the opinion that this was the most beau
tiful of all the wonders we had seen
that day. Her terraces are one blaze of
glory. Titan alone, of all the great
colorists, could have even attempted to
reproduce it. When we find an artist
who can copy the Seraph Terraces in
even the faintest degree he will be rec
OgniZed as the one man who can ''hOld
the mirror up to nature" The Man,
moth Geyser is near the Seraph and is
but seldom visited as there is no well
marked bride path to either. We at
tempted to cross the Basin on foot by
way of the Hecla Geyser in order to es-
cape a threatening thunder storm. We
found it very dangerous as in many
places we broke through the soft putty
up to the knees. However, by follow
ing the creek bottoms in which we al
ways found good, hard ground and the
most elevated ridges, we managed to
reach the Fountain Geyser safely. We
looked as if we had been wading up to
the knees in plaster Of paris putty, but
were glad to escape with wet feet and
tired limbs. We shall not soon forget
our pedestrian tour over the Lower
Geyser Basin. G. l.. HENDERSON.
Canadian Indians.
On the 10th inst. Gen. Terry telegraph