Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-10-17
THE NATIONAL PARK.
WONDERLAND'S WORLD OF
WONDERS.
An Article Descriptive of the Various
Objects of Interest Found in the
Yellowstone National Park.
By THos. ". MURPHY.

wkIrTES FOR THE TRIBUNE.
The Beehive, and all steaming fountains
find
Their mineral stones, kindled with inbred
gushing wind.
As torn with inward commissions, and up
rising surge,
Will incite the rage, and violently ther
submerge;
The boom! boom! of steam valves are
heard all round,
AS the crystalline inundate over-spreads
the ground.
Just across the creek from the Bee
hive can be seen the crater Of Old
Faithful, the most noted of all geys-
ers, and only one upon which you can
rely, as the others have never been
taught the first rudiments of punctu-
ality, which cause spectators to give
vent to expostulations of the most
irksome agitations. Every sixty sec
onds, as regular the striking of a
clock, Old Faithful has an eruption,
throwing stream of water four feet
in diameter to the height of 22S feet,
and allowing it to fall in a graceful
arc, which ends in glistening sun
shower, received in numberless basins,
porcelain-lined and of every possible
tint. Large inducements are offered
b. Old Faithful to tourists whose
clothes have become dust-stained by
travel, to have them cleaned. A per-
son can throw his washing into the
crater, ten or fifteen seconds before it
is time for an eruption, and the first
belch will send your clothes out as
clean as though they had been passed
through steam laundry. | was in
formed by an old-timer of the place,
however, that a second insertion would
deliver my garments at camp, all
starched and ironed, but I didn't
want mine starched or ironed. But
a reasonable person would hardly ex-
pect to get SO mach kindness bestow
ed upon him, without offering a small
compensation in return, and | pre-
sumo Old Faithful was sensitive to
these feelings, for he would occasion
ally retain garment for the wash
bill, which see no harm in whatever,
for every person is supposed to pay
small wash bill. Unluckily, though,
for one of our party, who had the mis-
fortune to get his pants creased, and
thought he would take advantage of
the glowing opportunity of getting
them washed. He accordingly bor-
rowed a pair to wear in the meantime
and hastily gave his to the craving
thirst and bottomless depths of the
geysers. If Old Faithful ever held
out garment for a wash bill, it was
sure to be the last pair of pants a
person had in the world, for he never
saw his again.
The Park was literally crowded
with tourists from all parts of the
world, and every nationality. Camps
and camp fires could be seen on a dark
night in every direction. When the
indicator of one of the most promi-
nent was seen at work, by some one
camped near by, the alarm would be
given and almost instantly the scene
would be crowded with spectators, in
the height of animation and wonder
ing admiration. Occasionally of an
evening We would build a big bonfire
near the crater of a geyser that was
expected to have a hemmorhage in
the fore part of the night, and by the
flashing fire light watch its silvery
spray ascend from light into darkness,
endeavoring to reach the
twinkling stars above; thence return
to the earth, and fall with the dexter
ity of a June rain. 1t was under these
pleasing circumstances that we wit
messed the Giantess. She has a era
ter ten by twelve feet in diameter,
belching such volume as doubtless
equals that Of that of the Firehole
river, which is Is feet wide and two
feet deep. There is dismal groan, a
tremor, dense volumes of steam, a
rolling and clashing Of unseen waves,
and deafening boom, as gigantic
body of water is hurled towards the
sky, its ethereal jet reaching 256 feet
above the earth.
One of tho leading amusements for
a western person is to note the differ
ent styles Of dress in which eastern
people indulge. Some of them look
ed more like travelling arsenal, or
branch of the Apache Indians out on
a horse stealing expedition, than they
did good abiding citizens Of the
east. If anyone who reads this ar
ticle, should have desire to visit the
Park, / hope they will profit by my
experience, and feel as much at home
as though they were holding their old
family rocking chair, and they make