Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-04
THE PARK In DANGER.

Under the above caption the Billings Ca
zette OF the LIST instant has the following
pointed and timely article which we repro
duce in it's entirety:
Senator Vest believes hat during next
session of Congress, a vigorous effort will
be made to do away With the National
| Park, which q number OF Congressman
| choose to consider a piece Of aesthetic non
sense. These men are Ofcourse. entirely igno-
rant OF the nature OF the country. believing
that the Park is of more value for grazing
and agriculture than for anything else. and
that it should be thrown open to settle
ment. This idea has been fcstered by the
efforts of a certain ring to secure right OF
way for a railroad through the Park, and
and the same ring will do al: they can next
December, to bring about the above result.
The railroad scheme is purely chimerical,
but if a continuance OF the struggle for the
| charter will have the effect OF opening the
Park to settlement, the members of the
ring will be satisfied, as well they may be.
They will then cover all the wonders with
pre-emption claims. and establish a system
of tolls that will soon earn for that region
a distinction once enjoyed by Niagara Falls
of being The Dearest Spot OF Earth
While Mr.. Vests fears may be considered
groundless, the mere suggestion of such an
outrage on the public, should put every
public spirited man aud every newspaper
on the alert. While the whole republican
fact the whole civilized world is interested
in the preservation of the Park intact,
Montana is particularly so. Her journal
lists should be fully alive not only to the
Importance of defending the Park from re-
d~uction, but also OF extending it's bound
aries to take in several basins that are the
winter feeding grounds OF large game. There
should be q free expression Of popular
opinion on this subject before it is too
late"
In regard to preserving the National
Park intact our Billings contemporary
voices the sentiments OF the people of
Montana. They have expressed no desire
either through tn, press or by public dem
~onstrations, for the opening of the Park
to settlement. And we venture to say
that if the people of the United States
were permitted to vote upon the PROPOSE
ton of throwing open that land of won
ders to settlement there would not be
found a thousand votes in it's favor. Why
open the Park to settlement? Its lands
are worthless for agricultural purposes
and it's area Of grazing grounds can scarce
ly meet the wants of the game in it's pre-
serves. If it is agricultural lands our Ma
tional law makers want they can find bet
ter by looking in another direction.
Montana has 20, 559, 900 acres locked up
in Indian reservations. These comprise
the best lands in the Territory. According
to the last census these reservations are
occupied by 19,SO1 Indians. By a~lloting
to each Indian, male and female, adult and
child, 16O acres there would be left 2G, $780, |
$40 acres, or homes of 16O acres each for
1874 ,943 families. There is q field for those
Congressman to work in whose hearts are
full of sympathy and love for the working
and who wish to find homes for him
and his suffering family.
On the other hand the National Park |
contains but 52S, 900 acres of land. These
lands are in the main rough and rugged
cut up by deep canyons which are separated
by towering mountains at thefoot Of which
or upon the plateaus at their base the
Almighty has placed the wonders of tire
world. What can a farmer do on such
and what business has a stockman
there? The average altitude of the Park is
6 1000 feet above sea level. Neither farmer
nor stockman can successfully contend
this barrier which nature has
erected around it's great master pieces of
Again no necessity exists for building a
railroad into the Park proper. Those who
visit that land of wonders wish to see it in
all its naturalness-just as it left the hands
of the Almighty, without the mark OF
mans tinkering upon it.. And thus it
remain. Let us have one little
spot in this great land OF onrs-one little
place within the 496, OOO,O 900 acres COM
prised in our country's boundaries where
the weary, the careworn, the sick and the
lnfrm can find a retreat, unpolluted by
the presence Of man racing and battling
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