The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-03-04
THE AMERICAN WONDERLAND.
A Trip from the BighOrn Valleys to the
National Park.

The valley of the Bighorn is sit |
uated in the Territory of Montana
and is said to equal if not suIpass
any on the continent for it's beauty |
of scenery and a awe inspiring gran
duer. The lofty foot hills of the
Rocky Mountain towns on either
side running parallel for miles till
they unite again in on tremendous
back bone, whose summit is lost in
the clouds, where it is robed per-
petually with a blanket of white
that has never yet been soiled by
the explorers or hunters tread.
Game of every kind abound in
the hills, valleys and plains. The
traveller going north from this
lovely valley on horseback, for the
first two days after crossing the
foothills, is moving on an almost
unbroken surface or table land;
rich with wild flowers and fine
grasses which gives an indescriba-
BILE charm to everything as evening
draws near. The sunset tinting the
whole western sky with all the va
rigated colors of the rainbow.
On the third day he strikes the
bad lands which changes the piano.
rama so completely that one is in
clined to believe he has, through
ledgerdermain been transferred to
the great desert of Saharah. Veg
citation of every kind has disap-
peared, nothing now meets the eye.
Barrenness reigns supreme for fifty
miles. The earth is thrown up in
every conceivable shape represent
ing ruined cities and decayed cas-
ties. All the destruction of anti
guilty seem to be here conscenJra-
ted, bottomless chasms, and deep ra-
vines on every side. The familiar
prairie dog has even refused TO in
habit this desolation of alkili and
sand. A great many of the mounds
In this place show plainly they had
at one time been of volcanic origin,
but it must have been ages since
eruptions In any OF them occurred,
for the craters of all are closed and
it is impossible to determine when
the last lava contributed towards
the formation of the bad lands was
vomited forth. After leaving this
fantastic spot hope teammates the
wearied traveller, for while labori-
Ously making six or eight miles a
day through this chopped up dis
trict his heart almost fails. He is
glad enough to emerge from the al
most waterless desert to again view
the broak, rolling prairie. Nothing
is more inviting to q thirsty man
than the appearance of clear cold
steam, thing not met with every
day in the far west. The scenery
from the bad land to the park is
about the same as is 80 be seen on
ali prairie land, level, rolling and
green, except an occasional column
of sand stone that is to be seen ris-
ing perpendicularly out of the plain
to the height of thirty or forty feet.
In the immediate vicinity of the
great geyser field the impression
made on the rider is not altogeth-
er pleasing. The sound of the
horses hoofs convey the idea of a
very thin surface crust and he ex-
poets any moment 10 disappear
from sight, though his fears are
groundless, for it is just as safe as
any part of the country. No one
has ever been known to be lost by
the breaking of the apparently thin
crust that surrounds the park on
every side. Within the limits of
this wonderful spot all Is bewllder-
ing and amazing. The first sight
that meets the eye is the monster
geyse called the giant. 1t is in
constant motion, throwing a col
umn of hot water to the height of
forty feet. The basin from which
this fountain is playing Is thirty
seven feet in circumference and is
as smooth as any chiseled by sculp-
ter. On the inside next in rank is
the giantess which pours up her
volume of scaldiDg liquid every six
ty minutes without the variation of
the tenth of second.
The crystilization springs are
numerous and perhaps as worthy of
note as any in the wonderland.
They boil in their basins, never
rising above the surface and only
appearing every two hours. Any
material thrown into these hot
wells will sink out of sight, to re-
turn at the expiration Of two hours;
their appearance will be then mag
nificent, glittering in the sunlight
as if stepped in diamond dust; stiff
and clean as if they had just re-
turned from a laundry in the me-
tropolls of China. There are hun
dreds of hot and cold springs to
which names have been given.
The sportsman or angler can stand
at stream, catch fish and without
removing it from his line or stirring
from his ira cks can cook it if likes.
Deer and antelope are also very
plentiful in this beautiful place.
Time never hangs on any one
who has developed a propensity
for sport, no matter how small.
There also the naturalist can find
plenty to occupy his mind, agales
of every kind are in abundance.
Fertilization takes place very quick
in the waters of the park. Stone
with perfect images are picked up,
leaves being the impression gener-
ally retained on them. The devils
paint pots are quite an interesting
study; they are a dozen in mum Der
and all contain a different color,
which are constantly bubbliug as if
stirred by invisible hands. In
close proximity to the paints is to
be found a well of liquid that re-
sembles oil very much, so, should
his satanic majesty conclude to
take the contract of painting the
world, he will find an inexhausta-
BILE supply of material ready for use
in this spot, which, if a description
was given by an able pen would be
classed as one of the sever wonders
and the greatest of them. The
leaning tower of Pisa or the cata-
L q n