The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1889-08-31
An Open Letter,

menb Der Of the committee, j. A. Savage
being named from Park county.
An Open Letter,
BozEMaa, Mos'a., Aug. %, 1889.
G. l.. Henderson, Mammoth Hot Springs,
Wyoming:
M DEAR SIR; Knowing you to be
man who would not knowingly misrep-
resent or misstate facts, take the lib
erty OF addressing you on a matter that
has excited considerable press comment.
to-wit: The conduct of the military in
the Yellowstone National Park and in
my partlcaar & Gase and also to correct
subject. | read your letter to the Liv-
ingston ENrERPRIsE three weeks ago,
and now have before me the Helena
Herald of August q, SO, with your let
ter to it of August oath.
From this last letter it appears that
you and Captain Boutelle and few
tourists held an Indignation meeting on
the press of this territory and settled
the whole question, and | notice this
paragraph:
captain l,outeiie tlcn ..tormel them that on.
collected specimens, tilt :dc,;:ed tiiei4 u Tie
faces os the ,aen whose Gt. il Was 70 prevent
the mutiatan of ,,hiects u interest, ani it be-
cane theig tiut, n conformity With Article 10 of
rules and regulations OF the Park. to convey him
out or the Park.
This is q misstatement all the way
| through. / did not collect any speci-
mems that were a mutilation of objects
OF interest. Neither did faunt them
in the face of any person. I merely had
a pickle bottle full of pebbles from the
beach at Yellowstone Lake. They were
in my wagon with coats, camp stools,
hammock, etc, and Sergeant Edwards
| took them out Of the rear end of the
wagon before / or any of my family had
alighted. He began looking over my
things the moment he came to the
wagon. I demonstrated with him in a
kindly manner and asked him to leave
them alone and l would convince him
that they were not such natural curiosi
ties as were meant by the rules that he
should protect. | offered to report to
Captain Bomas or Boutelle and submit
to their decision. But he took them all
the same, and not content with that, he
came to where [ was camped in Il few
minutes and asked me if / had any more
specimens. | told him no. He had with
him soldier, and said he was going to
search my outfit and see, and right there
was where the trouble began. l indig-
nantly told him he would do nothing OF
the kind and that / had some rights
which he must respect. I Of course re-
/ fused to allow him to make such search
He then III an insolent and angry man
ner turned on his heel in military &?
whirl and said: I'll escort yen yell cut OF
the Park all right enough" l tried to
telephone the situation to the captain
but the wire was down. The next day
we had our escort O. as far as Norris
Geyser Basin, OF course that evening
there was considerable discussion at the
hotel and at my camp, contending that
| was removing no natural curlosities
within the meaning of the rules apd
regulations, Edwards going 50 far as to
contend that I could not take a piece OF
obsidian out OF the road, when | knew
personally that Wakefield's wagons were
| loaded with it every night and they were
exhibited at the Springs hotel in the
presence and with the full knowledge of
| the military, and he reported me to the
captain as having threatened to take
OtIle1 SpcClH1oH', Juoo AloAA OAiIso O<'1h vi
obsidian.
Now, Mr.. Henderson, I reported this
whole matter to Captain Boutelle by
| letter, which l now have. He referred
it to Bomas and both of them excused
Edwards, Bomas taking the whole of the
responsibility, and they claim that was
insolent and to blame for the whole
thing. I have no doubt but that if |
had submitted to heir rummaging over
my things and had put up with any
other indignities they might feel like
| heaping upon me, it would have been all
right. But because [ contended for my
rights they visited on me the highest
punishment and indignity known to
their rules. They added that my sister
had written her name on Old Faithful
formation. True, but she did it un-
think;ngly and Immediately apologized,
and it was at once rubbed out.
Now then, Captain Boutelle made the
above statement, knowing these facts.
Do you think it was fair:
| If they have no discretion, the mill
tary should not be clothed with such
power l am not the only camper who
has complained. The parties who camp
out invariably complain of bad treat
ment, and l believe that tourists by the
hotel route are better treated. They
are not SO long at a place; in fact not
long enough to form an Intelligent opin-
ion Of the conduct of the military. They
are more isolated and protected in their