Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-22
YELLOWSTONE PARK.
wANDERINGs OF A SACRAMENTO LADY
IN WONDERLAND.
Lack of Hotel Accommodatious-Fr
Cinnabar to Mammoth Spripgs-The
Scenery-Incidents of Travel.

| AoA u hoeei Accommooauons-FrO
Cinnabar to Mammoth springs-The
scenery-Incidents of Travel.
From an occasional correspondent of the sun
| DAY UNION.
LIVINGSTON, Mont, June 16, 1890.
In the general sense of the word we have
done" Yellowstone Park. We have used
up the five days allotted for the trip and
are now domiciled in our car, waiting for
the west bound train (which is two hours
late) to pick us up and take US on our way
This little Montana town seems to be thriy-
ing. Several buildings are in process of
| erection. The railroad runs right through
the town. We were treated to small
sized Barnum's circus last night. In wan
dering through the town we came across a
store wherein was mountain lioness, and
the owner OF the premises had trained her
to do tricks. He also had trained dog
who performed, and we were amused for
halt an hour watching the antics of the two
animals. Many ct the stores are open here
on Sunday and all of the saloons The
4
or not that is regular thing ON Sunday l
cannot say.
We reached here first last Tuesday. An
accommodation train runs from Livingston
down to Gnnabsr, primitive little log
cabin village on the outskirts of the park
While waiting for our stage to start up the
billy eightmiie drive, we amused ourselves
taking kodaks of various things that came
into view, including some redskins. So far
we have seen but few Indians, but no doubt
there will be numbers of them as we go
through Montana.
Going from Cinnabar to Mammoth Hot
Springs is not so many miles, but climbing
the mountains makes the drive long one
The entire Yellowstone trip is Just a sue
cesslon OF dusty stage rides. Approaching
the hotel at the Springs the idea that strikes
you is, what an uninviting looking place
The building is indefinite in width, and is
painted sickly yellow. The rooms are
not heated and consequently the atmosphere
savors of Greenland more than ANYTHING
else. We have found hotels to be minor
considerations through here-for we have
roushed 1t to such an extent we might al
most SIS well have been camping out At
the Hot Springs is a small amount of
| scenery that is well worth looking at. But
stones throw from the hotel are several
boiling springs flowing over succession of
beautifully tinted rocks called "Cleopatra's
Terrace There is substance found in
these springs that forms coating over any
thing it comes in contact with. There is, as
matter of course, the never falling curiosity
shop, where specimens of no value what
ever sell for exorbitant prices. Such is
the craze for souvenirs, people will have
them whether or no. Ten-penny nails fish
hooks, ETC., form the principal stock in
trade of the coated specimens. Just in
front of the hotel is great hole fenced in.
1t was at one time big geyser. but has
long since been extinct
Through this Yellowstone country are
several beautiful rivers and numbers of
falls and cascades. From Cinnabar to the
springs the road lies along the Gardner
river, turbulent wildly rushing stream
that somewhat resembles the Truckee
river in California, only the Gardner flows
more rapidly, and foams at times until it
seems more like a heavy surf than a run
ming stream.
Much of the scenery through here re-
minds one alternately of the Lake Tahoe
country and the scenery at Monterey.
From Mammoth Springs to Norris is
long, dusty ride of twenty-five miles. Nor
ris Geyser Basin is sort of halfway
house. so to speak. The different roads
branch out from Norris, and three days out
of FIVE tourists take dinner here. The next
move is on to Lover Geyser Basin, or Fire
Hole Station, and during this drive the
Fire Hole river is twice forded. Being
early in the season, the water is deep, and
as it flows swiftly we were al ways glad when
we landed safely on the other side This
was a "hold-your breath" sort of ride.
Sights and scenes through here have the
most horrible appellations. On the way to
n Gnx,en paosv, sptr aoI -
"Hell's Half Acre. Devils Kitchen"
'The Paint Pots" of his Satanic Majesty,
and numbers of others just as expressive
In spite of its outrageous name Fire
Hole Station proved quite an attractive
oasis in the desert. We made it our head
quarters while we took in the Geysers.
At Upper Geyser Basin really begins the
scenery of the National Park, for here are
spoutng sulphur springs and the big gey-
sers, while numbers of infantlle springs
dot the country round about; the great
curiosities are at the Upper Basin.
Here "Old Faithful spouts every sixty
five minutes, and throws a stream over
seventy feet into the air. "Old Faithful
| takes its name from the regularity of lis
playing. 1t can always be depended upon.
| The Castle" geyser steams out once every
| thirty hours, and goes to twice the hight
| of 'Old Faithful, and plays about half an
hour. The "Giantess'' plays once in four
| teen days and shakes the ground all around
about when she bursts forth. The most
wonderful of all the geysers is Excelsior"
| 1t is supposed TO play every seven years,
| and went Off 'ast in 1888. 1t is so fascin-
| ating to watch these wonderful freaks of
nature. The peculiar thing about these
geysers is the fact of their lying dormant
| during stated intervals and then bursting
| forth in all their glory. All along are
| many pools, or such brilliant emerald
and Sapphire coloIs as to be dszzlingly
| beautiful. These pools are usually very
small bat they are among the most attract
i've things to be seen.
| Undoubtedly the gem Of the National
Park is the Grand Canyon The truly
magnificent and awe-iDspiring sights are
here. The canyon is grandiloauent The
| high and rugged cliffs are grsndly pictur-
esque, rising to the most dazzling attitudes
| The different colorings of these giant rocks
are a sight to be bered-challenglLg
the rainbow in the variety of shades, it is
| indeed a panorama understandable. In
| studying these noble cliffs every color is dis
cernible except blue. Lavenders and pur
Piles abound. But, strange to say, there is
none of heavens own beautiful blue The
sulphur in some places seems to have IN.
delibly dyed the rocks, aud the rich yellow
shading is so lovely. 1t almost Fighters
one to look from the majestically high
rocks down into the narrow canyon. While
we were standing way out on Point Look
out the sun came out for about a minute,
and the effect on the falls and the canyon
was grand. The lower fall is $50 feet high,
and the upper fall is 1872 feet At the lower
fall the spray rises so high it is impossible
to see the whole length of the falls
| Yellowstone is a magnificent sight in