St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-01
OUR NATIONAL PARK.
Who Is Responsible for Difficulties
Experienced by Tourists.

Who Is Responsible for Difficulties
experienced by Tourists.
Press dispatches few days ago an
nounced that complaints had been
made to the secretary of the interior
that Mr.. Wakefield. the superintendent
of transportation in the Yellowstone
park, was neglectful of the comfort of
tourists in his effort to save the stage
stock; but, like all other questions,
this seems to have another side to it.
n. P. Langford, of this city, has re-
Gently returned from an extended tour
through the park, and declares that
there is not word of truth in these
charges. Mr.. Langford was Snperin-
tendent of the park for five years before
the government had made any apprO-
priation for the construction OF roads,
He also resided in Montana from 1862
and 1876, and for fourteen years was
national bank examiner for all the ter
rItorles and Pacific states, and he has
probably travelled more miles on stage
coach than any man in the territories,
his Journeys by stage aggregating rs, 600
miles. He is perfectly familiar with all
the Inns" and "outs" of staging, and
the amount of work stage horses are
fSopoDiC VI LIS OplHlOuS OH
these matters are entitled to credit. Mr..
Langford says:
The stage line of the Park TRANSPORTATION
company is more completely equipped and
the service upon ii is better, than that of any
line OF equal or greater length that was ever
maintained in the Northwest; The far.
famed overland lines of Ben Holiday and
Wells, Fargo d Co. bore no comparison in
efficiency of service to that of the Park
transportation company. Every one famil-
lar with staging on the frontier knows that
the best stage horses cannot travel more
than fifteen to eighteen miles per day with
out season of rest. But the Park stage
horses are driven from Mammoth Hot Springs
to the Norris, lower and upper basins, and
over Mary S mountain to the grand canon,
and back to Mammoth Hot Springs, a dis
lance of 14S miles. in four days. being an
average OF thirty-seven miles per day, with
out change of horses. 1t is absurd to charge
that Mr.. Wakefield, superintendent OF trans
nortaf1on, is trying to save the stage stock, to
The neglect OF passengers. when he requires
NEVIS teams tne to perform Per such Jour
cruelty, require his teams to do more.
Complaint is made that passengers are
required to walk over Mary's mountain. Thi,
is not true. The road runs over this very
steep mountain, and ii is impossible for the
horses to draw a full coach up the mountain
and reach the Grand canon on schedule
time. Passengers. therefore, can elect to do
one of two things-either remain in the coach
destination too late for visit to the Grand
canon and falls the same day. or the male
passengers can walk up the steep mountain
Qess than mile and half and tighten the
coach, and by this means save valuable time
at the Grand canon. The stage company
does not require passengers to walk over
this mountain, but all who have any sym
pathy for the overworked horses do SO yolun-
tarily.
When you consider the low price charged
for the park trip from Livingston, the won
der is that the accommodations are as good
as they are. A round trip ticket from Liy-
ingston, including five and o1e-quarter days
board and lodging, is $40. This makes the
stage fare through the park nine cents per
mile which is less than three-fourths the or
binary fare charged by stage companies in
Montana and wyoming over routes not SO
well equipped. The rates fixed by the secre-
tary of the interior for transportation are
nearly double those actually chasged by the
stage company, the company voluntarily
making the reduction.
THE discomIortS now suffered by tourists
are properly chargeable to the niggardly
course of the United States government in
failing to make the necessary appropriations
for roads. more than to any other cause.
The coaches must run over such roads as the
government builds. The act of dedication
declares that it shall be a national pleas
uring ground, and the park Superintendent
is doing all i'll his power TO make it SUCH but
Is continually hampered for want of means.
"A half-million of dollars is needed at
once for the construction of better roads
and for other necessary Improvements; but,
unit il such mn appropriation shall be made,
let those who suffer discomfOrts cast the
blame where it properly belongs-upon the
United States government and not upon the
transportation or railroad companies. The
present appropriations are barely sufficient
TO keep the roads already made in repair.
New and better roads are greatly needed.
but the superintendent of the park cannot
make roads unless the government furnishes
the means for their pODStruCfi0n- and until
such roads are constructed, there viii be
found plenty of tourists who will place the
blame for discomforts in travelling where it
does not belong'