The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-05
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK jon.
How the Railroad Project Has Repeated,
BIocked Legislation.

! How the RAILROAD Project Has Rene ated
Blocked Legislation.
WASHINGTON, May4.--Whilc the opposition
OF the public press may defeat tho proposal to
run fifty miles OF railroad across the Yellow.
stone National Park. this should not 10 the ord
ofthe matter. Congress should also act PROMPT.
ly for the maintenance and improvement oftbe
Park. Secretary Noble in his last annual re.
port declared that the condition Of the re,er.
walton was actually dangerous from its lack Of
means for tho adequate punishment Of crime.
Considering the large number OF visitors who An.
nuAy resort to tho Park, there has su far beenAr
mark ably small amount OF crime Of any grade report,d
but It is certainly very dangerous experiment 10 leave
30 large scope of country with some and an
increasingly larger traDsitory ppulaton OF from nD
TO iuOJO people without any legal protection FOR lfa
limb or property, and without tile means of nupI,h
ment for the most dAstardly crime.
This strange condition Of things arises from
the fact that the laws passed eighteen years
ago. putting the Park under the con troll of the
Secretary of the Interior, provided no suitable
system Of jurisdiction for it. Year before last
a startling illustration Of this lack occurred.
rotary Villas;
Itmst present doubtful whe,her there DO judicial
iHR ana ID, the perl OF ,ns condition demands early
ATase coach occurred within limits during the past
SSsF S so the au G "e? Gf9 %n and u iurpSa
iSSsi.diSon 70 EamsH , ne oas4Gs; committed
SsSsgtsd PEA , OF S Of larceny and ne PARTIES
fSnes only although he much snsf onaty for Sis It
wy dGHSS s s III of q Fqh s s
Congress Which was trained With tie apProasl Of my
fs3 t S. e. sSod 'H S.t
ing the next session II may become II law.
The Territory Of Wyoming six years ago
through an a., TO protect and preserve tho
rnriugitiaA tl,. IN ~ in
serving the rights Of The nitoi states S thereir."
This statute made tho portion OF the Park In
vided for voting precincts and Tor the election
OF justices Of the, Peace and constahles. and,
over this part o. Uintah county, while it also
ddeclaied that the rules and regulations OF tho
OF law. It then proceeded TO establish a jai in
the Park, and TO provide that the eXpenses Of
all criminal prosecutions and the salaries Of
tho Justices OF the Ponce and cOnstables should
the fines assessed against offenders should be
lion OF the Park was particularly shown In the
following stringent section:
That it shall ! DO unlaTfgl for any person whether
part portion or Particle OF tho natural ouriosities
roc me
Be @
Der or any other thing not 0neSm OF curiosity or q
lark for S purposes Of t.si or house build
and regulations Of the secretary OF the Interior and
any person offending shall be guilty of misdemean.
and shs on sonvic,ion Thereof be punished by ane
Jail not exceeding six months.
Unfortunately this we-meant act did more
harm than good nasmuch as the sweeping
provisions for removing even n particle OF
earth or grass. or the most trivial pebble. 40
the risk OF imprisonment, proved most annoy
arrests were made under the act, and - 1t soon
became evident that Its tendency was to de-
tionai Park was. established. Instead OF a
pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment
Of the s9ps Il 0% Esy to &c
trary arrest and serious annoyances for the
most ordinary and innocent actions" AZ
have been made withou sufficient cause, or
justification" aroused ppblic inclination
right Wyoming Territory had to make laws for
a reservation expressly put under the sole
repeal OF tho act OF 1884, Just two years and
four days after its ENACTMENT.
Cart, Moses Harris, with his troop Of the First
reached Mammoth Hot Springs. in AuGust
1889 and he was NOT long in discoyerinF ne
port rt thus described '''' ''''N''' "'''N'- 80
The Of Su side 4, ns
he hn e of IL sd sats
.5 in plight Pns Nh .hl% before
Import beyond tho rules and regulations Of the DO.
hs as ' ss . snS n
outlaws and vagabonds from tho surrounding region
made the national pleasure ground place Of refuge
The hotels were frequented by gamblers and "a.
enturerA who preyel upon the uuwary tourist while
crest fires originating mysterously In remote and
inaccessible places ragged unchecked.
1t was this state Of things which produced
he bin OF Senator Vest. making adequate pro-
'lsons both for jurisdiction In the Park and q
more accurate definition Of it boundaries. The
merits OF this bill are ACKNOWLEDGE yet hith-
'r,o It has failed TO become lay solely In con-
sequence Of this determined railway lob,
which Is uniformly added 10 1t by the Public
.ands Committee of the House. The Vest bill
las, passed the senate three times receiving
Iouso At that time rejected the inveriabio
abroad amendment and by large majority
,Rssed the bin substantially as II cAme from
he Senate. But the session WAS then 30 nearly
lded that it failed to become law.