Telegram-herald., 1890-08-26
THE DEyIL'S TOWER
A Curious Natu-al Oos1sk Ia East
err Wyoming.
"A A~e-A AasRsriss N0aamsst of Nature :
Azaai~s rk-a8~ a. EzteFPristns L.
x1sk L4sy Intssas - Nae
Msaey ga - IL

TIE nes stats q Wyoming has be
cone famous zlrea1Y for lts natural
scenery, writes st. Louis Globe Demo
ersE correspondent from Dezdsood, ;
D. AosheTe oa she face af the globe
has nature displayed her mysterious
power With q more lagish hand than she
has here The greater portion of Wy
omlRg Is a rolliRg tsble-l4nd, With here
snA there a short, abrupt range of
mountains, or group Of hills rather, ris-
ing up car u an ulimitsble, ard and
treeless plain. The eastern portion
slopes away 70 the Black hills % South
Dakota, which form black wall along
the south half OF the eastern boundary
between Wyoming and South Dakota
II you stand on some one Of the highest
peaks Of the Black Hills, Mount Harney
for instance, you can see hall way across
the State OF Wyoming. and the only OBJ
strpction which meets your vision as you
gaze 70 the north and westward IS the
Devils Tower. or Bear Lodge, in tho
direction Of the Belle Fourche river.
The DEVILS Tower is 100 miles north
west from Mount Harney and 50 miles
west OF the Dakota line. II is in Crook
County. Wyo., 90 miles west OF Sundance
and about half mile from the Belle
+ Fourche. Except the remarkable
phenomena found in the Yellowstone
Park ip Northwestern Wyoming, there
are none that viii compare for grandeur
with this awe-inspiring monument OF
natures handiwork il Eastern Wyom-
ing. The Devils Tower" or Bear
Lodge" is said by geologists 20 be with
out precedent in basaltic crystalli,a-
tion. 1t is q natural obeiisk rising
sheer l, 900 feet above the banks Of the
Belle Fourche. II is 500 feet in diameter
at the base, tapering in a graceful con-
vex 20 a diameter of S75 feet az the top.
1t is composed OF thousands OF prisms
that extend unbroken from base 20 sum
nit. This continuity of the crystals is
the remarkable feature OF the mass, the
tendency of the trappe rock being to
+ fracture transversely in capitalization,
and weather away TO the appearance OF
stairs, as in the Giants Causeway,
/ Ireland. Prof. Newton says: Bear
/ Lodge, or DEVILS Tower, in its shape
and structure appears not 10 have
been repeated elsewhere by nature, but
stands alone, unique and mysterious.
IL occupies the place of a chimney
70 some subterranean furnace, which
overflowed with molten rock and, cool
/ ing crystallized downward. The sur
rounding walls of the chimney eroded
and left this mighty monument TO the
work of rystallization-that power
scarcely less mysterious than the force
/ OF life itself"
The land in the vicinity Of DEVILS
Tower is arid and fit only for grazing.
Some wheat is grown in the neighbor-
hood, oats and timothy and other small
/ grain, but crops are uncertain and
rarely ever amount 10 more than half
/ a crop. In view OF this fact, the peo-
4 pie Of Crook County were surprised by
+ the announcement a few days ago that
an English lady, one Miss Carlisle
Kent, had filed a presumption on tho
! 100 acres on which Devils Tower stands
in the land Office at Douglas, Wyo.
b. tacit consent OF the community it
| was intended that this land should re-
main public property. The filing was
kept a profound secret for some time,
the citizens having no intimation that
an attempt was being made to monopo-
lize their grand old tower, the pride Of
Eastern Wyoming, and hence, as the
fact has become generally known, an
indignant protest hes gone up from
overy part of the community at the au-
dacity Of this English woman. The
citizens are determined that this tower
shall become the private property of no
one. much less of foreigner, for 1t is
alleged that Miss Kent took out her
naturalization papers only a short time
ago for the express purpose Of filing on
this land.
Miss Kent's idea, 1t is alleged, was to
secure this ground and convert it into a
magnificent private park, rivalling tho
/ Yellowstone, and charge visitors an ad-
mittance fee. Although the fame OF
Devils Tower is chiefly local, visitors
come hundreds % miles to see it. and
tho number who come is increasing
every year. II is becoming an obiec: OF
interest. also, to scientists, some OF
whom have already visited the spot and
written about It, The advent OF rail
roads, making travel into this section
easier and speedier, will materially in
crease the number OF visitors going
thither.
Now that this matter Is before the
public, It is probable thata strong effort
will be made TO have Congress set apart
a tract Of land, including that on which
Devils Tower stands, as a National park,
similar 70 that on the Yellowstone. Al
area two miles in width By Eve miles in
lenghth would include Bear Lodge and
the Twin Buttes. on the Little Missouri
river and the Intervening landscape.
which. combined. forms natural park
without rival for grandeur and beauty
on the face Of the earth.
rrof~xsors.