The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-09
PRESERVING THE PARK.
The Military Policing OF In Nations
Pleasure Resort to be Kept IN.

Tho Military Policing OF tho National
Pleasure Resort to be Kept up.
WARRINGTON. Feb. S.-The assignment Of
Capt. George 8. Anderson, with Troop j,
Sixth cavalry, to station duty at Camp
Sheridan, in the Yellowstone national park,
relieving Capt. F. A. Boutelle, command
ing Troop X, First cavalry. gives assurance
that the military policing of this noble
public pleasure ground, which has been
very effective for the last four and q hall
years, will be continued. The importance
of adequate protection for this great park
becomes more manifest with each succeed
ing season. 1t contains no less than 3,4OO
square miles. OF this extensive area more
than four-ffths is timbered, and largely
with giant trees, while within it are the
headwaters of the Yellowstone and Of the
Madison. one of the sources of the Mis-
souri,. The preservation of the park
forests not only concerns its own
majestic scenery and waterfalls, but
the irrigation of fields far distant. Yet. in
spite Of the vigilance Of the superintend dent.
Capt. Boutelle, seventy fires occurred in the
forests during the year on which he re-
ports. One, supposed to be caused by
lightning. could not be controlled. and
burned itself out; a second, starting out
SIDE the park, swept across the borders: a
third, the fruit of gross careIessnes9 Was
terribly disastrous. The soldiers were at
work night and day in ~endeavoring to check
these fires, and undoubtedly were of great
ravages. As this pleasure ground and its
nelghborhood are more and more visited.
the dangers from fires and other ipiuries
increase. As an Offset the military guard now
carefully instructsa all camping parties Vow
TO make and e%xtinguish fires, 50 thai the
peril from this source may not really = AZ
great as when the park was under les4p ads.
quate management with fewer visitors.
The chief change recommended by Capt.
Boutelle IS that camps should be permitted
only on well-defned areas, and that two
water tanks should be supplied, and draught
tanks to any fire that may break out. Most
visitors show their sense of personal enioy-
ment and patriotic pride by conforming to |
the rules.
The amin, life also requires watchful.
ness from ITS military guardians. Yellow
stone park has already become a great ami
NAL garden, the like Of which. in some par
%tlculars, exists nowhere else on the globe. |
Thousands of elk are to be seen in the val
leys during the winter; in summer the flies
drive them to the highest elevations,
where they are screened from the
y VI Aotbh 1t A. ldbLlcbSEB OF C00
mountains the buffaloes are multiplying. 80
that probably more of these animals are
within this preserve than in all the rest of
the continent which they once tenanted by |
millions. Yet both they and the elk and
the deer are exposed to one peril in the in
eral prohibition that no animals shall be
killed in tine park. II has been suggested
that the military force might keep down the |
numbers of the carnivorous animals bryan
turing sonieaof them and sending thsfn to |
geological gardens in various parts of the
country. Capt. Boutelle also thinks tfnat a |
herd of elk might be fenced in at Sylvan
lake and one of buffalo at Hayden valley,
for the editication of summer y%isitorsii who
see nothing of these animals. ~
front are multiplying in Yellowstone
Park SO that in two or three wears there
will be fine fishing everywhere. Thraelc car
loads of them were put into ShoshoneS sand
Lewis lakes and the Fire Hole a few months
ago, and seven thousand young trout had
previously been put into Gardner, GjEbon
and Fire Hole rivers. 1t is well known that
some of the trout are infested with para
and well-de6ned region. The trout are
the chief prey of pelicans. which frequent
Yellowstone lake in vast numbers, and. az
Prof. Linton has shown, have a breeding
place on Molly island.
The work of the military authorities is
aiso seen III Inc "etcn kept upon the no.
tells and the facilities for transporta-
ton. in regard to which reports
are rendered to the Secretary.
The complaints against the prices
charged by the Yellowstone Park associa-
tiou and the accommodations gwen by il to
tourists, made by Judge Lambert Tree last
year, show the necessity for this vigilance.
But while the military policing of the
park will presumably go on with thorough
ness under Captain Anderson, as under
Captain Harris and Captain BoutelIe, the
duty of congress is to see that the needs of
the park are provided for by suitable leeis-
lation. This should secure such an an en-
Isrgement of its boundaries as will include
additional picturesque features and better
preserve what is already there. with the
supply of a suitable Jurisdiction so that
grayer~o offences to life and properto NAV nc
q without adequate punishment, az they
would now.