West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-08-06
RAMBLING IN WONDERLAND.
Notes and Comments on the Yellow.
stone National Park, the Great
est Natural Pleasure Ground
in the World.

the Yellowstone Park, gave some
idea Of this great national wonder
land, and as but little is known of
it IN this country, we shall give our
readers the result OF our visit, in
vestigation and researches. In tho
first place, the magnitude of it got
away with us as much rs any other
feature. Our idea Of park, form
ed from visiting those in towns and
cities, had to be wonderfully revised,
enlarged, and. in fact. entirely I'M
abridged, before we got through
with the Yellowstone. From what
we had heard of this particular pic
mic ground, we had formed vague
conclusion that all you had to do
was to get there and then turn
yourself loose and ramble around to
your hearts content and take the
whole business in day or two, at
most. We had visited several large
parks in cities like Fairmont Park
in Philadelphia, Eden Park in Gin.
cinnati, Lincoln Park, Washington
Park and Jackson Park in Chicago,
and supposed of course that the
Yellowstone Park, being a national
affair, was much larger, but in our
widest flights o: fancy we were not
prepared for the immensely. beauty,
grandeur and sublimity Of this "The
Wonderland Of America What a
splendid idea to set this section
apart and preserve it in all its
primeval beauty as great national
pleasure ground and on a scale in
keeping with this great country of
ours. But about the size and STU
alton of it. 1t occupies the north
western corner of Wyoming and
takes off little slice of Montana
and Idaho. 1t is almost square in
shape, and in no other equal extent
of territory in the world is there so
many natural curiosities and won
derful phcnomenas of nature. Stu
ated right in the heart of the Rocky
Mountains, no valley within its
boundary is less than 5000 feet
above che level of the sea, while the
surrounding snow-clad peaks have
All altitude of $4,000 to ii, 900 feet
above sea level.
In 1872, by act of Congress, this
interesting locality was ''set apart
as national resort and pleasure
ground for the enjoyment of the
people," A few settlers had al
ready located upon it, but they were
driven out by the military, and sew
eral log cabins are yet standing in
the valleys, along the rivers, showing
where they sought to establish u
home.
The Park contains an area of
1876 square miles, being fifty five
miles east and west by sixty five
miles north and south. Just think
of 1t, park SIX times as large as
Preston county and one-sIxth as
large as the whole State of West
Virginia. One-tbird as large as
Maryland and larger than Delaware
and Rhode Island both put together,
and yet efforts are being made to
induce Congress to enlarge the Park
twenty miles on the east and twenty
miles on the south, thereby not
only embracing the summer haunts
OF the few remaining species of
American game that inhabit the
Park in winter, but protecting the
forests at the heaiwaters of the
Snake river, branch Of the Colun
bia and the Yellowstone which flows
into the Missouri. The best way TO
get to the Park is via the Northern
Pacific r. r. You leave the main
line at Livingstone, Montana, and
run down to Cinnabar, fifty-one
miles. This is the nearest station
to the Park, and is but four miles
from the Park boundary. Stages
meet all trains TO convey visitors
INTO the Park. Gardner is a little
town half way between Cinnabar
and the Mammoth Hot Springs and
located just on the edge Of the
boundary. The main street has one
store, one hotel and four saloons,
this being about the only business
Of the place and fairly representing
typical western town. The big
hotel at the Hot Springs is the
headquarters Of the Association in
the Park. The Park is entirely
under military OoveYur,cnt a,,d