The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1892-04-09
Park Privileges Again.

A special to the Pioneer Press from
Washington dated the 31st, says: Secre-
| tary Noble was before the senate commit
tee on territories today and made two
hours statement in reply to the charges
| s-ss..sa by a aries GascE q the Yellow
stone Park association, relative to his
letting contracts to Waters for the Yel-
lowstone Boat company, and to 81 Hunt
Icy for the transportation privileges.
The secretary went into the matter with
great deal of detail and submitted a
large amount of documentary evidence.
So far as some members of the commit
tee are concerned, he entirely justified
his action in the Yellowstone Park trans
actions. He submitted letters from Sen
tors Vest and Jones and number Of
private individuals showing that Wake
field, who formerly had the stage con-
tract, made it very uncomfortable for
the visitors who went to the Park, and
that it was necessary to have some
change made. The secretary also pre-
sented letters from Gibson showing that
he had encouraged Waters in securing
the exclusive contract for the boat priv
ileges Of Yellowstone lake.
This Yellowstone Park matter has
been worrying the secretary for some
time past, and he was anxious to unbur-
den himself before the senate commit
tee, and it was against the advice of
some members OF the committee that he
made his statement. The effect of his
statement has not been to entirely stop
any legislation about the Park, but the
impression seems to prevail that there is
some necessity for some legislation
relative to contracts and transpor-
tation in the Park which will
place the matter in such shape
as to leave the secretary with
less discretion and jurisdiction than he
has now. The secretary in his hearing
today devoted most of his time to the
refutation of the Gibson circular which
was presented to the senate committee.
The secretary in referring to Gibson
spoke of him as st. Louis man who
had been heaplng contumely and abuse
upon him, although he did not name Mr..
Gibson personally. A peculiar feature
fact that occasionally he would say he
did not want "this part of my statement
taken down by the stenogrophers," and
generally these parts were the most in
teresting features. One of them in par
ticular was in reference to a letter he
had written upon Yellowstone Park mat
tors to the United States senator, in
which he told that statesman that when
he was being urged to accept the po-
sition of the secretary of the interior he
did not feel that he was competent to do
the work, but he wanted to say that
since he had held the Office the land de.
partment business, the Indian office and
the great work of taking the census, and
all other matters coming directly or in
directly under the direction Of the secre-
tary Of the interior had not caused him
the trouble and worry the one little
thing OF the management of the Yellow
stone Park had caused him. The secre-
.ary also said he thought it would not
De possible for any other company to
get foothold in the Park if the Yellow
stone Park association was allowed both
he transportation and the hotel privil-
'ges, even if these privileges were not
exclusive, as no other company would
>e able to get money together to COM
'ete with them. He thought for the
,est management of the Park that it
would be better for the hotels to be un-
Ter management of one company and
he transportation under the manage
nent Of another, and that would prevent
ny trouble arising over the conduct OF
ither hotels or the stage lines.
Capt. Anderson was also before the
at this time and spoke in
ather high terms of the manner in
rhich the hotels and transportation had
'een managed. Russell Harrison's friend,
J. c. Waters, was also before the COM
aittee. He, too, did not want his con-
ersation taken down in some instances,
specially when he said the property
'hich the Yellowstone Park association
ow had in the Park was worth $4,000.
Waters also made some reference to the
act that he did not know of any effort
q the part Of Huntley to buy the yell
,wstone Park associations transpOrta-
ION outfit or the transfer of any Of the
roperty in the Park.