The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-10-06


sand and left these curious hills or knobs
in all directions. 1t was a scene of des-
olation, though glowing with color, not
sign of life anywhere for miles and miles
as the train wound its way among them.
Here was favorite lurking place of the
Indians when on the warpath or when
pursued; and in these Businesses Gen.
Candy was treacherously killed by them
while irving to negotiate treaty, at
some distance from his command. Only
seventeen years ago, a regiment of sol
diers was the smallest body of men that
could safely pass through this country.
Just beyond the ''bad lands two antel-
ope bounded away from the train, but
with the usual curiosity of these ami
mails, stopped suddenly and stood gaz-
ing at the train as long as we could see
them. Only few scattered remnants
remain of the immense herds that used
to roam over these plains, destroyed by
the same hands that annihilated the
buffalo; of which only about 2U0 are now
left, a few in British Columbia and the
rest in Yellowstone Park Nothing but
the seals are left these human hogs to
destroy, and they are doing the work with
all thoroughness. Soon after passing the
bad lands the railway entered the val
ley of the Yellowstone river, here a
handsome stream of considerable size
with swift current of clear water rush
ing on its way to join the Missouri; and
followed on up the valley to LivingtOn.
We passed only few miles north of the
scene of the Custer massacre; what a
change has come over that part of the
country within a few years. At Liv-
ingston the train on the branch road to
Cinnabar awaited us, and we were soon
on the way south, up, up, up the Yellow
stone river valley, here quite narrow,
shut in by high hills with great noun
tain peaks looming up behind. This day
we had our firstview of American noun
tains with their tops covered with snow
in July. How like Switzerland it looked
and yet thousands of Americans go year
after year to Europe, and hardly know
they have snow covered mountains at
home; for our high peaks are all in the
West Numerous coal mines are worked
along the Northern Pacific east and west
of Livingston and along the Yellowstone
branch road, but nothing will grow about
there without irrigation, and at the
height, 5000 feet above the sea, few
things will grow at all, yet we saw a very
G cd piece of wheat growing on irrigated
land, Will on each side of it no one
would call the land worth five cents
mile, yet twas all the same kind. Sage
brush everywhere, with the cactus
sprinkled in among them. We were told
that where the sage brush grows is sure
to be good land; If that is true, there
must be an enormous amount Of good
land in the West We had often heard of
the sage brush, but never before seen it;
a plant about q foot in height with sill
very green leaves, entirely useless as far
as we could see. Buffalo grass is anOth-
er curiosity, not over two inches long.
usually only one. half that, as hard and
and brittle while growing, as hay; yet
the buffalo lived and tlnived omit. 1t is
disappearing, with the passing of the
buffalo, driven out by other grasses.
CiDnabar, the terminus Of the branch
road is large and hourshiug city of
about four each of frame, log and sod
houses, with the accompanying barns.
No railroads are allowed in the park, but
this one should be permitted to build
three miles further to the foot of the hill,
as it would save every tourist six miles
of coaching; no small item for his com
fort, when drive of 200 miles is neces-
sary for one to view the park and this
corner is of no account any way. We
climbed into big six-horse Concord
coaches, made at Concord, New Hamp-
shire, for the six mile drive to the Nam
moth Hot Springs Hotel, three miles
within the park, but thousand feet
above Cinabar; this elevation has to be
overcome in the last three mile climb.
The first three miles is over q rolling
country, passing through the village of
Gardiner, perfect, type of tough
frontier town; buildings set heller
CD II, oil Jiraofionc. tba ool,.,no opI
other adjuncts to crime very numerous;
it is just on the line between Mon ana
and Wyoming. The Yellowstone Ma
tional Park occupy's the north
west corner of Wyoming, and is
about fifty miles square. Most of it is
an elevated plateau from 5000 to 1000
feet above tide, and surrounded by noun
tain ranges whose SUBMITS tower from
1000 to 5000 feet higher still; some are
over Is, 900 feet, and most of them wear
a crown of perpetual snow.
When we reached Livingston we
hastily donned heavy fiannels, as the
breezes from the snow capped noun
tains were decidedly searching, even III
July. The road wound along the bank
of roaring stream, with an exceedingly
steep up grade, and finally emerged onto
the broad and level plateau ON which is
located the United States military post,
and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.
The post consists of several large bar
racks for the men, and number of
houses for the officers, and the great
stables for the horses of the troop sta
toned there. The hotel is large struc-
ture of wood, and is very comfortable,
the rooms large and the table very good
1t is the headquarters of the association
that owns all the hotels and lunch sta
tiOns in the park; the hotels communi-
cate with each other by means of tele-
graph line. The company owning all the
conveyances for transporting the visitors
also has its principal Office there. About
one hundred vehicles, mostly four-horse
Concord coaches, with some surveys, are
used, and nearly thousand horses:
these must be Montana stock Injured to
the high altitude, no others would be of
any use there. The park is controlled
by the Secretary of the Interior, and the
schedule of rates for hotels and trans
portation must first be submitted to him
for his acceptance. Every morning at
s o'clock, from about the goth of June to
the middle of October, Sundays not ex-
cepted, long line of vehicles is drawn
up at the hotel entrance and the tourists
Chamber into them for the weeks drive.
Each stage or surrey must keep the same
relative position throughout the trip, and
each person occupy the same vehicle and
seat. Although a person may not desire
to travel on Sunday, unless the whole