The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-07-19
GEYSERS AND GLACIERS.
A rlankatoite's Wanderings Among
Both.

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The ride from Livingston to CHINA
bar was very pretty. We followed the
Yellowstone river most of the way
1t went winding in and out between
the mountains. Here we saw and
passed through our first canyon about
a mile long. The was just room for
the river and road with the walls of
rock on both sides rising about 1000
feet. The next canyon we passed
through was called yankee Jim Can
yon." For a number of years before
! the railroad went through there was
only one way of going through; that
was over wagon road made and kept
up by an enterprising Yankee. He
collected toll from everyone and is
said to have made quite a fortune.
We could see his road and cabin from
the train.
When we reached Cinnabar we were
met by coach and six horses and
taken to the Mammoth Hot Springs
Hotel. After lunch we went out with
guide over the formation. There
was nothing to see here but hot
springs. 1t was wonderful to see the
water come bubbling and boiling up
from the ground and then GO running
from it's first basin to one lower
down, leaving more or less of it's white
deposit and thus building up terrace
after terrace. The deposits are not all
white, some being the most beautiful
blues and reds. We saw Minerva, Ju-
piter and Narrow Gague terraces.
Orange GeySer fountain was about %
feet high: the water only came bub-
bling up from the opening. The foun-
tain was beautiful, being many shades
of orange. On the 18th we left for
Norris. We passed through Golden
Gate on our way here. Just at the
entrance of this canyon is an immense
rock which was at one time part of
the canyon wall, but now stands alone,
while the road passes between it and
the cliff. The yellow moss that covers
the rocks OF the canyon gives it its
name, ,
Here we saw lively little waterfall
called Rustic falls. We passed Beaver
Lake, saw beaver house and a great
many dams, also two lakes called the
twins-one was a most beautiful blue,
a regular turquoise blue. At Norris
we saw number of geysers, THE
Black Growler" and "The Devils Ink
standh were the most wonderful. The
first made dreadful noise and sent
out only steam. On each side of this
GeySer were large SNOW banks which
are said to remain there all through
summer.
From Norris we went to the Foun-
tain Hotel where we Staid all day the
10th. Here we saw the Fountain
Geyser which throws water Is or 20
feet into the air. Here were tile
mammoth Paint Pots alsQ-a mass of
boiling, bubbling matter which looked
like boiling plaster, only it looked so
pure. There were pots Of pure white,
Of pink, blue and gray. From the
Fountain we went to the upper Gey-
ser, passing the Excelsior Geyser on
the way. This is the largest geyser,
but it does not play very often, and
when it does play it is very dangerous
as it throws out rocks as we'll as water:
and it is claimed to have raised the
river six inches at the last eruption.
At the upper basin we saw our first
large geysers; and they say we were
very fortunate in seeing so many
in play.
On the Goth we started for the can
yon. The drive was lovely and the
distance 81 miles. We enjoyed the
drive around the lake just as much, or
more. than we would the trip across
it. The canyon was, of course, the
most beautiful of all the sights of the
Park. The colOring in the cliffs, which
were 1000 feet high, was perfectly
grand. No one would believe that
there were such colorS in nature. We
cannot get to the bottom of the falls
or of the cliffs, but have to look down
on them. The river is $50 feet wide
at the narrOwest place, but looking
down at it, it looks like narrow
stream. From Look Out Point we
had good view of the falls and can
yon. The falls were grand. | heard
Someon, who had seen Niagara, say
the falls of the Yellowstone were far
ahead, but others thought not. After
leaving the canyon we went back to
the Mammoth Hot Springs, and from
there to Seattle. On Thursday, the
9th, we started for Alaska. We
stopped at Victoria four hours and
went up town and saw the stores,
then took a carriage and drove through
the park. The houses are all old, a
greta many small and one story, and
nearly all have fences so high that one
cannot see over them.
One of the first and most interest
ing stops we made was at Taxa Inlet.
We went into the inlet and up near a
small glacier to see them take in ice.
We had the sunset on the icebergs
as we went out of the inlet, and they
were beautiful. The ice was deep
rich blue in color. That night, the
Both, we arrived at Juneau. We re-
there all the next day: went
through the Mission schools and
number of other buildings, and then
walked around to see the Indian VII
lage and the things they had to sell.
The streets are lined with women
with their baskets and trinkets to
sell. They want a big price for every
thing. Juneau was the dirtiest place
we were in-mud everywhere. We
left there at midnight for the David
son Glacier which we reached at
a. m. This was the coolest place
we found and the furthest north we
went. From there we went to Glacier
Bay and the Muir Glacier. We found
but few icebergs in the bay, but just
as we got in view of the glacier great
quantity of ice fell from it with
noise like that of a cannon. 1t was
the grandeSt sight / have ever seen.
We were taken in shore in the small
boats and climbed all over the glacier,
and then came back by the shore and
had a grand view Of tho U1ao;or front