Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-04-07
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.
soMf| OF TIE SIGHTS OF THAT LAND
oi WONDERS, DESCRIBED ~ ONE
WHO HAS VIEWED THEM.
IARr ONE.

While but small boy, studying geog-
raphE In school, ran across a meagre
description Of the wonders OF the then
slmaEt unknown Yellowstone Park,
whic b had recently been set apart by the
unilId States Government as national
park Though but slight statement oil
the |erest generalities, there was enough
ther, In to excite my susceptible imag-
instibr aud from then on, my hope and
desirf WIS that some day, |, too, might
visit those scenes and behold those won
ders bf nature, of which have since
learn led. | knew almost nothing. Nat
urallE then, | was overiOyed when, some
five ears ago, finished nv work on
surviving party OF the Northern Pacific
Railrbad at Livingston. Montanq, the
railrbad junction for the Park. a nd found
therd I lieutenant OF the Engineer Corps,
/. ; A., who WAS organizing n party to
surv,ly road through the then unopen-
ed pJrts ia the southern end. We soon
came 10 terms and blithely entered the
serviie of ncle sam.
Thb memories OF the month spent In
thar mploy ymeDt are among the fondest
Of mE life /; the recollection OF beautiful
.cenIry coupled with neighboring
marvel ot natures force, Of some swift
flowing stream of chemically charged
watet, aud broad expanses of lakes All
alive with feaihered beauty, have their
pItc, in my past like some peculiarly
beautiful dream. and have long felt the
repr,lach of conscience pricked by self
ishn,Iss that made no effort 10 let nv
less fortunate fellows share In INV good
fortune. Goadcd by such feelings | now
take up my pen and intend 10 make an
earnlst effort In that direction. ] shall
leav' all scientific reasons out OF my
production for am not scientist and
nv rsaders can get such views "a well
"a |, f they want them. | shall merely
endekvor In my own poor way 20 describe
the :, onders and beauties OF that region In
the |ope Of enabling some Of my present
neighbors who have not wandered so far
from home to gain IN idea Of what one
small part OF their country contains.
TtIis marvellous tract Is situated IN the
northwestern corner Of Wyoming, ex-
tending. on the north and west sides,
somj two miles into Montana and Idaho
respectively, and Is more remarkable for
nliuU AbSlllt- AiiAll 'IHhl sal'h az
any bther part Of the world. The evil
dencfs show that this region was, at
very recent geological period, in state
of d reat volcanic activity. Its most
stirling features are its geysers, hot
sprijgs, waterfalls, and canyons. It.
geys ers and hot springs surpass In number
and magnitude all the rest OF the world.
The geysers proper are natural fount-
aims bf boiling hot water which IL thown
by the various geysers In many different
wayk and at varying intervals. Some
erur|t every few minutes and Others at
intefyals OF days or even weeks. Some
are bf the size of an ordinary hose dis
chalIge aud others several feet In diam
eter but, with single exception, TO be
not, ID later, all throw their stream In u
peri lendicular direction. Scientifically
the geysers are in three groups, the
actiEe ones as mentioned just now, the
boiling, bubbling, springs or pools, and
the Etill unrutlled pools; but the COM
mo, acceptation Of geysers applies only
to lhe violent fountains, and such !
mes|n when use the word hereafter. A
are|e majority Of the geysers and pools
are strongly charged with sulphur, de-
cid,|dly evident In taste and smell. The
miuera! spring at North Paris is very
muEh like most of those in the Park,
onlE lacking their high temperature TO
be Jlassed as the same.
The Park Is also remarkable In geo
gra abhical sense, having within its area
of Hut sixty-ive miles by fifty-five, the
heah waters OF three different great river
sys ems, each flowing in different direc-
tiolIs. The great Yellowstone River flows
froh h point in Wyoming directly
Through the Park and out at the north /;
the headwaters Of the Madison, one OF
the three rivers which unite at Three
Folks, Montana, 20 form the Missouri,
are in the western part; in the southern
We find the Lewis and Snake Rivers
wh)c find their way TO the Pacific
thr bugh the mighty Columbia; and the
Grken which follows the Colorado in its
mil-canyon course which ends 10 the
Gulf of California.
This region was set apart by AN act
approved March |, 1872, for a national
pa1k, and withdrawn from sale and set
tie |nent. The Secretary Of the Interior
is h direct charge and one or two COM
pabies of United States troops are on
dub to prevent dissertations or slaughter