Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-04-14
building while roar as OF fleet OF
ocean steamers blowing of told the vio-
lence|o |of Unions fury.

stretch Of water six miles In length,
and finds its outlet through the Lewis
River| and thence through the Columbia
to thd Pacific Ocean. Its shores rise alb
ruptlE and are covered with pines and
other| evergreens which made pretty
contrkst with the snow covered ground.
Is Is bnly seven miles from the great
YelloI Iystone Lake, but their waters greet
the o,Eean thousands of miles apart. Be
tweer| these two lakes is small lake
which has the popularity OF contributing
Its wkters to both the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans, being situated In a de-
preston of the very summit OF the main
ridge OF the Rocky Mountains and
havink two outlets flowing In opposite
directions. This bears the appropriate
name iof Two Ocean Pond.
| Agllin crossing the Continental Divide
In anPther place we reached Yellow
stonelI.ske near the Lakeshore Springs
on thk western banks. These are the
sprin,ks where one can stand on the lake
bank and catch trout, then without
movi,|g from his position, turn aud drop
| IL intt a hot spring and cook IL. The
,prin,ks are upon large rock which pro-
iects Into the lake. and the operation
mentibned Is easily accomplished, for
| The pI|oximity of the warm water attracts
the trbut 10 the rock in large numbers.
There| are also many hot springs and
| small Igeysers near by; the geysers are
SMALL but they are active and make
| prodikious racket In their eruptions.
| Through near the first OF November we
all hah A refreshing bath one day In an
extiuSk hot spring bed which was close
10 an kctiye one. The one In operation
vented its surplus water into the old bed,
in which IL become sufficiently cooled to
,llow a pleasant dip. Besides these
here kre a number of paint pots, some
dozenIor more, In which steam Is vented
throuth thick reddish mud which boils
md shutters violently. An occasional
burst bf extra violence will cause par
ticles 10 spurt ten feet high.
On lhe fourth of November, owing To
, slight attack OF sickness, lay of from
work land helped the teamsters move
camp.
Another raft had been built on reach
ing Yellowstone Lake, and on this we
proceeded 10 pack our camp outfit and
provisions. All being ready for embark
,tion, one Of the pack horses was attach
"a by b long rope and started along the
beach, two OF the men on the raft to
keep the unwieldy craft of shore. For
the tirIt mile all went well despite the
jncreaking wind and waves which SEEM
ID determined to swamp Us, but our
gay bling over smooth sandy beach
ye stthdily advanced Bur soon we had
20 ROUND rough, rocky point, and then
,nr Troubles began. This Jagged point
thrus,s its front into the very teeth oil
the wind. and the elements, now seem
ing to|realize that they had their chance,
.ent the waves now two feet high rolling
directly 10 land. Ia the first OF the ex-
rltemInt our tow horse escaped and at
once STARTED to join his comrades ana II
vas n Ecessary for one OF the men TO go
,tter him. The man on foot was not 10
the raj ee and when he at last overlook
the runaway he though IL as we'll to take
, fresh one as 10 try To pick out the Hrst
from lhe herd. During his absence OF
an holr aud n half our combined ex-
.rtjonE managed to propel the raft about
one hundred feet, and right glad were
se to|be relieved of the job OF towing
Bv thl assistance Of the new horse we
roundbd the point and reached another
smooth beach. but the sight Of another
such boint ahead Of US caused our hearts
| to fail us and we determined TO camp
right there. SO proceeding some nan
| nile a|l long the beach, We selected suit
able bot and unloaded our almost mir
| .culoIsly saved outfit. Wet TO the skin.
and sick man To boot, the writer here
of wal heartily glad TO crawl within the
| welcome warmth OF roaring camp IRE.
Thel great Yellowstone Lake Is the
| Isrge:k lake for its elevation IN the world,
| IL belng AZ an altitude OF over seven
thouslnd five hundred feet, and having
| an e,Ipapse some fifteen miles across
| Even lat that distance one can discern
the magnificent growth OF pines on the
far,h,|r shore, and looking westward, We
| see the shaiowy outlines OF the Teton
| Mountains In Idaho rising above the lake
| and Succeeding country and at such
distar|ce as TO impart most delicious
| faint blue 10 their outlines. On the north
shoreIis a natural bridge similar to the
| famous one In virginia, ana near 10 IL
An in let called Bridge Bay. Across a
little Sslley down which u small stream
flows. a shoulder Of rock projects clear
10 the other side with An opening for the
water| beneath IL. At the mouth OF the
lake where the Yellowstone River again
assumes its proper form ! saw such u
multitude of wild birds AS ! never saw
befork or since. Wild swans, geese and
ducks of every color known TO nature,
the riker surface seemed alive with them,
and the knowledge that the water be-
| ueathl teemed with trout stirred all the
| sportImsn blood in our veins, but alas,
"A GOV ernment scout was doggiDg our
steps. and we did not dare venture on
violating the laws.
Proceeding down the river We came To
a replarkable freak OF nature in the
shape of Mud Geyser. A deep circular
hole twenty feet in diameter and prob
ably lorty deep, q hoarse intermittent
roar below and ascending clouds OF
steam At intervals the steam clears
and ohe can see the bottom, heaviug
mass bf hot mud. Now comes a muflled
roar Ind the whole mass heaves like the
qrou.Id swell of old ocean and n shower
OF mud fiies upward from one side. But
this SHINE burst so fills the crater with
steau that no more can be seen.
Twenty miles from the lake the river
make an abrupt fall over the Upper
Falls one hundred and sixty feet, and
soon hitter drops again, this time over
the Great Falls of the Yellowstone, three
bundled and sixty-fve feet of perpen.
dicullr drop. A marvellous beautiful fall
riyallhng even Niagara, but unfortun-
ately|situated so near another far grand.
er SPECTACLE that its beauties fade by con-
trast For IL is at the head of the Grand
Canybn of the Yellowstone. After a
llapse|of five years the writing OF thi:
name fills me with the thrill of awe
stricken enchantment, which | first fel,
late that November afternoon when
stood alone on Inspiration Point anc
gazed with tingling veins on the grand
est sight l have ever been permitted tt
see. felt myself alone with my Maker
iu tile presence OF his sublimest pro
ductipn.
Frbm the brink the entire panorami
Law before me. Far below ran the river
thre lad of silver, and on either side
risink In steep slopes full two thousant
feet Ets hanks were bathed In flood o.
suniiRht reflected in q wild chaotic mas
of color, impossible to be conceived by
unacbuainted eyes. All colors knowi
to MIN are there and yet none OF them
for all are blended in such harmoniou
! and ihdiscriminate effects as to preclude
their separation. Steep and j'gged ar
, thesd walls. gouged 10 many places b,
: landllides and dotted In few scattered
,, spotJ by scrubby growth Of tenaciou
|, treesL Eagles and fish hawks at dizz.
|. height above the river and yet far below