The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-07
TRULY IT is Wonderland
Second Days Sights in Tour Of
Yellowstone Park.
MANY MARVELS OF NATURE
Where Springs of Many Temperatures
Send Forth Waters Of Many COlOrs
That Blend Into Panorama
of Iridesccnt SplcudOr.
FOR The Tribune.

FOR The Tribune.
We arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs
hotel in time for luncheon. After
alighting from our coach, we uncon-
sciously glance about us and take n
mental inventory of what we see, ana
then proceed to the mammoth dining
hall. where was served a luncheon, first
class in every respect.
Set down here in the heart of the
mountains on Il plateau nearly 1000
feet above the level of the sea. higher
by 500 feet than the summit of Mount
Washington. and 900 miles from any
where, is indeed a mammoth building,
first of the four found in the park
hundreds of feet long, with gables ana
peaks and towers; with a wide veranda.
running the entire length of it, lighted
with electricity, heated by steam.
noticeably large rooms with electric
bells. and containing all the modern
improvements of flrst-class hotel III
every respect. besides commodious
enough to accommodate hundreds of
guests, also as pretentiouS as those
found at saratoga and Newport. l
might say, right here, that there is in
vested in the park half million dol
lars in its hotels. The help employed
are most select and competent, gath
cred mainly from st. Paul and eastern
cities at heavy expense. And, by the
way, the supplies too, have to he trans
ported by wagon through the park from
seven to one hundred miles. Notwith-
standing these apparent drawbacks, the
universal verdict is that the hotels of
the park and their service generally.
are excellent, better than could be eN-
pected under the circumstances. and SUI
perior in service to that furnished by
the general run of sea-shore and noun
tain summer resorts. The rates are 81
per day or 81 per week after the first
week-which are not eXtortionate, as
some would be inclined to fear.
AN IDEAL. SUMMER RESORT.
As the tide of tourist travel has turned
westward, the people have learned that
Yellowstone park is more than IA Won
derland 1t is an ideal summer resort
all the attractions of mountain, lake
and river country. in addition to its
grand panorama of natural wonders.
All classes Of people may now visit the
park with ease and comfort, men, wo-
men, children and invalids alike: in
camping parties, or in the luxurious
Concord stage coach. There is no need
of roughing it, for unlimited facilities
are now provided. In addition to the
coaches, here are surreys, buggies, open
wagons and saddle horses, SO that the
tourist can make the trip through the
park in any way he pleases taking all
the time he pleases and enjoy all the
marvellous grandeur and terrible phe-
nomena found here at comparatively
little expense.
The trip of 100 miles through the park
Is usually made in Concord coaches, and
some of new and peculiar design, es
pecially adapted for park use. While
being strong and durable, they are
light, easy to enter and get out of. and
open at the sides, so that the passen-
ger can easily see the country while
riding along. The equipment Is the
best obtainable. The Park company
have iifty-four six-horse Concord
coaches and fifty vehicles of other de-
scriptions and about four hundred
horses. and the amount invested in
them is over 100000. These coaches
comfortably accommodate from seven
to thirteen passengers each and usually
cover the entire route In five and one
half days. The cost of the entire trip,
including transportation from Living
ston and return, with five and one half
days board at the park hotels. is only
$3.50. The tourist thus travels daily
on schedule time. but on application to
the superintendent of transportation,
Mr.. 5. 5. Huntley, may stop off at
pleasure at any of the hotels enroute.
Each tourist is furnished a book, which
comprises checks for the daily stage
rides and seventeen meal coupons. and
when the book is exhausted. for each
meal or lodging thereafter, an addi-
tional dollar is charged. Two weeks can
be proiltably and pleasantly spent
within the confines of the park and no
one should think of making the trip i'm
less than seven days There is no
night travel. telegraph line connects
Mammoth Hot Springs hotel with each
hotel and lunch station in the park and
also with the outside world.
BEAUTIFUL VIEW.
From the veranda of this mammoth
hotel the tourist is regaled with a land
scape of great variety. What do we
see? On the right and westward are
the wonderful mammoth hot springs
in all their dazzling radiance. while just
i'm front are two peculiar objects.
standing like sentinels on the level
place below the terraces. These are
Devils Thumb" and Liberty Can"
They are extinct geyser springs, dead
and cut off from their fellows Farther
away southwark blocking vision i'm
that direction, towers Bunsen peak, o.
800 feet. the highest mountain visible:
on the left and extending miles south
eastward, Is the deep valley of the
Gardiner and the east Gardiner river,
along whose purple waters we have
just been travelling, while the lava
capped Mount Everts 1900 feet high,
crowds down to the. Gardiner river and
basin from afar. Nearby. just across
the wide plaza in front of the hotel and
against the back ground, is Fort yell
lowstone and the neat and comfortable
red-rOofed quarters of the soldiers who
patrol the park. Here the United
States bugler blows his trumpet to stir
up the slumbering echoes of the ravines
and performs the sentinel duty of firing
the sunrise and sunset gun and from
here he accompanies the party to every
point of interest to protect the curiosi-
les against the Unsuitable relic hunter
| have read various descriptions of
this wonderland and never quite under
stood them. Even now question
whether, as 1 come to explore and ex-
plain 1t. / can give my readers any
better than a faint idea of it's beauties
and grandeur. The visitor may well
spend day and even more inspecting
the wonders found on and around this
hotel plateau.
This line of terraces is said to be the
only structure of the kind i'm the world.
Some years ago there was something
like 1t in the Pink Terraces" of Roto-
mahana, i'm New Zealand, but recent
volcanic eruptions destroyed them,
leaving Mammoth Hot Springs without
rival. What are they? These ter