San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-07-21
NEW NATIONAL PARK.
Valuable Acquisition of Land in
Wyoming by the Government.
Comprises a Section Ten Miles Square
Which Includes a Famous Hot Springs
Price Agreed Upon with the
Indians Is 100000.

Indian Inspector Mclaughlin has re-
turned to this city after trip to the
Shoshone agency, in Wyoming, where
he concluded treaty with the Shoshone
and Arapahoe tribes for the cession to
the government Of q section of land ten
miles square in one corner of their
reservation, says the ST. Paul Pioneer
Press. The purchase includes the IA
nous hot springs, at the head of the
Big Horn river, in the Owl mountains,
and the price to be paid is $60,000 The
purchase will be converted into a re-
serve and held as national park.
"The springs have long been famed
among the Indians for their curative
properties" said Mr.. Mclaughlin. "For
generations the Indians have resorted
to the place, and l haze no doubt that
they will be equally famous among the
whites before long. They are situated
among the most magLifcently pictur-
esque scenery it has ever been my privi-
lege to look upon. 1t is doubtful if
there is any portion of this country
where there is such rugged grandeur
as among the Owl mountains in north
western Wyoming, AMI the hot springs
are in the midst of the most magnifi-
cent part of the range. The trouble now
with the springs is that they are diff
cult of access. I rode about $50 miles
from the railroad to get to the ground,
and building railroad there is ques-
ton that engineers will have to settle.
The place looks very forbidding, and
even with horses it is not an easy jour
ney.
"The portion of the reservation that
I negotiated for is in the northwest
corner. The reserve is about 10 miles
square, and the springs are just about
that distance from the agency, which
is quite close to Fort Washable. left
the Union Pacific at Rawlins and rode
40 miles north to the agency, and went
thence to the springs. A few miles
above the springs stream enters the
gorge, that is very narrow and of great
depth. The gorge traverses the noun
tains for great distance, and the stream
that energies from it is called the Big
Horn river. A few miles down this
river is the principal spring. and this is
so close to the boundary of the reser-
walton that section Zen miles square
running to the corner of the reserve
will include it.
"At the springs found about 25 white
men, all of them invalids, and many
of them suffering from rheumatism. T
was told by some of them that they
had tried all of the several springs
that had attained fame before going
there, but without relief, and they had
all been benefited by the waters. Most
of the sick men had been carried
through the mountains on cots, but they
were walking about when I got there.
They go in from the cast and north
east, where the country is not so broken,
and the nearest railroad point is al
most directly east-Casper, on the Free
mont G. Elkhorn.
after going over the ground re-
turned to Fort Washable and called a
council. The Indians are very much
scattered, and they had great difficulty
in getting in on account of the streams.
The reservation is occupied in common
with Shoshopes and Arapahoes, andthe
tribes are about equally divided as to
numbers. There are about 700 of each.
Nearly all the 457 adult males attended
the council, which was held at the
agency proper ten days ago. The IA
nous old chief, Washable, who is now
81 years old, but well preserved, con-
Quoted the open council for his peo-
pie, and I had no difficulty finishing
the council in one day. The price
agreed upon was 100000, to be paid in
five annual installments. The Indians
all signed the purchase treaty, or agree
ment, as the department now calls it,
and the reservation is now part of
the public domain.