The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-20
Jackson Hole.
Jackson Hole Wyo Iul,

Almost every one agrees that. no matter
what ones avocation. to pass a portion Of
the time far from the worlds ignoble
strife" Is good for the soul. For weeks
have looked forward to this trip ''off the
earth and had pictured to myself one
thousand times the scenes and people.
had almost counted the hours to the time
when we'd climb mountains, shoot elk. ride
bronchos. feast on fresh trout and black
coffee and thus forget for awhile the tardy
marks. blotted copy-books and thumb-worn
books OF the school room.
The recollection of the pleasure your let
tiers to the Eagle from the airy attitudes OF
Colorado few summers ago. gave to its
readers induces me to sketch for my Wichi-
ia friends silhouette of this corner OF the
world.
Perhaps an apology is due for my inabi-
lily to introduce the usual summer romance
or paint with Hall Gaines bucket of
blood" some incident Of curdling sensation.
There isn't even a mule episode with which
to regale you and win the admiration and
renown Of Don Quixote. The simple
annals Of Jackson Hole where every one
pursues the "even tenor Of mis- way" is all
have to tell.
You will, perhaps. recollect that Jackson
Hole. Wyoming, won quite little notoriety
about two years ago on account OF Indian
troubles caused by a conflict between the
Indian treaty of 'SS. allowing them the
right to hunt on any public domain so long
as peace remained on the border, and the
law enacted in '95 by the legislature Of
Wyoming, restricting hunting TO food pur-
poses and at certain seasons OF the year.
and by residents Of the state only. except
such persons a. obtained the right by
license prescribed by statutes. After some
skirnishins between the Indians. who were
bound to hunt here and the residents, who
were bound they shouldn'. Governor Rich
ards sent the militia to protect the white
people The trouble was settled by de-
c;sion Of the United States supreme court
by which the treaty with the Indians was
abrogated.
Jackson Hole received its euphonious ap-
pellation from the incident Of its affording
a safe and picturesque retreat to which an
aesthetically inclined but cautious horsethief
h;ed himself and his stolen plumber. This
courageous but carnal-minded Jackson was
captured and executed here, dying game.
Some persons. lately, utterly ignoring the
eternal fitness of things, have tried In vain
to change its name to something more SEN
timental but less graphic. Well. as Shapes
peare remarked, long time ago. what's
in name?
Jackson Hole lies almost on the great con-
tinental divide IN the northwest part OF
Wyoming, just south Of the National Park.
The Hole is a great sheltered, level valley
shut in by some of the highest, snow-cap-
ped ranges of our western mountains. We
are $3.50 feet above sea-level in the Hole,
with towering ranges around US that keep
on their white caps the entire year.
want to tell you about the scenery here.
or at least to afford you pent-up jewellers
in the dusty (?) town the luxury OF know
Ing how lavishly the beauties of nature are
strewn here in this quiet vale.
On our west Is the Teton range, q name
given by the early French to a tribe of In
dams and by them to the mountains, which
are a wall of mighty peaks. abruptly SER
rated and gorged, turreted and domed. cap
ped with minarets. around the base OF
which the timber-line lies in artistically
fantastic decorations. Sometimes cool,
gray cloud hangs midway down the slope
and we think Of Goldsmith's sfmile in 1.-The
Deserted Village" or the shadows on their
stern features speak to US In accents that
Byron might interpret, but which to our
mundane senses vaguely stir resentment
at our little, narrow circumscribed life down
ing away with our puny strength a shallow
place in which to find rest. We are barely
saved from the gloom of the pessimist by
another rub of the Wonderful Lamp when
back comes the sunlight with such a fairy
like touch that We once more become or
thdoz believers in Arabian Nights and
honestly wonder who can be so near with
Alladin's Lamp. What marvels OF chang
ing beauty! They bring to us reminis-
cences of lullabies sung to the sleepy crags,
then Of winter storms tearing them from
their resting places.
Jackson Hole is entered by three ways:
two magnificent mountain passes and
good wagon road down from the National
Park.
AS we are one hundred and twenty-five
miles away from the railroad and as the
snow makes the entrances impossible, the
settlers, of which there are about one hum
dred and fifty, must haul in their whole
winter supplies early in the fall. There
is a postofice but no store here, though
there is a place where the proprietor is
said to keep a Few articles for accommo-
dation;'' but I found this to be, as ingalls,
says, an iridescent dream, for in trying to
buy dozen cans Of tomatoes had to do
quite a deal OF coaxing before succeeded
IN getting two cans at % cents each.
The houses here are picturesque and COM
Portable rather than elegant. consisting Of
one Of more rooms made Of huge logs and
having dirt roofs which makes them cool
in the summer and warm in the winter.
The walls inside are decorated with guns,
snow-shoes, swan or eagle wings, elk or
antelope heads. frying pans, tinware, buck
skin coats slabs Of bacon and carpenters
tools: outside are nailed elk hides with a
spNnkling of harness, saddles. ropes and
elk horns.
One of the most important features Of
this place, TO the settlers. is the abundance
Of game as II supplies the main part OF
their "grub-staks." Almost any morning
quite early antelope pass close to our
"shack"-sometimes three or four, at other
times such a band as would raise the sport
ing blood Of Drs Shuitz and Matthews TO
a frenzy.
This is the winter feeding ground for the
elk. In the summer most OF this game
retire to the National Park, where IL Is pro-
tected by the militia.
Last winter was hard one on the elk, Of
which about Is, 600 head flock In here to
feed on the settlers hay stack and also
because the snow does not fall so deep as
further north. About 10 per cent OF these
5000 head are old stock and the rest calves
and young stock.
Just now We are excited over q gamecase
" hich VIII probably reach the supreme court
as a test. 1t Is as follows: One OF the
settlers whose stacks were destroyed on
eaten by these hungry animals. concluded.
as they were trespassing. TO take up q
number. feed and acquire 4 property right
in them. so ne built q large corral. into
which he drove about seventy--five young
and old elk and Fed them hay the create.
cart OF the winter. This spring On trying
20 ship them 20 eastern parties. by which