The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-11
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK
GREATEST NATURAL PHENOME-
= NON ON WESTERN CONTINENT

Full of Exciting WOnders-Dedicnt-
ed To the People Almost as Soon
DiscOvered-Land Where
Frosts Occur Every Month of the
Yenr-ThriIIing Trip Through
Woods and Meadows, Clutches and
RaVines to Geysers, Springs, Paint
Pots and Mud Volcanoes.
Condensed from John Muirs Article in the
April Atlantic.
OF the four national parks of the
West, the Yellowstone is far the larg-
est. 1t is d big, wholesome wilderness
on the broad summit of the Rocky
mountains, favored with abundance of
rain and snow-a place of fountains
where the greatest of the American
rivers take their rise. The central ror-
ton is a densely forested and COM
paratiVely level volcanic plateau with
an average elevation of about 600 feet
above the sea. surrounded by an i'm
posing host of mountains belonging to
the subordinate Gallatin, Wind river,
Teton, AbSaroka and Snowy ranges.
Unnumbered lakes shine in 1t, united
10y famous band of streams that rush
up out of hot lava beds, or fall from
the frosty peaks in channels rocky and
bare. messy and bosky, to the main
rivers. singing cheerily on through ev
cry difficulty, cunningly dividing and
hnding their way east and west to the
two far-off seas.
Glacier meadows and beaver mead
oWS are outSpread with charming ef-
feet along the banks of the streams,
Iark-like eNpanSeS in the woods, and
innumerable small gardens in rocky
TeCeSseS of the mountains. some of
them containing more petals than
leaves. while the whole wilderness is
vu''Nened with happy animals.
Greatest of Geysers.
Beside the treasures common to most
mountain regions that are wild and
blessed with kind climate. the park
is full of exciting wonders. The wild
est geysers in the world in bright,
triumphant bands, are dancing and
singing in it amid thousands of boiling
springs, beautiful and awful, their ba-
- sins arrayed in gorgeous COlOrs like
gigantic flowers; ard hot paint-potS,
mud springs, mud volcanoes, mush
and broth caldrOns whose contents are
If every color and consistency, plash-
ir-s, heaVing, roaring, in bewilderng
abundance. In the adjacent noun
tains. beneath the living trees the
edges of petrified forests are exposed
To view, like specimens on the shelves
of a museum, standing on lodges tier
above tier where they grew, solemnly
silent in rigid crystalline beauty after
SWaying in the winds thousands of CEN
turtles ago, opening marvellous views
back into the years and climates and
life of the past. Here, too, are hills of
sparkling crystals, hills of sulphur,
hills of glass, hills of cinders and ashes,
mountains of every style of architec-
ture, icy or forested, mountains COW
hny
mettus, mountains boiled soft like po-
tatoes and colOred like a sunset sky.
a that and "a that, and twice as
muckle s a that, Nature has on show
in the Yellowstone park. Therefore, it
is called Wonderland. and thousands
of tourists and travellers stream into
1t every summer, and wander about in
il enchanted.
Thanks to Prof. Hayden.
Fortunately, almost as soon as it was
discovered it was dedicated and set
apart for the benefit of the people,
piece of legislation that shines benign
~ amid the common dust-and-ashes
history of the public domain, for which
the world must thank Prof. Hayden
above all others; for ne led the first
scientific exploring party into it, de-
scribed it, and, with admiring enthu-
siasm. urged congress TO preserve it.
AS delineated in the year 1872, the park
contained about 3,344 square miles On
March 80, 1891, it was enlarged by the
Yellowstone national park timber re-
serve, and in December, 1897. by the
Teton forest reserve; thus near
" doubling it's original area.
and extending the southern boun-
dairy far enough to take in the sub
lime Teton range and the famous pas
ture-lands of the big Rocky mountain
game animals. The withdrawal of this
large tract from the public domain did
no harm to any one; for it's height
5000 to over $4,000 feet above the sea-
and its thick mantle of volcanic rocks
prevent its ever being available for ag-
riculture or mining, while, on the 9TH
ell hand, its geographical position, re-
viving climate, and wonderful scenery
combine to make it a grand health
pleasure and study resort-a gathering
place for travellers from all the world
90 The national parks are not only with
drawn from sale and entry like The
forest reservations, but are efficiently
: managed and guarded by small troops
of United States cavalry, directed by
the secretary of the interior Under
this care the forests are fourishing,
protected from both axe and fire; and
so. of course, are the shaggy beds of
upaerbrush and the herbaceous vege-
tation. The so-called curiosities. also,
are preserved, and the furred and
feathered tribes, many of which, in
danger of extinction short time ago,
are now increasing in numbers.
Frosts Every Month.
This is the coolest and highest of
the parks. Frosts occur every month
of the year. Nevertheless the tender
est tourist finds it warm enough in
summer. The air is electric and full of
ozone, healing, reviving, eXhilarating,
kept pure by frost and fire, while the
scenery is wild enough to awaken the
dead. 1t is glorious place to grow
IN and rest in; camping on the shores
of the lakes, in the warm openings CT
the woods, golden with sunf1owers. on
the banks of the streams, by the snowy
waterfalls. beside the exciting wonders
or away from them in the scallops of
the mountain walls sheltered from ey
cry wind, on smooth silky lawns en-
ameled with gentians, up in the foun-
tain holloWs of the ancient glaciers
between the peaks, where cool pools
and brooks and gardens of precious
plants charmingly EMPOWERED are new
er wanting, and good rough rocks with
every variety Of cliff and scaur are in