The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-05

| is fully indicated by the large number
| of tourists awaiting themselves of it
during the present season. Inspections
of these camps showed them to be COM
Portable, clean and well kept. with more
| conveniences about them than is usual
| ly found in camp life. 1t is probable
that, for sanitary reasons, their loca-
| tons may have to be changed from
| time to time
There have been no fires within the
limits of the park during the present
year Notices containing the precau-
| lions to guard against fire are posted
| throughout the park and all places suit
able for camping. AS an additional
precaution, mounted patrols examine
all camps on their line of travel after
| they are vacated to see that camp fires
are extinguished In a few instances
! fires have been found in deserted
| camps, and on two occasions the par
ties wholeft them We're pursued, arrest
ed and brought before the United
States commissioner for trial.
| The facts reported by the superin-
tendent regarding wild animals in the
park have heretofore appeared briefly
| in this correspondence. He says ante
| lopes have increased and are now all
| within a few miles of his post, on the
| foothills We're there is little or no
| snow. About 600 can be seen here
nearly every day. There are probably
not more than 700 or 800 in the park. 1t
| is with the greatest difficulty that they
are preserved at all, as they are con-
stantly trying to get across the line and
outside of the park limits, where there
are numerous hunters watching for an
opportunity to shoot them. 1t requires
one of the civilian scouts and two sol
diers to be permanently posted along
this part of the line to drive them
back. AS they wander across in the
night time, these must be on the alert
11nfr n o1-hr tn tt1s,,, from
being killed. fence about four miles
long on this boundary of the park
would solve the problem of their pro-
lection. Bears are numerous and are
without doubt increasing. They are to
| be seen about the hotels in numbers
and have given much trouble at these
places by breaking into buildings in
search of food. 1t will undoubtedly be
| necessary to kill, some of them TO pre-
vent such destruction. 1t is not known
| how many buffalo there are left or
| whether or not they are increasing. One
Of the scouts saw rs last spring and
signs were seen Of others. 1t is prob
able that there are SO or more. There
| are many coyotes, especially where the
antelope are ranging. They undoubt-
eddy kill many antelope, as well as
young elk and deer, The only means of
getting rid of them is by poison. This
method will be tried during the winter.
There are many deer in the park.
They can be seen at this season all
about the post, and they frequently
come on the parade. They are increas
| ing. Elk are more numerous than any
other animal in the park. The scouts
report seeing herds of a thousand Or
more. While great many died last
winter, due to the unusually cold
weather. yet they are, without doubt
rapidly increasing. Some of the scouts,
from the number of dead ones seen
1Iyr hoy ttrnra In t1,nt
5000 died during the past winter 1t is
estimated that there are at present
from $4,000 to 10000 in the park. Little
| is known as to the number of moose,
but there are still quite a number left
and they will probably increase now,
owing to the stringent laws against
killing them in Wyoming. They range
principally along the southern line of
the park in Wyoming. There are not
| many sheep in the park, and 1t is not
| known as to whether or not they are
| increasing. Most of them are on Mount
| Everts and can be seen any day. There
are many beaver in the park and they
are believed to be increasing. Noun
tain lions are numerous and destroy
much game. Several were killed last
winter where the mountain sheep
| range.
Early in June small road crews were
sent along the roads to open up the
route for tourist travel. 1t was neces-
sary for them to shovel out the snow
nearly the whole distance. The road
over the continental divide was not
opened and ready for travel until June
%, and it was July before the snow
finally disappeared from this part of
the road.
High water carried away part Of the
bridge over the east fork of the Vel
| lowstone, cutting off the station at
Soda Butte. This was promptly repair
ed. The snowfall during the winter
was the heaviest ever known in the
history of the park and the consequent
high water in the spring called for un-
| usual repairs to roads. The most i'm
pOrtant work done was the construc-
ton of a new road of about three miles
between the Golden gate and Mann
| moth hot spring. The ascent to the
Golden gate has always been one of
the heaviest in the park, and to avoid
| this Captain Chittenden projected this
| road. 1t is the best piece of road build
ing in the park and makes the travel
from here to Golden gate comparative
| ly easy, besides bringing into view
many picturesque objects that could
not be seen from the old road.
The superintendent makes the follow
| ing estimate of funds needed for pro-
lection during the coming fiscal year:
For scouts and detectives, $4,000; for
one clerk, office of superintendent one
year. $1,000; 40 tons of hay at $14, $3.50;
contingencies, $500; two new stations
for troops at detached points, s1912!
| four and one-half miles of fence along
north boundary between this post and
Gardiner, $3.50; station house and gate
at northern entrance to park, $1,000;
surveying and monumenting boundar-
les of park, SO miles, at SIS, s4,425.
The first two items provide for pay
ment of regular scouts and detectives
and a clerk for the office of the super
intendent. The hay is for elk and deer
in captivity. The amount for contin-
gencies is for necessary expenditures
that cannot be forseen. The remaining
items have been included in Captain
Chittendens estimates to the chief of
engineers.
If the appropriation is made for the
new stations, it Is the superintendent
intention to establish one in the ex-
| treme northwestern corner of the mark