The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-05
NATIONAL PARK REPORT
Valuable Information Relating
to the Reserve.
WATCHING THE POACHERS
The System OF Mounted Patrols-Nearly
Four Thousand Tourists.
Wild Animals Are
Increasing.
Washington Bureau of the Standard. /
No, 1145 G, Street, n. W,


ent of the Yellowstone National park,
Captain Oscar J. Brown, contains much
valuable information concerning that
great preserve. The captain says he
arrived at Fort Yellowstone with Troop
M, list cavalry, June 5, and within two
or three days thereafter began reliev-
ing the detachments of the Fourth cav
airy stationed throughout the park
with men from his own troop. The de-
tachment at Snake river was not re-
lieved until the last of June, owing to
the great depth of snow. For the purpose
of enforcing the regulations relating
to the protection of the natural phe-
nomena of the park from injury and
mutilation, to the carrying of firearms,
protection from forest fires and care of
the animals, fish and birds of the park,
detachments composed of from 3 to 10
enlisted men We're stationed during the
summer at the following points, each
station being in charge of non-com-
missioned officer. Norris geyser basin,
Lower geyser basin. Upper geyser ba-
sin, the Thumb. west side of lake, Lake
state, near Lake hotel, Grand canyon,
Soda Butte, Riverside. Snake river
A system of mounted patrols is kept
up daily from each of these stations,
covering approximately $50 miles Of
road, making the distance Travelled
each day about $50 miles. The DISPOSE
tions for the winter have been modified
by abandoning the Thumb and Upper
geyser basin as stations. changing the
number of men at others and a new
station will be established on the east
side of the Yellowstone river, to cover
what is known as the Hell-roarng
country.
1y along the roads Travelled by tourists.
When the hunting season begins the
country covered by the scouts is that
where the game usually ranges and
where poaching would most probably
be DONE Frequent scouts are made
from the permanent stations, and to
facilitate this a number of snowshca
cabins have been constructed at about
a days trip apart.
In these cabins a small amount of
food is placed at the beginning of the
winter, together with bedding, fuel
cooking utensils. etc. These cabins and
the supplies contained in them are in
dispensable, as without them trips of
only one day at a time, or at most only
two or three days, could be made from
the permanent stations, as the travel
has to be made on skees and it is i'm
practicable under these circumstances
to carry bedding or supplies; and such
short scouts would leave a large part
of the game country entirely unpro-
tected.
The aggregate number of tourists
taking the park trip during the season
of 1899 and stopping at the hotels of
the Yellowstone Park association was
1887. OF this number the Yellowstone
National Park Transportation company
carried from the northern entrance of
the park 1897; and Haynes & Humph
rey, from the western entrance of the
reservation, Ala: the remainder-226
people-were bicyclers or those carried
in private transportation. The total
number carried through the park by w.
W. Wylie and accommodated at his
permanent camps was 975. Mr.. Wylie
also reports transient custom at his
camps during the season amounting to
an equivalent of 1905 persons for one
day. The aggregate number of persons
taking the park trip with licensees of
personally conducted camping parties
was 703 and the aggregate number
travelling with private TRANSFORMATION
Camping parties) was 1924. The grand
total of all visitors to the park during
the season was 9,579.
Three thousand one hundred and six
tourists took the trip on the Yellow
stone lake during the season, of which
1926 came into the park with the reg
ular transportation company, 127 with
Humphrey & Haynes and 1.453 who
were travelling with camping parties,
GIG Of whom were with the Wylie
Camping company.
The report says: THE hotels in the
park are oW ned and managed by the
Yellowstone Park association. ]. H.
Dean is president of the association.
They are thoroughly well kept in every
respect and are models Of cleanliness
and neatness No complaint as to their
management has come to my notice,
nor do I believe any could justly be
made In addition to the hotels, this
association maintains lunch stations at
Norris basin, Upper basin and at the
Thumb. The system of hotels should
include one at the Upper geyser basin.
The principal geysers are here, and IT
is perhaps the most interesting and
wonderful point along the whole line of
tourist travel. At present this place is
visited from Fountain hotel, at Lower
Geyser basin, distant nine miles, for
which a day is required and involving
an extra travel of IS miles. An oppor-
tunity to see some of the greatest gey-
sers in action is often lost to tourists
by their not being able to stay over
night here.
1.-THE Monida & Yellowstone Stage
company runs from Monida on the Ore
gon Short Line into the park by way
of Riverside station. and the trip in
cludes the same points of interest as
the other line. Both of these lines are
thoroughly equipped with the best
Concord coaches and harness, have
good horses, reliable drivers and give
excellent service. w. w. Wyie is IL
censed to use 20 wagons in connection
with his permanent camps and certain
other parties are issued licenses for
number of wagons-not to exceed five
for each Icensee-tO do a movable
camping business. The names of these
licensees and the number of wagons so
employed are included in the appendix.
The teams. vehicles and drivers en-
ployed by Mr.. Wyle and the other Ii
censees were adequate for the purpose,
and so far as I know gave general sat
lsfaction. The Yellowstone Lake Boat
company has one steamboat on the
lake and makes daily trips from the
Thumb to the Lake hotel, connecting at
the Thumb with the stage line coming
from Fountain hotel and affording such
tourists as desire it an opportunity to
make the trip from the Thumb to the
Lake hotel by water and obtain view
of he lalr The eouipu1ept and man