The sun., 1900-08-19
FEATURESOF OFYELLOWSTONE
THE GREAT PARK on THE sUhHIr
or NORTH AMERICA.
There Rises . sprinE whose water Bl,.cs IN.
Continent-Trsths No strange That IN.
Men who Told Them We're Reviled a, Liar,
Tho Puzzle OF the source Of n Noi,,

Continent-Trsths No strange That IN.
Men Who Told Them We're Revisd a, Liar,
Tho Puzzle OF the source Of Noi,.
From he Chicago Record
CASoN OF TIN YELLOWSTONE. Avg 6-'rhe
principal reason why the Yellowstone patk
country was so long unknown was tic In.
credulity Of the public and their refusal 10 be.
lieve the amazing stories that were told Of tho
natural wonders II contains The ur-t Whit
man TO wiCpess those wonders wa happe,
named Golfer, who accompanied Lewis and
Clark In their celebrated exploration Of tho
Northwest in 1905 When they arrived at Man.
dan on their return In 1906 Golfer was dis.
CHARGED and went into the employ Of the Nuri,.
western Fur Company. In pursuit Of tlis
occupation he entered the Yellowstone Valley
and followed II 10 this region. by the Indian,
called the summit OF the world. because IL /,
the source OF all the great rivers In the West
The roadway between Old Faithful and yellow.
stone Lake crosses the grand continental divide
twice, where little spring upon the summit y
the continent feeds two rvuets. flowing In
different directions. and forming thus a con'ln.
uous water connection between tho Atlanta
and Pacific oceans, and covering a distance Of
over 5000 miles.
Besides, the road between Mammoth Hot
Springs and Norris Basin and the Twin Lake,
presents a similar phenomenon. They wers
formerly single body Of water untll the beavers
built dam across the middle and divided them
almost equally. The water of one Of these littls
lakes flows northwHd into the Yellowstone
and finds ts way through the Missouri and the
Mississippi rivers into the Gulf OF Mexico. The
other feeds Gibbon River. which flows west
ward into the Snake. the Columbia and the
Pacific Ocean. When they we're one lake
tboy had fyn nuftnte ne frba nm =
one of these lakes Is dense dark blue and
sparklos like a sapphire. The other. from
whatever point you observe IT, is livid green,
like the color OF the waves Of the ocean when
they rise between you and the light
There Is no doubt that Golfer discovered tho
geysers, the Yellowstone Lake and others Of tho
most remarkable curosites in the park, but when
he told about them upon his return 10 ST Louis
In 1911 people refused 10 believe him, and in
rldlcule, called the region which he claimed TO
have visited Golfers He'll" This name ap-
pears upon many OF the early maps and was
attached 10 the Yellowstone Park country for
at least a quarter Of century.
ColSer was not the only dscoverer Of tho
Yell W stone Park. but suffered the most e1-
raordlnary experience of any man that ever
visited this region The Indians attacked
him and killed his partner. Golfer was taken
prisoner. stripped naked. led to a point three
or four hundred yards In advance Of body Of
about 500 bucks and ordered to run for his life.
He did so, with half thousand bowling savages
after him. This happened fortunately for
Golfer, before an indulRent Government sup
pli ed It's wild wards with shooting implements
and II seemed TO be understood that bows and
arrows must not be used against the fugitive.
Golfer, being overtaken by one feet Indian,
10.
flight, he plunged into a river and concealed
himself under some logs so effectually that the
Indians supposed he was drowned,
Tho next man TO bring news OF the Yellow
stone Park and It's wonders was Jim Bridger,
after Kit Carson. the most famous scout ever
known upon the frontier. He was Carson's
par tner, was with Fremont on both OF his eI-
petitions 10 California. discovered the Great
Salt Lake and the pass through which the
overland caravans crossed the continental
divide. Army engineers used TO say that Jim
Brdger was the best natural topographer
ever born. Capt Gunnison. in a report 10 the
declared that Brldeer could draw
IN accurate map Of the entire Rocky Mountain
region from memory on the back OF q buffalo
The public refused for many years TO accept
Bridger's report OF the Great Salt Lake, and the
narratives he told OF the wonders
as -Od jim Bridgers lies
He tried TO have description Of the country
6I1 no oi na1 asy
editor Of the konsqs Cig Journal, and fot
several terms 2 member Of Congress. PREPARED
Bridger. but y was impossible 70 induce any
mag azine or other reputable periodical 10 accept
hem, Although they were unusually accurate
aessed d By Bye every visitor to this park. they we're
hen regarded as the inventions OF vulgar
sTssR as pscS sdSS SSera Ss Sbs GPr
For example he never could make anybody
believe in the existence Of mountain q glass
Cliff. a remark able formation OF volcanic glass
Using like bisalt In vertical columns several
hundred feet high. A considerable portion of
,rystal sand Of which glass is usually made.
tt this particular spot In some Iepote o age age
me 1nnns CS toSetSeI s formed moSntSin Of glass
when Il cooled The Indians used the mate
'ial for arrowheads. and came hundreds ot
niles to obtain II because II was better than
Hnother OF Jim Bridgers stories which, tho
public then refused 10 accept told q catching
,ut taking them from the hook or changing
,9sition throwing them into 2 hot spring.
his however, IL done frequently Xnybody
an Try the experiment who desires, and within
few yards OF the lunch, station. at what 10
nee may b. snoyed O + Is pSssb o
al tch and cook a FISH in the same water. Ats
'cfnt along the shore an immense boiling spring
its overflow directly into Yellow
tone Lake The specific gravity OF hot water
eipg less than that Of cold water, the discharge
( hot water foats in a stratum two or thres
set thick upon the cold water OF the lake for
ute an area The lake abounds IN salmon
rout and other fish that take the bait readily.
ourists sink their hooks through the stratum
I, hot water into the gold water below and.
hen nsh Is caught, they draw II up into Tie
OF water where II will be cooked ready for
ating Ia very few minutes. This Is favor
q place for tourists to be photographed Th9
routs report that last winter an elk was cooked
live In one OF the hot springs.
Perhaps the most extraordinary yarn told
v Jim Bridger Of the wonders Of this park
slated 70 the petri1ed forest which he dis
overed alongside the Yellowstone River. be-
Seen the canon and the Mammoth Hot Springs.
rom the accounts that have come down 10 us,
ridger NAV have indulged In a little eEagger-
ton, or, what is more likely, may not have been
ccuratey reported when he told about the pct
fed animals that stood In the petrifed forest
nd the petrifed birds that sang petrifed songs.
ut nevertheless with slight Ell ceptions the facts
istain him.
Ages ago before the birth OF Adam. a frd
liquid volcanic material submerged a forest
" hundred. and. m places n thousand feet.
Ibsequent eruptions followed in ages after
ard and the percolation Of the sillcious waters
'eked the timber and turned II into stone, The
suit ls forest Of petrtfed trees, roots. bark,
nbs, leaves. worm holes and all. preserved
- AN..AA AL .N...-AN