Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08
INTERESTING FEATURES OF THIS
FAMOUS NATIONAL PRESERVE.
Truths So Strange That the Men Who
Told Them Were Reviled
as PrevaricatOrs.
Correspondence Chicago Record.


1905 When they arrived at Mandan on
their return In 1905 Golfer was discharged
and went into the employ of the North
western Fur Company In pursuit Of this
occupation he entered the Yellowstone VAL
ley and followed 1t to this region, by the
Indians called the summit of the world.
because 1t Is the source of all the great
rivers In the west The roadway between
Old Faithful and Yellowstone Lake crosses
the grand continental divide twice. where
a little spring upon the summit or the
continental feeds two rivulets, flowing in
different directions, and forming thus a
continuous water connection between the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. and covering
a distance of over 6.O00 miles
Besides the road between Mammoth Hot
Springs and Norris Basin and the Twin
Lakes presents a similar phenomenon:
They We're formerly a single body OF
water until the beavers built dam
across the middle and divided them almost
equally. The water of one of these little
lakes flows northward into the Yellowstone
and finds its way through the Missouri
and Mississippi rivers into the Gulf of Mex
leo. The other feeds Gibbon river, which
flows westward into the Snake, the Column
bia and the Pacific ocean. When they
were one lake they had two outlets now.
The water of one Of these lakes Is a dense
dark blue and sparkles like a sapphire. The
other from whatever point you observe 1t,
is livid green like the color of the waves
o
and the light
"COlter's HE'LL"
There is no doubt that Golfer discovered
the geysers, the Yellowstone Lake and
others of the most remarkable curiosities
in the park. but when he told ABOUT them
upon his return to st. Louis in 1911 people
refused to believe, and. in ridicule. called
the region which he claimed to have WIS.,
tied Golfers He'll" This name appears
upon many Of the early maps and was at
tached to the Yellowstone Park country
for at least a quarter OF century.
Golfer was not the only discoverer of the
Yellowstone Park, but suffered the most
extraordinary experience of any man that
ever visited this region. The Indians at
tackled him and killed his partner. Golfer
was taken prisoner, stripped naked, led to
point three or four hundred yards in adj
vance of a body of about 500 bucks and or
dered to run for his life. He did so, with
half thousand bowling savages after him.
This happened, fortunately for Golfer, be-
fore an indulgent government supplied its
wild wards with shooting implements, and
1t seemed to be understood that bows and
arrows must not be used against the fugi-
tive. Golfer. being overtaken by one fleet
Indian, turned and killed him. Then, re-
Stunning his flight, he plunged into a river
and concealed himself under some logs
SO effectually that the Indians supposed
he was drowned.
The next man to bring news of the yell
lowstone Park and its wonders was Jim
Bridger. after. Kit Carson the most famous
scout ever known upon the frontier. He
was Carson's partner, was with Fremont on
both his expeditions to California, discov-
cred the Great Salt lake and the pass
through which the overland caravans
crossed the continental divide. Army en-
gineers used to say that Jim Bridger was
the best natural topographer ever born.
Capt. Gunnison, in O report to the govern
ment. declared that>Bridger could draw an
accurate map OF the entire Rocky Mountain
region from memory on the back Of buff
falo hide with piece OF charcoal
Refused to Accept Reports.
The public refused for many years to &C
cept Brtdger's report Of the Great Salt
lake. and the remarkable narratives he
told OF the wonders Of the Yellowstone coun-
try were universally characterized as ''Old
Jim Bridgefs lies" He tried to have a
description of the country published, but no
newspaper Of that day would accept it. Col.
r. T. Van Horn, for many years editor Of
the Kansas City Journal. and for several
terms q member of Congress, prepared
series Of articles with material furnished by
Bridger. but 1t was impossible to induce any
magazine or other reputable periodical to
accept them. Although they were unusu-
ally accurate descriptions of natural phe-
nomena. since witnessed by every visitor to
this park, they we're then regarded as the
inventions OF a vulgar Munchausen. Bridger
described the country tersely as "a place
where hell bubbles up
For example. he never could make any
body believe In the existence Of q mountain
Of glass, which is now known to all tourists
as .Obsidian cliff, a remarkable formation
OF volcanic glass rising like basalt in verti-
cal columns several hundred feet high. A
considerable portion of the soil in that sec
ton of the park Is silica, crystal sand of
which glass is usually made. At this par
tioular spot. in some remote age. the silica
was melted by volcanic heat, and running
together formed q mountain of glass when
it cooled. The Indians used the material
for arrowheads and came hundreds Of miles
to obtain 1T, because 1t was better than flint
Another Of Jim Bridgers stories which
the public then refused to accept told OF
catching fish in cold water on one side, and
then, without taking them from the hook or
changing position, throwing them into a hot
spring. where they were cooked in few
moments. This, however, Is done frequently
Anybody can try the experiment who de-
station at what Is called The Thumb, q still
more traordinary experience may be en-
joyed. 1t Is possible to catch and cook
fish In the same water. At point along
charges its overflow directly into Yellow
stone lake. The specific gravity of hot
water being less than that of cold water.
the discharge of hot water floats in a
cold water of the lake for quite an area.
The lake abounds in salmon trout and other
fish that take the bait readily. Tourists
sink their hooks through the stratum Of hot
water into the cold water below, and when
Ash Is caught they draw 1t UP into the hot
water, where II will be cooked ready for
eating in a very few minutes. This is
favorite place for tourists to be photo
graphed. The scouts report that last win
ter an elk was cooked alive in one Of the
hot springs.
Most Extraordinary Yarn.
Perhaps the most extraordinary yarn told
by Jim Bridger Of the wonders OF this park
related to the petrified forest which he dis
covered alongside the Yellowstone river,
between the canon and the Mammoth Hot
Springs. From the accounts that have come
down to us, Bridger mas have INDUCED
in a little exaggeration. or. what Is more
likely. may not have been accurately re-
ported when he told about the petrifed
animals that stood In the petrif1ed forest,
and the petrified birds that sang petriied
songs. but nevertheless, with slight ex-
ceptions, the facts sustain him.
Ages ago, before the birth Of Adam, a
food Of liquid volcanic material submerged
forest for a hundred, and in places a
thousand. feet. Subsequent eruptions fol-
lowed in ages afterward, and the percola-
tion of the silicious waters soaked the tim
Der and turned it into stone. The result
is forest Of petrined trees. roots, bark,
limbs, leaves, worm holes and all, preserv-
ed with absolute fidelity by natures great
embalmer.
IHfYEy CnIt 1asrh nNicx no1