The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-27

this flowing water was TO build up. so that
these terraces now stand as the seeming
remnants of overgrown lime kilns. having
left behind them their acres of calcareous
substance Of gray whiteness, as soft to the
touch as me chalk OF commerce. In wan
dering over plateaus a hollow sound
is heard beneath the feet. and the feeling
Of the traveller is that the foundations
might give way and drop him into the
supposed secthing furnaces CT the abysmal
depths beneath. The whole geyser forma
ton of this region produces the same SEN
sation it seems 10 be hanging over an
illinlitable void below.
A BEAUTIFUL SPECTACLE.
Jupiter Terrace stands at an elevation OF
a thousand feet below that of its extinct
ancestors. It's plateau and crater may not
exceed in elevation a hundred feet above
the road at its base. Here the first splen-
did coloring is seen. Boiling water, in
filmy sheets Of silvery spray, pour over its
billowy sides. The reflection Of the suns
light through this sparkling. crystal, lace
like covering upon the substance beneath
varies through the shades OF bright gold,
pink and cream, commingling SO harmoni-
Ously together as TO produce transparent
brilliancy. This beautiful blending OF col
OTs by natures artist must be seen in its
mountain frame to leave an impression
that will linger long as things beautiful
delight the eye. Again, threading the way
through and amongst a most curious for
nation Of grotesque rocks that rise 10
different heights and are in so many weird
shapes that they have been named the
'Hoodoos." the Golden Gate. or entrance
to what some call the park proper. is
reached through grand and rugged scenery,
including Rustic Falls and its beautiful
cascades, and the tourist finds himself on
an elevated plateau of some 1000 feet. COM
prising bright glade. with Swan lake as
a centerpiece, the whole framed in a mat
ting of lofty pines, still further beautified
by snow-capped peaks around and beyond.
From this time on the entire journey
through the park is at an elevation ex-
ceeding 1900 feet.
The first night brings the traveller to
Willow Park Camp. Here permanent tents
are pitched at the foot of the mountain
towering above us. Near by is a babbling
| brook Astounding in speckled trout. while
| still nearer, gushing from the mountain
| side, is a cold Apollinaris spring, the deli
| cious waters of which are charged deep
| down in earth's laboratory. Add to this
| the lofty pines, the stars shining through
the clear, crisp atmosphere a congenial
company gathered around a dancing. spark
| ling fire piled high with resinous logs,
and a much more ideal spot could not be
| desired.
At this place the animal life of this great
| geological garden assumes interest The
| Industrious beaver, who fishes for the trout
without rod, bait or fly, makes his habita-
| ton in the stream near by, where his me-
| chanical skill is displayed in curiously-co
| structed, compact dams Other of the
| larger animal life abounds in the park,
such as black brown and silver-tip bear,
| deer, elk and some bison or buffalo, while
the forests TEEN with the small animals,
such as the graceful chipmunk, gray squir-
rel and the burrowing woodchuck. These
| are all so little molested that they are ap-
! parently tame. Bruin, however. who takes
| the greatest interest in civilized affairs, is
| a regular visitor to all the permanent
camps and the three summer hotels. In
| some OF the camps he has become do
nestle that he can be fed from the hand,
and the mother bear often brings her cubs
to partake of the garbage. These big, bur-
| ly fellows can only be killed when, through
| their marauding habits, they become dan
gerous, and then only by permit of govern
ment. Only one of their many funny
! freaks will be mentioned At one of the
| summer hotels a large, black bear had be-
| come so sure of his welcome that he in
! vaded the dining room as a guest of honor,
which caused such CONSERVATION among
the paid guests that his bearship soon had
possession of the entire feast, which, for
his greater convenience. he proceeded to
| spread on the floor, taking along knives,
forks, dishes and table linen. His boldness
and sociability cost him his life, as the de-
cree went forth that he must die, although
the earlier settler in this, his primeval
| home
A PICTURESQUE WAY.
Beaver and Twin lakes are soon passed,
beautiful sheets of water, the first of which
lies almost in the shadow of the Obsidian
cliff. a mountain of veritable glass. Legend
says that the conflicting tribes of the once
noble red man met here on neutral grounds
to supply themselves with arrow and spear
heads, and also carried away this obsidian
for the use of their wives in making uten-
sis for light housekeeping. Leaving this
! object of interest the tourist is soon in
| sight OF Roaring mountain. From its
| SlOplng SIDES nunOredS OF Columns or steam
arise, suggesting the activities of a busy
manufacturing center. Next is the Devil
Frying Pan, then Norris's basin. a place of
hot pools and boiling paint pots, with their
variegated mixtures. Following down the
| canyon of Gibbon river, whose waters
plunge over a precipice of hundred feet
to the deep gorge below. comes, after dis
| tance OF few miles, the ascent of the pic
turesque Fire Hole river, which, with the
| Gibbon, forms the Madison.
Next comes the region known as the
| Lower and Upper basins, where, to many,
the greatest marvels of this wonderland
are found. At the Lower basin is Excelsior
geyser, the largest eruptive body of water
in the park. Here also are seen Rainbow
and Prismatic hot water lakes, appropriate
| ly named for their great beauty and their
reflection of the prismatic colors. A few
miles further and the Upper basin is
| reached. 1t is the amphitheater of more
geysers, large and small, regular and ir-
| regular, than can be seen elsewhere in the
world of amending marvels. Within an
area OF two miles square are found TO eX-
coed 1900 OF these pools and fountains.
| They issue from receptacles of various
forms. curious grotesque and beautiful.
Some are in settings of seemingly delicate
tinted coral, and others are surrounded