The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-07
UNCLESAM'S WONDERLAND
SOME BEAUTIES OF THE YELLOW
STONE PARK As LATELY SEEN.
Picturesque and Fantastic Rioting of
Dame Nature I'm the Famous
Government Preserve.

Ell route for Yellowstone Park, under the
care OF Mr. w. w. Richardson, district
passenger agent Of the Pennsylvania Rail-
way, and Mr. John +. Turner, district pas
senger agent Of the Northern Pacific Rail-
way The long train of elegant vestibuled
sleeping coaches carried our party of 40
persons safely and luxuriously across the
continent and landed them, without the
dlsarrangement OF a plan, at the little
town OF Gardiner. From there we were at
once conveyed by stage few miles, where
the sign. yellowstone Park" met our
eager eyes and we began to thrill and kept
the sensation up for week.
Imagine one perched high on the drivers
seat OF a four-horse coach, the rarefed,
sun-lit morning air inspiring one. three
seated coachful Of agreeable people be-
hind and the UNEMPLOYED beauties of the
park whetting her anticipation OF the long
drive OF 10 miles which lies beforel This
trip which. in advance. might have been
dreaded as tiresome, is admirably ar
ranged. Divided into little Journeys, each
treat in ITSELF a week in the Yellowstone
is time Of joy and Of wonder. and is re-
markedly free from discomfort. These
coaches are heavy-built, comfortable
things. with room for three on each seat.
The horses are enduring and spirited, the
drivers cautious. At the end OF each days
Journey is a mountain hosiery, clean, SIM
pie and sufficient. Our party Of Indianians
left the Mammoth Springs Hotel, at
the entrance OF the park. in fine spirits.
We had enjoyed a delightful trip over the
Northern Pacific, in luxurious style, and
had been gradually prepared for the beau
ties Of the park by the scenery of the ad-
5acent country. We had reached the hotel
on Sunday morning and spent long after
noon climbing over the terraces, a stones
throw away.
THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
These terraces are the first step in this
wonderland. Snowy, chalk-like cliffs rising
one above the other, they are the object OF
the first visit Of all tourists. Fired with the
ardor of the neophyte, many Of our party
climbed TO the very top OF the Jupiter Ter
race, where Is to be seen the first boiling
spring, an immense basin Of the clearest
blue. The water comes tumbling down over
the white precipices, sending up clouds of
steam. leaving here and there an iron-col-
ored streak which but enhances the gen.
eral wilderness OF the cliffs.
The entrance to the great park is pictur-
esque. Here, near the large hotel, is Fort
Yellowstone, with sentinels industriously
pacing their beats; near it is row of
handsome cottages for the accommodation
of Uncle Sans men whose duty II Is to
patrol and protect from vandalism this
unique possession of the government. The
ordinary route Of the tourist lies in a cir
Gle which comprises the greatest sights of
the park and is one long series of the
most beautiful pictures which nature in
her most prodigal and changeful moods
could produce Nobody can ever forget that
hrsf days drive Of forty miles. Forty
milesl 1t sounded long and wearisome. but
1t was short and magical. Could we but
import this mountain air to Indiana what
creatures might we becomel Though our
taunting was unceasing, nobody was ever
tired. nobody ever sleepy and nobody half
SO hungry as he had expected to be.
But to return TO this morning of starting
with its hurry and hustle, when coach
after coach came sweeping round the
curve to the hotel veranda the horses
cavorting and the drivers elated over
the prospect of new people. Our own
particular driver had made the tour eight
times already this season and without an
accident of any kind. And blithely did we
store ourselves and our hand baggage into
the capacious seats OF mo. IT," wrapped
up in as many clothes as we would wear
at home in December. The mornings in this
mountain country are very cold, but we
had a week of perfect weather; not one
moment being lost on account OF rain. The
curiosities OF the park break upon one very
soon. The driver calls out that we ap-
proach the Silver Gate and the "Hoodoos."
OF all the curiosities OF the park these
Hoodoos are the greatest Several acres Of
huge white angular stones have been
pushed from the bosom OF earth, leaning
up at varying angles and so close together
that the pines, which have obtained scanty
foothold among them, have died and help
to make the scene ghost-pke and desolate.
But the beautiful Golden Gate follows so
quickly that the Hoodoos are forgotten.
This road, winding about a cliff, was hewn
from rock and is strengthened by the most
costly piece OF engineering in the park, a
handsome viaduct.
BEAUTY ON EVERY SIDE.
Here is Gibbon canyon. On the right is
the cliff OF red rock and below is the beau
tiful. coquettish river, while the majestic
cliff on the left Is covered with a delicate
golden hchen. Just as we have expended
all our outcries and ejaculations-we are
novices. and have not learned the wisdom
OF silence-some one says. look ahead
and. tearing our eyes away from these
restful cliffs, there falls before us the fairy
cataract OF the Gibbon river-not majestic,
nor awe-inspiring, but silvery clear over a
bed OF greenest moss. thick and deep.
We saw much in this days ride of the
~entler moods OF nature as well as of her
cal,'ice; OF the charming prettiness in
which she delights; of the coquetry with
which she arranges flower and weed, tree
and mountain stream. Beside our path so
often there pur ed a little mountain
stream. clear as rystal. cold as ice and
rushing on with Incredible swiftness. Later.
when we were all saying what had pleased
US best. one OF US recalled that fairy
story where the peasant found g little
stream emerging from a nutshell. plugged
IL up with moss and carried 1t home. This
f. what I should have done IL possible.
Imagine such little stream ripping and
gurgiing beneath ones window in hot, fiat
and waterless Indianapolis
The sOmbre pines were seen In all their
beauty on this ride. clothing every cliff and
every ravIne. thousands stunted and other
thousands magnihcently tall and straight
and close as an army. Then. too, the pathos
OF them; for there lay the dead OF con-