The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-19
YELLOWSTONE PATRoLLERS.
TWO TROOPS OF u. $. CAVALRY USE
SKIS SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR.

a " " ts - Y n y AIM USE
SKIS SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
Dressed in Special Clothing and
Travelling in Pairs, the soldiers
Cover Beats of Twenty Miles n
DsS-How They Fly ina Coasting
and Corduroy" Going Up the
Mountains Capturing Poachcrs
and Guarding the Wild Game Arc
the Duties of the Garrison whose
Users.
Copyright. 1902, byA. L. Bradley0
Crowded on a little plateau Of tufa,
surrounded by mountains on all sides,
is the army post Of Fort Yellowstone,
in Yellowstone National Park. Its alti-
tude is $500 feet. and that of most
of the park is from 1000 to 5000 feet.
The garrison consists of two troops
of cavalry and its duty is to patrol
and protect from marauders the park
and the adjoining timber reserves, in
all vast area of more than 5000
square miles, the greatest game pre-
serve in the world.
In this region are found elk, deer,
antelope, mountain sheep, a few buff
falo, moose, beaver, mountain lion,
etc, and to obtain the valuable furs
of some of these animals; to secure
the heads of others which as game
trophies have become rare and valu
able, and to procure the flesh of still
others for market purposes, many un>
principled men deliberately violate the
law.
During the summer season the work
of the soldier can be readily accom-
pished mounted, patroling the main
roads and trails, but during the win
ter season the depth of the snow makes
travel of the ordinary kind impossible.
1t is in the winter that lawlessness
can best be conducted. and it is dur
ing this time that the greatest vigil
lance must be exercised by the troops.
The localities where game is known to
range, and which poachers frequent,
must be often inspected. The snow
shoe or the ski is the only means by
which this can be accomplished from
November until May. So when the
early SHOWS have deeply covered the
ground the summer mount Is aband-
oned to the stable and the hardy
trooper takes to the ski as his winter
steed.
Picture a toboggan like arrangement
from nine to twelve feet long, four
inches wide; with it's sides parallel
from the up-curVed toe, and about an
inch in thickness in the center, thin
ming toward either end, and you have
a ski. The toggle to hold the foot con-
sists of straps and rings, which are
fastened just a little forward Of the
center of the ski, and secures the foot
by the toe only. The Park soldier al
ways carries pole or staff about six
feet long, which he uses as balancing
stick. and as an aid to progress in
coasting when the speed is too great
he rides this staff stick horse" fash
ion as brake to retard speed.
In using the ski a peculiar stride is
necessary; one foot is thrust ahead so
as to acquire gliding motion, and
while thus sliding the other foot re
peats the movement then the first
again, and so on. The skis are not
lifted, but are pushed forward by pecu-
liar movements or thrusts of the thigh,
the weight of the body being thrown
forward to aid impetus. On level
ground good speed can be attained; in
going down a declivity one literally
flies. but to go up is a different propo-
sition. II not too steep, one can go di-
rectly up. lifting the skis slightly SO
that the snow which may adhere will
overcome the tendency to slip back
ward; or if steep. the summit may be
reached by zigzagging back and forth,
or by sidestepping, known locally as
the corduroy" method There is also
the feather stitch step. which is how
ever. but little used. so called because
the tracks left resemble the seamstress
stitch of that name; the skis are turn
ed out at a wide angle, and advanced
alternately one in front of the other di-
rectl. up the incline.
In turning about beginner makes
awkward progress, for he must take
short steps, first with one ski then the
other in the desired direction, but the
expert lifts one foot forward high from
the ground, so that the heel can be
bI ought to the front, and with swing
and a turn OF the foot causes the toe
OF this ski to point backward, bringing
the foot to the ground. the skis par
allel, but the toes pointing in opposite
direction. The other ski is then simply
carried around the first until the toes
point the same way, and the about face
is completed. 1t looks easy. but many
a hard fall has to be accepted in mas
tering this feat.
In many parts OF this country and
more particularly in Northern Europe
the ski is used for sport-'for trials OF
speed and endurance but its use in the
athletic sense is not known in the Park.
1t is confined to the hard work of duty
and patrol. Skiing is most fatiguing
and the progress made depends on con-
ditions OF snow and weather. In fair
weather and or good hard snow. many
miles can be made with less fatigue
than can one when the snow Is poor,
and the members Of the party are
Obliged to take turn about in going
first to break trail
The itinerary i'm the Park is so
planned that not more than twenty
miles skiing is contemplated as days
journey.
Scattered in the Park are eight win
ter stations for the soldiers, each gar
risoned usually by one non-commis
stoned officer and three privates. These
stations are comfortable cabins. built
Of logs and chinked with mud or plas-
ter; the men are furnished the ordi-
nary equipment OF the soldier, the ra-
tions and such additions to IL as the
state of the troop fund will permit. Ali
supplies for eight months are put In
early in autumn by wagon transporta-
ton.
Each station has assigned TO it a GER
tain district, which the men must keep
patroled, watching carefully for any
evidence OF poaching. and in general
noting anything of interest as to the
game It's condition. etc. The non-com-
missioned officer in charge makes
reports to the Park Superin-
tendent, who Is also the post com
mander, as TO the work done. the trips
made. and all matters OF interest; II
anything unusual transpires he makes