The Van Buren press., 1903-08-29

dav extra, above the regular tour, 70
spend in the Park, the Canyon Hotel Is
generally selected to spend that day at'
and it well repays for the extra time
spent The hotel is modern throughout.
An extra charge of 81 per day, aside
from the regular $40 so rate for o.
days trip is made for each day over that
length of time spent at the park hotels
+. 1t will well repay visitors to provide
themselves with a good field glass before
making tour of the Park for, especially
at this point, will it come into fine play.
All the works of nature here are on sucha
stupendous scale and the distances SO
great that a good glass is great aid
Erosion, the action of wind, snow and
rain, have scanned and sculptured the
soft formation of the canyon walls into
most fantastic shapes. 1t does not
require great imagination to form castles
of the middle ages from the pinnacles
which jut out from the sides of the wall
and rise up from the depths, and on the
most inaccessible of all an eagle has
built its nest, plainly visible to the
hacked eve. The grandeur of the scene
is best described in the words of Rev.
DR.. Wayland Hoyt:
Down at the base the deepest MOSES
unroll their draperies of the most vivid
green; browns, sweet and soft, do their
blending, white rocks stand spectral /;
turrets of rock shoot up as crimson
AS though they were dreuChed through
with blood. 1t is a wilderness of color.
1t is impossible that even the pencil of
an artist can tell it, What you would
call, accustomed to the softer tints Of
nature, an exaggeration, would be the
! utmost tameness compared with the
reality. 1t is as if the most glorious
sunset you ever saw had been caught
and held upon that resplendent, awful
gorge,
1t was hard afternoon work to try,
in a satisfactory manner, to see the
principal points here, but it had it be
done, for the next day must carry us
through the Norris Geyser Basin and
Mammoth Hot Springs to the northern
entrance of the Park.
On Monday morning the usual start
was made. The twelve-mile drive to the
Norris Geyser Basin which we :eached
by II 80 is principally through undulat-
ing pine forests. We again cross the
divide at an altitude of 5000 feet. The
only thing Of more than passing note
are the Virginia Cascades and the tine
piece of engineering work done there by
the government in constructing road.
Norris Geyser Basin reached, we
walk around to examine the sights
before lunch The geysers in this basin
do not compare in point Of eruptiyt
violence with those of the Upper an,
Lower Basins. The basin covers ~
area Of six square miles and is one OF
the most interesting portions of the
Park from II geologic standpoint frou
the fact Of its being one of the higheS
geyser basins in the Park and many 0.
its active geysers of quite recent origin
The Constant or Minnie Man is ont
of the greatest attractions in this basin
It's eruptions occur regularly every sixty
seconds and Jets are thrown up from
thirty to forty feet.
\ The Black Growler also Is sure Il
attract the attention Of visitors. 1t ha
chimney.shaped opening and throw
off but little water, but n great quantit!
Of steam under heavy pressure is con
stantly escaping.
good many Of the hot springs in thi
basin are strongly impregnated will
sulphur, the basins Of several showing
quite n deposit Of crystali2ed sulphur
The Monarch is the king Of the geyser
Of this basin, its eruptions at time
reaching height of 100 feet,
After leaving Norris 40 scenery 0
special ncte Is passed until we reacl
Obsidian Cliff, This is the only exposed
ridge Of volcanic glass in the Rocky
Mountains and this materi Il being
more desirable than flint for arrov
heads, It was once II famous resort fo
all tribes Of Indians, Chips Of obsidaI
and specimens Of partly finished arrow
heads are found throughout the Park
ut places generally occupied by tn,
Indians ny summer camps, The yerti
cal columns Of this, nature 3 glass ris,
IN places 10 height Of 2j0 feet aboy,
the roadway, Now we enter the SWal
Lake Basin and here take our fare
well view Of the suOw.cupped peaks o
the Galhtin range and the Electri,
Peak the highest mountain in the north
ern portion Of the Park, whose SUNNI
rises TO u height Of II l25 feet above SCI
level II derives It's name from tn
fact that great deposit Of mineral
renders the workings of the surveyor
transit impossible when on the noun
tain
Now we are headed for marrow
dehle aud pretty soon we pass what on
driver tells us Is styled the Colder
Gate, II Is one of the most rugged an,
picturesque passes IN the park Her,
some very fine engineering work VII
required In building u road yet n,