The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-04-25
HIS TOUR OF THE
WEST RESUMED
President Roosevelt Lays Corner
stone Of Park Gate.
IN WINTER
DECLARES PROBLEM OF WATER
SUPPLY MOST IMPORTANT.

DECLARES PROBLEM OF WATER
SUPPLY MOST IMPORTANT.
= ARDINER. Mont, April 24-Presi-
n dent Roosevelt this afternoon re-
sumed his tour of the west. Be
fore going. however. he participated iu
the laying of the cornerstone OF the
new gate at the northern entrance TO
Yellowstone park. The ceremony was
performed according TO the Masonic
ritual, and was i'm charge Of the grand
officers of the state of Montana. Spe-
cial trains brought hundreds of people
here, including large body of Masons.
and as the weather was perfect the
scene was a very pretty one The pres
ldent rode down from the post accom-
panied by Major Pitcher and was es-
corted 10 a gally decorated stand
Where he delivered an address. Troops
u and G. of the Third cavalry from
Fort Yellowstone were drawn up ia
/ front of the stand as a guard of honor.
Frank r. smith, grand master. con-
/ Quoted the services. The president. on
behalf of the Masons of the state. was
presented with Masonic charm
mounted ON a nugget of Montana gold.
The president began his address by
thanking the people and the soldiers
| for his enjoyable two weeks holiday
and then spoke of the natural wonders
I of the park.
The Bears Are Tame.
THE Yellowstone park" he said. els
something absolutely unique In this
world, as far as I know. Nowhere else
| in any civilized country is there 20 be
found such a tract Of veritable Won
deriand, made accessible to- all visitors.
/ where at the same time not only the
| scenery of the wilderness. but the wild
| creatures of the park are scrupulOusly
/ preserved as they were. the only change
being that these wild creatures have
! been so carefully protected as 10 show
literally astounding tameness. The Gre
| alton and preservation of such a nat
ural playground i'm the midst of our
| people as a whole is a credit 90 the ma
| ton. but above all, a credit 90 Montana.
Wyoming and Idaho. Ii has been pre-
! served with wise foresight The scheme
! Of its preservation is noteworthy i'm its
j
/ created and now is administered for
/ the benefit and enjoyment of the peO-
/ pie. The government must continue 10
/ appropriate for it, especially I'm the di-
| rectiOn of completing and perfecting an
! excellent system of driveWays. The
/ only way that the people as a whole
! can secure to themselves and their
/ children the enjoyment I'm perpetuity of
| what the Yellowstone park has to give
/ is by assuming the ownership In the
| name of the nation and by legally safe
guarding and preserving the scenery,
/ the forests and the creatures.
Parks Beauties in Winter
AT present it is rather singular that
a greater number OF people come from
/ Europe 10 see it than come from
| our own eastern states TO see it. The
1 people nearby seem awake To its beau
/ ties. and / hope that more and more
/ of our people who dwell far Off viii APP
/ preciate its really marvellous character.
/ incidentally. ! should like 20 point out
! that some lime people viii awaken 10
| the fact thar the park has special beau
! ty 10 be seen I'm winter and any per
son who can so through it in that sea-
son on skis win enjoy himself as he
/ scarcely could elsewhere. ] wish espe-
cially 10 congratulate the people az
/ Montana. Wyoming and Idaho. and
/ notably You of Gardiner and Cinna53T
and the immediate outskirts of the
park. for the way in which YOU heartily
cooperate with the superintendent %
prevents acts Of vandalism and destruc-
ton
Forests Must Be Preserved.
The pre- servatIon of the forests IS
of course. The matter of prime imp1r-
tanCe in every public reserve Of this
/ character. In this region of the Rocky
mountains and the great plains the
problem OF the water supply is the most
important part of the home-maker's
| office. Congress has not of recent years
done anything more important than
passing the irrigation bin. and nothing
is more essential to the preservation
of the water supply than the preserva-
ton of the forests. Montana has i'm its
water power a source of development
which has hardly been touched. This
| wafer power viii be seriously impaired
if ample protection is not given tn.
forests. Therefore. this park. like the
forest reserves generally. is of the ut
most advantage To the country around
But of course this park also. be-
cause of its peculiar features, is TO Do,
reserved as beautiful playground
Here AN the wild creatures of the Old
days are being preserved. and then
overflow into the surrounding country
means that the people of the surround
ing country. SO long as they see tha'
| the laws are observed by an. viii b.
able 10 insure 10 themselves and q
their children. and 90 their childreni
children, much of thf oIJ-time pleas
ure of the hardy life of the wilderness
and of the hunter In the wilderness.
Interested in Buffalo.
81 have been literally astounded a
the enormous quantity of elk and a
the number of deer. antelope and noun
tain sheep which I have seen ON thei
Wintering grounds, and the deer an,
sheep i'm particular are as tame as do
nestle animals. A few buffalo are be
ing preserved. ] wish very much tina
the government could somewhere pro
vide for an experimental breeding STA
tlon OF crossbreeds between buffalo an,
thc common cattle III these cross
breeds could be successfully perpeu
ated, We could have animals Whicl
| would produce robe quite as good "a
the old buffalo robe, with which TWEEN
IS years ago every one was familiar
and animals. moreover which would
De SO hardy that ] think. they woul.
have a distinct commercial Importance
they would. for instance. be admirably
suited for Alaska territory. which
look 10 STE develop astoundingly withh
the next decade or two. not only De
cause of It's furs and fisheries, but be
cause of it's agricultural and pastora
possibilities"
At TIE conclusion of the ceremonle
the presidents train pulled out for Xiv
ingst0n. Here John Burroughs vii