The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-04-13


Yellowstone National Park he found
little to remind him that ne was
not entering wilderness as prime
val as in the days Of John Golfer or
Jim Bridger. the first white men who
entered this wonderland of nature, for
6 heavy mantle Of snow usually covers
the park until well into May OF June.
The few hotels do not open until the
latter month. and in April the stage
roads are impossible. and. barring the
barracks and scattered dwelling places
of guards. Yellowstone Park looks as it
did before an tnqutsFtfve civilization had
found the key to its long guarded nat
ursl wonders.
Travel in Yellowstone Park. until the
stage roads emerge from their thick
white covering. is effected by means
OF sn0wsh0es or skis This keeps the
park free from tourists during nfRe
montbs Of the year bus Il VIII lend only
additional enjoyment TO President
Roosevelt's Visit. as the President
learned how TO use suowshoes when he
was ranching in the Bad Lands. and
snowshoeing-Iile sz.imui1g-is a trick
thai Is never forgotten
Aside from It's excess Of snow Yellow
stone Park holds no disadvantages in
winter as the fe1aperature is usually
rather mild There are comfortable
quarters at the barracks, and there are
cabins in various parts of the park,
where Major Pitcher and his men can
provide excellent accommodations for
anyone much more squeamish than the
President. who delights il frontier fare.
Filled with Game.
1t is remarkable Tact thar in recent
years the chief interest OF visitors to the
park has shifted from the geysers and
other awe-jnspirinz spectacles to the
Wild game. This Is doubtless due 10 the
rapid decrease of wild game in other
parts OF the West A few years ago,
when tourist went overland TO the
park. he saw Wild game on every hand
Deer, elk and even buffalo We're plentiful
in Wyoming and 5Iontana. But today the
haunts OF the deer have been given over
to the small -rancher. and there are nc
wild buffalo outside the park, save a few
in northwestern Colorado.
Consequently when the average tourist
reaches the park he is on the lookout
for the wild game which exists in such
abundance in Uncle Sans preserve. He
wants TO get q signt OF herd OF elk OF
buffalo, and he IS disappointed If the
animals do not venture near enough &c
the main-traveIed roads 10 be seen,
Good Time for Bears.
The President. however. visited the
park at the best time to get a good Ioos
at the Wild game. To be sure, most o.
the bears that are so active IN demolIsh
ing the hotel garbage piles during tht
summer, were alternating, bat he
other game wiz be at It's hungriest
and tamest The heavy snow mad
driven the animals 20 the lower basins
ana II is no uncommon thing TO have &
feed hay to large bands Of elk This j;
even done outside the borders of tn,
park, where the natural feeding ground.
o. the elk have been restricted, forcin.
The animals TO literally beg at the door.
Of -aRchnen after q particularly heay!
fall OF snow.
The park guards have many remark
abba stories 10 tell Of the actions Of III,
wild game during winter, and one parI
visitor who recently returned to hi,
home in Montana after q sn0wshoe tFt
through the big game preserve Teportes
that even mountain sheep let him ap
pFoaeh within a distance Of 30 or q
feet. No doubt President Roosevelt an,
his naturalist companion. John Bur
Tougas took every opportunity Q
studying game at such close quarters
though no shooting was allowed, a
even the President OF the United states
could not break the ironclad rules tina
protect the park same, even If he 81
desired.
There ar. eight geysers in the uppe
geyser basin, any one of which exceed
II volume any other geyser IN the worI
outside OF Yellowstone Park. The priu
cipal geysers IN this basin, with thei
dimensions. are as follows: Giant, diam
eter feet, height I49 feet, lasts thre
hours; Giaatess, diameter IS feet. heigh
250 feet. lasts twenty minutes, Beehive
diameter feet. height 2lf feet, las
twenty minutes. Grand CcyseF. diane
Ter 20 feet. height 250 feet. last
twenty miautes. Old Faithful. diamete
feet, height 200 feet, lasts twenty min
utes; Grotto. diameter 4 feet. height 6
feet, lasts thirty minutes: Castle. III
ameter feet. height 100 feet; Far
height 60 feet. lasts ten 10 thirty min
utes. These are al located in q bash
two OF three miles square.
Favorite Camping Spot.
Norris Geyser Basin, q favorite camp
ing spot for tourists in summer. EN-
braces twenty-five square miles, an
contains some remarkable natural feat
ures. In this basin is the Mammot
Geyser, down whose throat the touri.
can look. Care must be taken, howeve
not 10 venture near the crater at II
time Of an eruption. as immense vo
uues OF steam and not water are throw
out at regular intervals. Near III
geyser are others which are aImoi
wholly suIphurous. In Norris Geyss
Basin IS the famous mountain OF obsiC
ian or volcanic glass, across which
carriage road has been cut
The mammoth not springs Of GaTdin'
River form an interesting objective poiE
FOR tourists. The gorge in which Il
springs are located IS 1900 feet abo1
the level OF the river There are foul