The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-12
VIII Find the Quiet of Winter, for
Snowdrifts Are Likely to BE Deep
There Until May.
MAY PRACTICE SKI RUNNING
WITH JOHN BURROUGHS HE WILL
INSPECT ANIMALS OF THE PARK.
His Headquarters at Fort Yellow
stone, One of the Beauty Spots
OF the Earth.

has planned to reach the he plus ultra of
presidential isolation during his present
trip. Another parallel between him and
President Arthur is his plan to lose himself
from the mob by shutting himself up for
two weeks in the great Yellowstone Nation
a. Park. During his administration General
Arthur managed TO elude ali pursuers for
several days during his hunting tour In that
mountain paradise with General Schoheld
But he was soon thwarted by a crafty
newspaper man, who, by dint OF skillfui
strategem, succeeded In penetrating the
sacred boundaries OF his camp.
President Cleveland managed TO slip out
of the executive harness for day at time
by anchoring his fishing boat out in Buzz
yards bay But he had to run the gauntlet
of the curious when he crossed the wharf
each morning and night. President Mckin-
ley never broke entirely away from the
gaping crowd; nor did any other chief mag
istrate except the popular Arthur. VIII
President Roosevelt solve the problem? Will
he be crafty enough to evade the pursuing
brigade of journalists with their photo
graphic artillery?
The campaign will be waged over an area
OF 3.344 square miles. Such is the extent of
the great Yellowstone reservation. which
Congress, thirty-one years ago. dedicated
and set apart as a public park and pleasure
ground for the people," An ample play
ground for quiet little game of executive
hide and seek 1t Is, to be sure.
Napoleon's crossing the Alps is chapter
OF military history which this pursuing
army will profit well TO read before pene-
trating into the Yellowstone. When the
President enters the region the great park
will still be closed to the winter season.
Only between June and Oct 1 do the
hotels receive guests. Until the last of May
camping is ordinarily precarious. and this
month has been blizzardish one for the
Yellowstone. In normal seasons there are
light snowfalls even in May, and during
that month the Accommodations Of winter
generally render travelling out of the ques-
ton. 1t Is only with great difficulty that
the hotel companies reach their hostelries
as early as May Is. For two hundred days
IN the year a Waterman at each hotel re-
mains isolated from his fellow-mortals. and
often the Canon Hotel is buried to the
second story during the snowy months.
AT FORT YELLOWSTONE.
Fort Yellowstone, where the President
will pause, first after entering the park, Is
one of the snowiest regions of the temper
ate zone. There, in Sight of the Mammoth
Hot Springs, Major Pitcher, OF the regular
army, who is both commandant of the mil
itary post and superintendent of the park,
has his garrison. built upon a white forma-
ton. which gives II a wintry appearance.
even in midsummer. In this garrison, sur
rounded on all sides by deep snowdrifts,
the President will make his headquarters.
How far down the park he will venture
men familiar with the Yellowstone region
and its late winters are curious to learn.
According to recent reports, the ski run
ners were still riying in the vicinity of the
fort.
In snowy weather this mode of navigation
Is the only safe one for those who venture
In the open. The ski pronounced skee)
Is a snowshoe wrought of a long. fat board,
with polished bottom. and the ski runner
navigates by sliding one foot before the
other until he reaches the crest of a slope.
Then, lifting his long pole, he coasts. and
nothing short OF a lightning express train
can exceed his speed. He invariably makes
q streak through the air. No one will
doubt that this kind of sport will take the
fancy of the President. who maintains a
gymnasium within the sacred precincts of
the White House. But ski running is pre-
carious sport, and Major Pitcher will doubt
less have the creeps every time his COM
mander-in-chief slips his feet into the
clasps of the long. narrow toboggans.
Major Pitcher and John Burroughs. the
New York naturalist. who has just skinned
Ernest Thompson Seton alive and hung his
hide on the fence. will be the Presidents
sole companions within the great park.
While there are plenty OF cavalry troopers
within the reservation, the chief magis-
trate will not permit a guard TO accompany
him. The trio will study natural history
unless they have to dig too deep into the
snowdrifts to find IL. Within the park Is
all the larger game OF the Rockies-except
the Rocky mountain goat. Naturalist Bur-
roughs viii initiate the President into the
secrets OF the denizens of this greatest Of
the new worlds geological gardens. The
party viii be surrounded by elk. antelope.
deer. bear. beaver. mountain sheep, moose,
mountain lion. wolverine, lynx, wildcat,
marten. otter. porcupine fox gopher, squir-
rel and woodchuck. not to forget the herd
of bison for whose inclosure within the
park the Smithsonian lately allotted money.
Among the birds of the picturesque region
are pelicahs. gulls. fish hawks. cranes.
eagles and wild swan. Thus the members
of the party will find themselves well sur
rounded by their lower animal cousins and
Il will be up 10 them" to trail some of them
through the snow. Otherwise Mr. Bur-
roughs may be called upon by his hyphen-
ated rival to write a book, wild Animals
Theodore and i Haven't Known" Mr.
Burroughs has seen sixty-six winters. but
Is still in prime condition. even for the
"skee' mode OF travel.
WILL BE READY FOR REST.
After the winters struggle with Con-
gress and his present business OF rear
platform speeehmaking. addressing legis-
latures. banqueting. bunking i'm sleeping
cars and shaking thousands OF hearty
Western palms the President will derive
benefit from the pure water OF the snow
fed streams. the celebrating pine air and
the long hours Of peaceful sleep which viii
come uncourted after his daily rambles
over the rough. snowy country with Its
beautiful. varied scenery.
Within Wow CT his headquarters at Fort