Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-04-30


In country the greatest, the grandest,
The best to be found upon earth.
Americas West, in the heart of the
Rocky mountains, in the northwest cor
ner of Wyoming, and overlapping into
Montana on the north and Montana and
Idaho on the west is located the Yellow
stone National Park. This reservation
extends about 65 miles east and west
and 70 miles north and south. No val
ley within its limits is less than 6,000 #.
above the sea, while its and adjacent
peaks reach height of from ten to four
teen thousand feet. Yellowstone Lake,
fifteen by twenty miles in extent, lies
5000 feet above the sea. Three Of our
largest rivers--the Yellowstone, Colum-
bia and Missouri have their source in
this park, and its geysers outcass any
thing of the kind in the known world
There are over fifty of these geysers
which throw column of water from 80
to 250 feet into the air at intervals of
minute to IA days.
The Grand Canyon, 10 miles long and
having an average depth of $1,000 feet, Is
acknowledged to be the most brilliantly
colored bit of landscape in existence.
The Mammoth Hot Springs are the only
colored terrace-buiding hot springs
known that have such beauty and mag
nitude, and these too, show a most re-
markable development ofthermal action.
They occupy several acres of ground,
with many distinct terraces besides hot
springs, extinct craters and openings
leading into immense caverns, but owing
to the presence of obnoxious fumes and
gases few of these caves can be explored.
Twelve miles beyond, on our way to
Norris Basin we pass Obsidian Cliff, a
bold escarpment of volcanic glass whose
vertical columns of pentagonal-shape
blocks, present mirror-like effect when
illumined by the sun. This mineral
glass is jet black and quite Opaque,
streaked with yellow and white. The
Norris Basin geysers do not compare
in point of eruptive violence with those
of the Upper Basin-30 miles sonth-but
are Of great interest to travellers who
never before have witnessed this freak
Of nature. The first impression received
here is as if entering a manufacturing
locality-the noise, rumbling and kissing
of escaping steam, and the unpleasant
odors. The little Constant" has erup-
ton every so seconds, with only slight
variation. "Black Growler" deserves
his title and seemingly does more growl-
ing than necessary. Surrounding this
the formation is of inky black ness
Throughout this basin the presence of
obnoxious gases has killed the vegeta
ton, truly giving this region a resemb-
lance to that region "we so often read
about"-but never hoped to see.
Passing many points of interest let us
hasten to the lower geyser basin whose
springs are catalogued as numbering 693,
exclusive of IL geysers. Among the
most interesting and beautiful of these
geysers are the Fountain" ""Great Foun-
tain" and Excelsior" besides numerous
others. The Mammoth Paint Pots here
found are collection of 80 or 40 mud
cones of pink, red or gray color continu-
ously bubbing up and surrounding like
hoarsely whispered sounds of "plop-
plop." Near here we find Prismatic
Lake whose delicate, rich colors cannot
be exaggerated. The temperature of its
water is about 146 deg. Fair In the
Upper Geyser Basin We find 26 geysers
and about 400 hot springs. No where
else can be seen on so grand a scale such
clear evidence of dying volcanic action.
Gould Dainty have seen this region he
might have added another terror to his
Inferno"
Among the best OF the wonderful
Let us pause ut "Old Faithful
That faithful sentinel showing such power,
Who shoots salute the earth every hour.
Uncle Sam has taken precautions in
Vulnerable for the protection ofthe park
game, birds, vegetation and curiosities,
besides is continually adding more i'm
provements i'm the way of hotels, roads,
bridges, and other things-all this for
the comfort of the people, besides which
Uncle Sam remarks:
"Iere the deer and the elk unmolested shall
roam,
The bear and the buffalo shall each have n home,
The wild fowls shall circle the pools In their
flight,
The geysers shall fash in the moonbeams at
night,
christen this country-lct all nations hark
name II the Yellowstone National Park"
ANNA A. ALBION.
Harlem, Mont.