Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-22
In Yellowstone Park
BY MISS BETTYE ADLER.

sElIYE ADLER. p
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ed a perfect oyster, in shape as we'll
as in color. The crowd was grouped
around it in wonder and awe when
the guide asked: What does this look
like to your" AN OYSTER" shouted the
busy man. THAT is right said the
guide, with quizzical smile, with
seventy-five Holsters on the shore.
Move on, you have ninety-six more to
see."
Geyser Plays to Order.
Another amusing incident was when
we reached a pool of bubbling water
placarded 'the Young Faithful Gey.
ser" Gust sit down on the bank and
l will have it play for you,' the guide
said. A shout of derision went up
from the crowd. but we all good nat
uredly sat down on the bank, deter
mined to give the guide the laugh. A
few kodaks were trained on the bunch
when, without a seconds warning the
geyser sent up a beautiful spray of
water, the play lasting about minute.
How did you know it would play
just then" I quietly asked the guide
He looked at me pityingly. Il chust
tuched de BUTTON he answered. was
not satisfied. A young soldier who ac-
companies all the sightseeing expedi-
tons and to whom | repeated the
question enlightened me on the sub.
ject. ut plays every five minutes" he
answered, "and your guide knew it
was just about the time When the
crater fills and the water at the top is
rough, that signifies that it will not
play for some time. but when the pool
is perfectly smooth, that is the signal
and if you noticed the water in the
crater was very smooth as we ap-
preached"
Soap Prohibited.
Soldiers accompany each party that
so the rounds to prevent any destruc-
ton of the formation around the
pools and geysers and to keep people
from throwing foreign substances in
to the water. Of one pool visited the
story was told of a Chinaman who
conceived the idea of establishing a
laundry over the hot pool and doing
the washing for the hotel guests. All
went well-according to the story
until he emptied the soapsuds into the
pool and then there was a terrific ex-
plosion and John Chinaman and his
entire outfit took a short cut into
Kingdom Come.
IF you do not believe it, chust try
it yourself" said the guide, "but there
is $1,000 fine and Imprisonment for
three yaarc tn anvono who r,,+e coo -,
in geyser"
This is safeguard because the al
kali in the soap causes gey-
ser to play at any time and by
thus manufacturing a play, destroys
the formation around the crater.
The Grotto geyscr interested us. Its
cone is shaped exactly like a grotto
We saw the Morning Glory spring too,
and the Castle, SO named for it's pecu-
liarly shaped crater, and nearby the
Castle well. Emerald pool and Sunset
lake were exquisite pictures There
was the funny little mud geyser and
Black Sand basin, where the sand is
as If sprinkled with ink. The DEVILS
Punch Bowl was a peculiar attraction,
and we smiled at the realism of Bis
cult basin, which looked for all the
world like an oven baking biscuits.
Climbing up slope we gazed into
what was called the DEVILS Ear. a
mysterious looking opening in the
ground, ear shaped
Sunday night, in Old Faithful inn
will hold special cubby hole in my
memory. It was like being in an en-
chanted land and when someone at
the piano struck up Nearer My God
to Thee" and retrospective moments
devils possessions we had viewed all
day, came to the conclusion that this
must be the shortcut or surely the
summit of the divide l should like to
have spent week at Old Faithful inn.
Right here l must tell you funny
story-told by Anderson, our driver 1t
was to the effect that some kodak
fiend, walking up back of the hotel,
where a steam exhaust pipe sent out
a rather heavy volume of steam, tried
to take picture of it, thinking that
there was a geyser directly under the
hotel. Only the general laugh from
the crowd brought him to-
OFF For the Lake Hotel.
Monday morning we started for a
thirty-fve mile drive to the Yellow
stone Lake hotel, the only stop-over to
be at station called The Thumb,
about midway. Anderson and the sur
rey were on time and we left Old
Faithful inn with more than one sigh
of regret. Our road assembled along
the Fire Hole river and here we had
what the remainder of our party were
pleased to style "hold up" Coming
along the road we met the young sol
der who had been with the party the
previous day. He was on horseback,
patrolling the road, as all roads
through the park are patrolled, to
watch for falling boughs and branches.
He drew up in front of our vehicle
long enough for me to get good lso-
dak picture Of western cavalryman.
On the Continental Divide.
Following the river we came to Keep
ler's cascades. where the water leaps
beautifully in succession of cascades
for over 100 feet. The scenery here
Is magnificent We drove through