Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-19

dered as If by clock work with little
or no crowding or jostling. We were
fortunate Through the
kindness of I. F. Craig, secretary to
the president of the Yellowstone Park
transportation Co., we were given the
exclusive use of surrey and the
much sought position In the lead of
the caravan, at the head of the
coaches. This position in line, as we'll
as vehicle with the same driver, we
retained throughout the trip. Mr.. Craig
had wired ahead to various hotels on
the route and reserved excellent ac-
for us.
The hotel at Mammoth, which is
the starting point and terminus of the
five and one-half days tour, is one of
the Oldest in the park and little can
be said for It's beauty except as to it's
situation at the foot of the
Opposite to the hotel is Fort Vel.
loWstone, where several troops of
United States cavalry are stationed,
of which are scattered
throughout the park to protect the
curiosities.
Terraces OF Countless Tints,
The afternoon at Mammoth we
climbed the terraces behind the hotel
and had our first introduction to boil
Ing springs and the wonders of this
strange land. The slope Is mass of
terrace formations Of peculiar white
calcereous deposit from the Mammoth
hot springs. 1t is the coloring Of these
formations that caused us to stop
breathless; just as if an artists brush
had decorated them in countless tints
OF salmon, coral pink. gray. cream.
brown yellow and faint green's. The
blue transparency of the boiling water
IN the springs and pools on these ter
races makes it all an exquisite picture
The terraces have fanciful names.
such as Minerva, Jupiter, Cleopatra
etc, and further on, over the slope, is
a deep excavation called "The Devils
Kitchen" Standing in the foreground.
IKE sentinel. Is the Liberty Cap"
the cone of an extinct geyser almost
forty feet high. In the evening there
was splendid music by the park orches.
ira in the hotel and later dancing.
ToIly WIVES py stage.
We started before s O'clock the next
morning from Nam moth hotel for the
Journey over the park. Splendid Con-
cora coaches with leather seats and
springs, holding each from seven to
eleven people with surreys for smaller
parties were driven up to the loading
platform and names announced for each
load. We were off ahead with a driver
named Anderson, whom we promptly
dubbed Anderson of Augustana." He
was bright, well-informed young fell
low, who kept us posted on points of
interest and wisely refused to tell us
any wild and woody western tales.
The roads through the park are the
finest; smooth with easy grades, and
the irrigation system by which thA
roads are sprinkled daily by the gov
eminent for almost the entire distance
does away with much of the discomfort
from the alkali dust and makes the
driving throughout thoroughly delight
full.
Stop at Norris Basin.
The first days trip is forty miles by
stage, broken by one and one-half
hours stop at Norris, lunch station
The country after leaving Mammoth is
beautiful. Ascending the slope we
passed the terraces and the waterfall
with it's boiling water running slowly
over the coral pink formation. seeing
In the distance on every side yapor rise
from the faint blue of the pools,
Agains the horizon is Mt. Washburn.
whose shaggy fir trees throw fine lights
and shadows against it's bulky sides.
Rows Of stately pines and pretty frs
hem the road on either hand, while the
roadway itself is bordered with wild
roses and summer flowers in brilliant
hues of yellow, purple, magenta and
glowing reds. We whirled through
Golden Gate, pass between two high
cliffs, whose sides rise like a precipice
overhead. This is weirdly beautiful.
Issuing from cannon we wound
around the face of steep cliff where
the road is constructed over concrete
viaduct Of eleven arches and the scene
Is one OF widest magnificence. Further
on we passed the Hoodoos, strange
looking tall white rocks, and came to
Swan lake. The mountain view here
Is fine, Electric peak, the highest in
the park, rising in the distance-so
called on account Of the unique light
ming display on it's sides during an
electric storm. Beyond | saw and un.
derstood Brete Harte's poetic "few
baby peaks that were peeping from
under their bed clothes of snow" while
the top of the mountain rose high
above the clouds. Here the atm os-
phere became very cold and it was
hard to realize that we had Just left
a summer climate. We paused to ad-
mire tie Bridal Veil Falls, it's soft,
lacy spray like shower of tulle over
the sheer cliffs to the chasm below,
while the rocks on either side reflected
a riot of brilliant color
Beyond we came to Apollinaris
Spring, where halt was made to taste
the waters. 1t was the pure stuff. sure
enough; highly charged water like
Apollinaris right off the ice.
Obsidian Cliff.
From here we rounded Obsidian
Cliff, a perpendicular ridge said to be
Of volcanic glass formation We could