, 1905-01-23

One Of the handsomest and most in.
teresting publications SEN out from
Washington for some time is the RE,
port Of the Acting Superintendent OF
the Yellowstone National Park to the
Secretary of the Interior, 1904" illus
trated by several pages of well exc
lcuted h%alftone pictures and contain
ing much matter relating to the park
and Its present conditions, prepared by
Mayor John Pitcher of the Sixth Unit
ed States cavalry, acting superinten-
dent.
The report of Captain Pitcher com
prises ten pages of printed matter and
no less than twelve pictures. Among
the latter are Bears at the Fountain"
Mule Deer" Mountain Sheep" New
Buffalo Herd Bear at the Lake"
odd Faithful Inn (three rlates) and
THE New Hotel at Yellowstone Park"
Attached to the report of the acting
superintendent is the letter of Major
H. NJ. Chittenden, corps of engineers,
giving a statement of the work done
in the park during the present season
under the appropriation for its i'm
~provement. This is quite exhaustive,
giving in detail the work at the north
entrance, the road from Gardiner to
the springs, the grounds a THE Nam
moth hot springs. the Bunsen peak
road, alignment, completion n sur
facing of the roads on the main sys-
ten. the new road. bridges, culverts,
sprinkling, station houses, painting,
ditch and reservoirs and the estimates
for the next fiscal year. The pamph-
let also contains the rules and regula-
tions of the park and instructions to
persons travelling through the park.
Not the least interesting is the meteor
illogical record for the twelve months
OF the fiscal year, beginning with Octo-
Der, 1903, and ending with September,
1904.
Speaking of the game in the park,
Major Pitcher says:
THE past winter was an exceeding
ly favorable one for all game in the
park, except the wild herd of buffalo.
There Is danger that this herd may be-
come extinct in the course Of time,
and our new herd was started none too
soon. AS stated in the previous re-
ports, the remnant of the wild herd is
located on the head of Pelican creek.
This Is an exceedingly unfavorable
country for them to winter in, for in
that section the snowfall is very heavy
and the only way that they can keep
alive is by grazing on the few places
kept open by the hot springs. This
herd could be driven out of hat lo' al.
.ity and possibly a few of them caught
up, but it is more than likely that the
greater part of them would be killed
in the attempt. Instead of attempting
to catch up the old ones, men are sent
out each spring for the purpose of cap
turing the young calves. which are
brought in to this place. raised by a
domestic COW and then turned out in
the enclosure with the tame herd. The
capture and transportation OF these an
imals to a point where they can be
cared for is an exceedingly difficult
land somewhat dangerous matter, for
at the season when it is necessary to
make the attempt the men have to
travel on SNOW shoes and the sno is
usually in wretched condition for such
work.
Last summer a lot of hay was cut
and stacked up for these buffalo at
what was supposed to be the most con.
venient point for them, but when the
scouts vent II there in the spring
this stack was SO deeply covered with
snow that they we're unable to find it.
up to the present time three calves
have been caught up from the wild
herd and placed with the new or tame
herd. Two OF these are males and one
lis a female.
III for any reason the wild herd
should abandon their present range on
the head Of Pelican creek. and should
move down to the lower country where
they formerly lived, the chances of
their survival would be greatly increas-
led. and they might become the progen-
Iitors Of a considerable wild herd. The
increase in certain semi-domesticated
herds justifies the hope that the wild
herd may be saved"
Quite interesting Is the reference of
1.-THE major to the bear in the park, he
writing % follows:
There seems to be about the same
number Of bear in the park as We had
last year. and as they a be seen at
any time about the various hotels,
they still continue to be a great source
OF interest to the tourists and give
but little trouble except where people
fail to obey the few simple rules con-
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