The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-10-24
SOME OF. THE WONDERS
OF YELLOW STONE PARK.
Written for The Advertiser by Miss
Daisy Gray Harris.

While visiting in Texas this summer,
| had the pleasure of making tour. of
the West and Northwest with party
of fifty-siX jolly, congenial Texans, in
cluding preachers, school-teachers and
editors. have been asked by several
to write q description of some of the
most interesting places visited, so shall
try to give to the readers of The AD-
VERTIsER an idea of some of the Won
ders of Yellow Stone Park.
The territory was first discovered rin
1907 by trapper. His accounts of the
scenery, and also that of others who
visited it, were so wonderful that they,
for a long time, were regarded as
myths. Later numbers of gold-seek-
ers began to verify former accounts.
In 1868-'70 three expeditions were
made to Yellow Stone Park, and as a
result of these expeditions, the United
States Government in 1872 by an Act of
Congress withdrew this territory from
the public domain and dedicated and set
it apart as a National Park "For the
Benefit and Enjoyment of the People"
is the inscription carved on stone in
the arch erected at the official entrance
of the park at Gardiner, Montana. :
These words, which greet the tourist,
as he enters the park appropriately ex-
press the purpose for which the park
was established. The government is
trying to preserve its wonders in their
natural state and for this purpose has
thousand soldiers stationed through
out the park to protect and guard the
animals and the formations. Within
the last three years, 5000, 900 have been
expended in government improvement,
mostly in road construction.
The park lies principally in the North
west corner nf WUnY1,inor fhN,,crI
tions of it extend over into Montana
and Idaho. 1t is 61.8 miles long and
53.6 miles wide and has an area of
1912 square miles. 1t consists of a
lofty plateau with ranges of mountains,
having peaks IL ,l55 feet high. In win
ter it is covered with from ten to twenty
feet of snow and only during four
months of the summer is it accessible
to the tourist.
No railways are allowed in the park.
The means of transportation are stage
coaches. AT Gardiner, for conveying tour
lists through the park, there are two COM
panies; the Wylie, who have stationary
camps for the accommodation Of their
guests and the Transportation, who
have erected elegant hotels at suitable
distances throughout the park The US
ual route of $50 miles is generally made
in six days, though the tourist may re-
main as long as he desires.
Our party arrived at Gardiner, Sat-
urday afternoon, July 9Th. We spent
the night there and entered the park
early Sunday morning, after having
provided ourselves with extra wraps.
Tho night at Gardner was cold Ito peo-
pie just from Texas) and we were told
that it would be much colder in the
park.
Of course it is impossible for me to
tell of all the beautiful and interesting
sights, so l shall mention only few of
the most wonderful pi enomena. 1t
seems strange that so llany unusual
and peculiar manifestations of nature
should be displayed in such a small
area. The scenery all the way through
is simply grand, snow-capped noun
tains, beautiful valleys, clear rapid
streams in which the trout can be seen
playing. large herds OF elk, dear, bear,
and buffalo. This is the only herd of
buffalo now roaming in the United
States in their natural state. Our
driver pointed out all the interesting