Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-10-04

Hon. v. |. Spear Writes Of Vrip
through Yellowstone Park.

YELLOWSTONE PARK, Aug. "a.
What to say In this letter and what 10
leave out Is most difficult matter TO de.
eide. There Is enough that might be said
10 All book, bat will try TO eondsnse
what do say into a few pages.
The yellow stone Park Is Uncle SANS
playground for his children. In area II Is
Is miles east aud vast and 70 north and
south, AMI devoted entirely 10 lis purpose
OF park. la entering IL from the north,
one leaves the ". T.. Il. X. at Livingstone,
Mont, and travels 81 miles on the fafA
X. X. TO Gardner.
A few miles after leaving Livingstone,
one is Impressed with the scenery--a mar
row canyon called the Gate OF the Noun
tains. This Is about mile long and the
sides are nearly perpendicular aud IN some
places are 2,00o feet or over In height,
This canyon opens into one OF the most
beautiful valleys, called propsriy enough
Paradise Valley. This valley extends 80
miles along the river and is from seven 10
twelve miles wide, bounded ON either side
by high ranges of mountaios. This valley
can nearly ailbe irrigated from the Vel
/, iowstone river and II is largely under culti-
walton. Thacrops OF alfalfa, wheat, beets
and potatoes are immense.
At the end Of this valley We pass another
canyon and on arriving at Gardner were
IN
the Mammoth Hot Springs hotel This Is
fine hotel, located 1900 feet above sea
| level, Within few rods OF this hotel are
located the Mammoth Hot Springs. The
formations from these springs cover sew
eral acres and il Is estimated that many
thousands OF years must have been re-
quired to do this work. The formations
are beautiful in their coloring and have
left some odd shapes, one OF which Is
n kap a n
twenty feet In diameter at ITS base and
fifty feet high. This is probably an extinct
| hot spring cone. The DEVILS Thumb,
near BY, Is OF the same character, but
smaller. At the top OF the terraces the
hot springs are now doing business and
there are here huge cauldrons OF boiling
water.
After passing the hot springs about two
miles farther on is Golden Gate Canyon.
This is one Of the finest exhibits in the
park. l win not undertake to describe II,
| Tor should fail II l did to do II any sort OF
| Justice. In winding around q sharp curve
| In ascending the mountain there Is an
abyss of a thousand feet below and as
great a distance al ove OF which the walls
are OF rock formation and OF varied and
beautiful color.
A few miles farther and we reach the
level OF the geysers and for two days see
them in greater or less number OF all
sizes and OF varied characteristics. Some
| play every few minutes, others after In err
walls of hours, days or weeks. Some throw
water q few feet high, others throw q
stream $50 feet high. Some are active Tor
few seconds, others will throw contin-
uous stream for hours. There are hun
dreds OF these geysers, all more or less in-
teresting, but the favorite and the only
one will mention in any detail is Old
Faithful. This is so named because it has
never failed to do its work at its regular
! interval-every " minutes, year in anu
year out, Ii is in act ion for about five min
utes, throwing a stream OF water in its
greatest activity $50 feet high.
The prettiest thing seen in the park was
to stand back Of this geyser when in action
in the evening and have strong search
light thrown on IT from the roof OF the
hotel 800 feet away. All the colors OF the
rainbow were seen dancing In this column
OF water, and above the mist looked like
huge pillows or clouds rolling away in the
glory OF the brightest sunset. II left with
all who saw it picture that will not soon
fade from memory and OF which language
fails to give an adequate idea.
From the region OF geysers we made
climb up steep grades until we reached
the Continental divide at an altitude Of
S345 feet. Here by the side of the road i
a small pond or lake, perhaps 40 rods long
and three to ten rods wide that has tive
outlets-one flows to the Pacific by the
way of Columbia river, the other to the
Atlantic through the Yellowstone, Mis-
souri, and Mississippi rivers.
, From this point few miles further OF
we come to Yellowstone lake the largest
, body of water at an elevation Of 5000 feet il
North America. This lake is twenty
miles long and fifteen miles WIDE at it,
widest point. The water is clear ant
transparent. The bottom of the lake cal
be plainly seen through quite a depth o
, this water. The outlet of this lake is tn
Yellowstone river, and about ten mile
, from the lake we come to the falls ant
canyon of this river, which is, taken alto
gether, the greatest attraction in tn
park and, SO far as know, no artist o
!, writer has been able to give one any com
) prehension OF the grandeur OF the scene
: The canyon starts where the liver takes it
! first leap OF $50 feet over precipice ant
!. about one-half mile farther on it takes
! second leap of $50 feet and then passes OF
its way, appearing as a blue or green rib
! bon in motion and bounded on either sid
. by receding walls 1000 to 1900 feet high
This canyon at the top is perhaps 1000 fee
across. The sides have varied and beauti
!, full colors, yellow predominating. Scien
fists say that the colors Of the sides OF Thu
canyon have been produced by the actio
the canyon huge rocks rise as one soli
I mass 100 to 800 feet, and on the top Q
these crags eagles find favorite place (
!. build their nests. We saw many OF thes
3 nests and eagles, old and young. Thi
a canyon extends for five miles and present
grand and interesting picture at ever
2 turn. The falls, while less in volume tina
t Niagara, are twice the height of Niagar
4 at the lower fall, and what they lack i
4 volume thew largely SUNNY by the grea
O height and beauty OF the surroundings.
!. With the canyon we close our trip 9
il five days in the park. We have not ha
8 very pleasant weather, as 1t has raine
n more or less every day and been quit
s cold, but our weather has been perhaps 9
: good as the tourist averages to find.
e an elevation Of $500 to $500 feet of the roa
0 travelled and peaks rising to Il, 600 feet on
e cannot expect ideal weather. The tri
}, has, however, been highly satisfactory an
anyone who can will not make a mistak