The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-08-16

Interesting Account of a Trip
Through the West The Won
ders of Yellowstone Park, Salt
Lake City, Pixies Peak, etc.
Miss jamie G. Harris of Henderson,
writes an interesting account of her
recent Western trip which was pub
lished in the Greensboro Church Rec
ord of last week. 1t will be recalled
that in company with her father, Mr..
George B. Harris, and sister, Miss
Ruth, the young lady took an extern
sive Western trip during the month
of July, visiting Chicago, the Yellow
stone National Park, Salt Lake City,
Colorado Springs and Pixies Peak
and other points of interest covering
several weeks of travel and sight see
ing. The article makes entertaining
reading and we have pleasure in re-
producing it for GOLD LEAF readers:
The first place Ofinterest was Swift s
Packing House in Chicago. Wespent
a few hours going through the build
ings and stock-yards The plant
covers Al acres, where 5000 persons
are employed The total number OF
employees is $4,000. They claim
that their profits for several years
have not exceeded two per cent. of the
goods sold.
Every day there are 1000 hogs
killed, besides sheep and cattle. g.
| 600 cboap op1 , fn0 oauc a No l,;lIoJ
daily. After going through this, the
guide took us through the Mcneil &
Libby's plant. In this we saw the
packing of meatin tins and the man
| ufacture of cans, etc.
This was the only place We stopped
on our trip that the iniquitious Gus
! tom of tipping walters and guides
was not allowed. The mostinterest-
ing place was our next stop, the Vel.
lowstone Park The beautiful arch at
the Northern entrance adds much to
the attractiveness Of the entrance to
the park.
Tourists are conveyed from the
station to the Mammoth Hot Springs
Hotel, five miles distant, in six horse
tally-ho coaches.
The terraced formation of the hot
springs of the Park are the most re-
markable development of thermal
action to be found, occupying several
acres, with many distinct terraces and
springs. The present active portion
of the hot springs is located on the
eastern slope of Terrace Mountain
from fifty to three hundred feet above
the plateau, upon which the Nam
moth Hotel, Fort Yellowstone and
other buildings are reconstructed. This
plateau was formerly an active por.
ton of the hot springs. 1t contains
many extinct craters and openings
some of them leading into immense
caves, but the presence of obnoxious
fumes and gases makes it impossible
to explore them. The Liberty Gap
an extinct hot spring cone, standing
at the foot of Terrace Mountain neal
the road is fifty-two feet high and &c
feet in diameter at the base. 1t is
formed of overlapping layers of de
pOsit, evidently having been built uI
by the overflow of water through the
orifice in the top. The DEVILS kitch
en- is the crater OF an extinct hot
spring. 1t can be entered with safety
Through a small opening Of some
six Or eight feet in diameter you de
scend a ladder into the kitchen The
damp and heated atmosphere OF the
interior produces q queer sensation
and the desire to seek fresh air Al
once comes over you. When thu
kitchen was first explored numerous
bones Of wild animals were found il
the cave and it was alive with flying
bats. Four miles from the hotel il
one OF the most picturesque points il
the Park. 1t is rugged pass be
tween the base of two lofty peaks
called the Golden Gate. The sides O
these rocky walls, which rise iron
200 to 800 feet above the roadway
are covered with q yellow moss, sug
gesting the appropriate name it nov
bears. The small geyser called th
minute Man. erupts every sixt.
seconds, with slight variation. Th
pool is "a feet in diameter, filled wit
water of crystal clearness. A littl
farther on the Black Growler, with
chimney-shaped opening is seen. .
rumbling noise can be heard abou
200 feet before you reach it. Yer
little water is thrown out, while
large quantity of steam is alway
escaping, producing a terrible sount
The water is OF clear, and has
strong odor O. sulphur. After seein
this you would think it a good proc
that there is fire under the grount
The Emerald Pool is a beautiful en-
erald-tinted spring 40 by so feet
! size The sulphur-lined basin, wit
coral walls, most beautifully shaped
4 can be seen to an appalling deptl
j The water is quite hot. At it's ede
there is temperature of 1S6 degret
j, Fahrenheit. The New Crater is 5
i 900 feet southeast Of the Emeral
!. Pool, surrounded by huge blocks (
dark yellow rock. 1t was discovere
;; in 1891. When it burst forth, gres
r volume of water was forced ou
r flooding the ravine leading to tt
a valley below. Since, it has settle
e to ordinary eruptions, about ever
e thirty minutes. Indications are th1
S it will soon be classed among tt
q large geysers.
u When we arrived at the Fountai
J, Hotel we took a carriage to see son
h of the interesting points that We
l. not on the main road. The Fountai
Geyser erupts at intervals OF fro
n three to five hours, plays for 20 mil
II utes and the water is thrown 90 fe'
l. high. On this same trip We sa
what was called the fire-hole poe
The water boils all the time, b'
down in the bottom of this pool yo
can see blue flames blaze up abo,
two feet. There is a small geys'
near this pool, and every time th
. erupts you can see these FAM
; through the water. In the Surpril
pool, the water is boiling hot all I'll
time, but never boils up unless yo
J. throw sand or sticks ir, and then