Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-24
NAT IONS PLAYGROUND
Yosemite Park Now in Charge
of the Government.
TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE
Proposed Extension of Railway Fa-
cilities.
FUTURE RESTS WITH CONGRESS
Wind Cave Reservation in South Da-
kota-Its Curative Properties
Highly Extolled.
FUTURE RESTS WITH CONGRESS
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
There have been gratifying improvements
at Yosemite Park and the Big Tree grove
of Mariposa. Tourists may go to both
places next year without being subjected to
any hardships. A year or two later condi-
lions will be still further improved and we
may expect that ultimately it will be just
as easy and comfortable to visit the incom-
parable scenery Of that portion Of our ma
tional park system as it is now to see the
wonders Of the Yellowstone.
The state of California, which had charge
Of the Yosemite valley for thirty years,
turned it over to the Interior Department
on the list of August. There were no cere-
monies. The state custodian withdrew;
Maj. Harry C. Benson of the 14th Cavalry
took charge and has since been in full pos
session of the valley and the Big Tree
grove. No changes were made except to
cut down the force of attendants which are
unnecessarily large. The state commits
sioners of California have exhausted the
appropriations for the park for many years
by paying salaries to relatives and political
supporters sent down to spend their sum-
mer vacations as watchmen, range riders
and in other official capacities, SO that lit
tie money was left for road-making and
other improvements. All the fixtures were
transferred to the federal government I'M
der the transfer act passed by the Califor-
mia legislature; tie portable property was
appraised and Maj Benson bought it for
$1750. All of the state officials were dis
| missed and Maj. Benson detailed soldiers
from his battalion of the 18th Cavalry to
do their work. Whether they are to be es-
pecially commended or not it is a fact that
there have been no fires within the limits
of the park this year. There were several
i,,cf tic do IN WV
just the detail of soldiers sent promptly to
the spot was able to extinguish it before it
did any damage. Heretofore there have
been disastrous fires in several places an
nually and the forest and mountain scenery
has been badly disfigured thereby. These
fires have invariably been caused by the
carelessness of camping parties, over which
the state rangers seemed to have no con-
troll but they are afraid of the soldiers.
Park Shooting Stopped. -
There has been no shooting in the park
! since it was transferred to the government.
| Maj. Benson stopped that also. Either
| through favoritism or neglect of duty the
state custodian has permitted city sports
| men and pot hunters" to almost exter-
inmate the game and the commissioners
| and their friends have used the park as
and the regulations of the national park
| system will hereafter be strictly observed.
| 1t is proposed to restock the Yosemite with
| game soon as other much-needed i'm
| provements are completed.
| Early in August Maj. Benson overhauled
| a party of sportsmen within the limits who
| explained that they were carrying their
| guns for protection"-against what they
! did not say. He read them the regulations
| and offered to send a couple of soldiers
| along with them "for protection" They
| said 1t was not necessary and when he in
! sisted upon furnishing them an escort they
| decided not to make the trip.
The privileges Of the photographers hote
| keepers and other conceSsionaires have al
| been renewed for another year, until the
| government Is prepared to discuss new
! terms and conditions. The only change has
been the equalizing Of fees, because some
| concessionaires were paying more than
| others for similar privileges
| Maj. Benson was not able to do much In
!, the way of improvements for the lack OF
| time and the lack of labor, but will begin
| to repair the roads, which are in very bad
| condition, early in the spring. He may be
! compelled to use the soldiers, because 1t is
| often impossible to get workmen at any
| price. and the few who were employed last
summer were paid So and $3.50 day for
| ordinary labor on the roads. Another Sc
| rious obstacle is the cost of transportation
He has been overhauling the electric light
| plants, extending the telephone lines, re-
| pairing bridges that were unsafe and bring
! ing in road-making machinery, and in al
| most every case the transportation cost
| more than the material The regular
! freight charges are $3.50 per hundred from
| the nearest railway station, but few
| army mules and wagons will simplify that
| situation next spring.