Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-25
SOME DANGER PLACES
Injuries From Geysers in the
Yellowstone Park.
FEW ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
Yarns of Jim Bridger, the Pioneer
Scout, INDICATED.
SUPERSTITION OF THE INDIANS
The "Fish Pot" Where One May
Cook a Fish Taken From an
Adjoining Pool.
SUPERSTITION OF THE INDIANS
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
OLD FAITHFUL INN, August Is, 1909.
Nobody knows how many geysers there
are in the Yellowstone Park, probably
several thousand, large and small; and
they are scattered over wide area, ap-
pearing at distant intervals singly and
in groups. Down at the bottom Of the
canyon of the Yellowstone are several
which lie along the edge of the river,
and are often buried under the floods of
springtime.
Old Jim Bridger, the pioneer scout,
hunter and trapper who explored the park
long before any other white man. told
many extraordinary stories concerning
the wonders he had seen. Nobody believed
them at the time. They supposed he
was simply romancing. Time has vindi-
Gated him in many particulars. For ex-
ample, Gen. William F. Reynolds of the
Engineer Corps, who explored j portion
of the park as far back as 1851, gives In
his official report a sample Of Bridger'S
fantastic tales. which was that the water
in a certain creek ran SO fast that the
friction upon the stones at the bottom
made them SO hot that he could not ford
it In his bare feet Of course, this was
The other night Mr.. NJ. p. Langford of
st. Paul, member of the first party
which explored the park, who was large
~ instrumental in starting the legislation
which made it public playground, deliv-
cred little speech to about $50 people
at the inn and related his experiences
here. Among other things he alluded to
the Bridger story about the brook with
the hot bottom and declared that it was
strictly true, although Bridgers theory
v-r,s b. Tori nf ha Wy n
confirmed by scientific Investigation.
While he was in the park wandering
about with the Washburn party in 1870
they discovered the same phenomena
while fording brook. The gravel bot
tom was so hot that they could not
wade through the water in their bare
feet, and this appears in several places
where the bottoms of the rivers are heat
ed by subterranean fires.
There are several great groups of gey-
sers and hot springs, large and small,
where the tourist is allowed to stop and
study them. The surface around them
is bare and lifeless, covered with chalk,
soda, magnesia and other chemicals,
which have been deposited through the
ages by the waters that have overlooked
from the springs. In the case of the
Mammoth Hot Spring, which is near the
entrance of the park, these chemical ac-
cumulations have gradually become a
mountain, approached by series of ter
fountains still flows and leaves a film
of particles along its trail. In other
places geysers and springs are found in
hollows. and many have accumulated
around them what appears to be thick
crust of chemicals sometimes solid, some
times formed like a sponge.
These surroundings are called 1.-The for
nation" and you get tired of that word
because you hear it from the moment you
cross the boundaries of the park until
them EV6ryrhn6V iS
talking about 1.-The formation" but sup
pose it is legitimate term and there Is
no substitute to describe what it means.
'Swatties" and "Savages."
Each of the larger springs is marked
with a sgnboard so that it can be identi-
fled by visitors, and here and there. signs
marked Dangerous have been put up to
warn the reckless and unwary. There
are military guards stationed at the most
dangerous places to keep people from
venturing upon the thin crust. They are
called "swatties." and there is an ever
lasting feud between them and the "sav
ages as the stage drivers are called.
This unpleasantness is due to several
causes. In the first place the ''swatty"
prefers to conduct groups of tourists over
the formation" instead of permitting the
drivers to do it. He loves to describe
the wonders of the place and many gener-
Gus people drop tips into his hand. which
the drivers would prefer to receive them
selves But, what is still more serious,
the "sWattes" and the 'savages" are
rivals for the affections of the beavers"
the mattresses and chambermaids en-
ployed at the hotels. Many of the 'heav-
ers'' are attractive young women. Some
are school marms who are glad of the OPP
portunity to spend their vacations in such
an attractive place and draw good wages
at the same time. although. after the first
few weeks, it is said that life here be-
comes very monotonous. That explains,
perhaps. the tendency some of the young
women show to fiirt with any sample OF
the masculine gender who appears upon
the horizon of their narrow existence.
Those tendencies do not promote peace.
however. and the managers are sometimes
obliged to intervene.
The soldiers on guard at the geysers
are sometimes rather arbitrary, and love
to show their authority, but usually they
are very polite. and deferential. and we
found a lonely blue-eyed lad from Kill
dare at the Black Sand basin--a lonely
p,ace-who welcomed us with a brogue
and a cordially that were both gem
uine.
Specimens Of Humor.
There is a good deal of humor displayed
here and there. When You see a sign
to keep off the geysers" you may know
that joker has been about. Don't