Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-08-24
YELLOWSTONE PARK.
Impressions Of o. E. Wells, Who Spent
One Week in the National Park.

The Yellowstone park contains a
thousand square miles more than the
combined areas of Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut and Della
ware. 1t is therefore evident that no
one tours the park. He tours little
in it; from 100 to $50 miles. Never
theless that is no small achievement
in effort or personal acquisition. The
park is natures wonderland, the most
marvellous scenic panorama in the
world
There arefour recognized entrances,
one on each side, though the park is
not enclosed, the north entrance at
Gardiner being preferable, at least for
the first tour. The park is officially
under the control of the department
of the interior at Washington, but is
under the direct supervision of mill
tary officer. At Mammoth Hot
Springs, about five miles from the
entrance, is Fort Yellowstone, gar
rison of United States troops who
patrol the park, build and sprinkle
roads, register tourists, act as guides,
and perform other necessary services.
All needed work is done by them.
The government has laid out the
roads, built some of them, and has
others in process of construction.
Some of them are macadamiZed and
provision is made for sprinkling them.
The Yellowstone Park association
understood 10 be sub-corporation of
the Northern Pacific Railway Co..
has line Of splendid hotels, admir-
ably located for beauty of scenery and
convenience to points of greatest inter-
est. The Wyilie Permanent Camping
Co. has a line of commodious camps
through the park. Both companies
operate lines of tallyhos, stages and
carriages for the conveyance of
tourists. The Bryant-Spence Camping
Co. operates with movable camps,
transporting the camps as the party
moves.
The expense of travel is in the
order of the methods naped, the
movable camps being cheapest. The
first two follow the goyernmentroutes
solely. The last adds to this, various
side trips to places of great interest.
1t also promises an extra day in the
park. It's ways are promGtive of
greater comradeship. The tents are
pitched in semicircular form. After
supper great camp fire is built in
the midst around which all gather to
tell stories, sing songs, read or recite
'pieces," play games. Around the
camp at night sometimes barked the
coyotes, while at others through it
roamed the bear At one time three
OF them explored the garbage
box and attempted to freak in
to the commissary department.
The cracking of the drivers
whips was sufficient to drive them
away. Naturally the mischieyiously
inclined of the party trailed them in
to camp by placing Strips of ham or
bacon along between the tents of the
ladies who didn't believe the bears
ever came into the camp" We heard.
no more of their doubts or wishes
that bear would come.
Our party, including attendants,
numbered about thirty, representing
thirteen states. There were aged and
middle aged couples, young ladies in
pairs or alone, a college graduate for
cook, and undergraduates as helpers.
Young men who cannot afford to go
otherwise, adopt this method of see
ing the park while replenishing their
pocket books. They receive thirty
dollars and upwards with their keep.
Young ladies, college girls, 60 by the
other routes as walters at the tables
or dishwashers, donning their. travel
ing garb after service and resuming
their place as tourists. Is not that a
fine democracy which sustains such
an equality?
Who can describe the park9 The
masters of word painting have adj
yentured it, great artists have at
tempted to paint 1t, poets have es-
sayed it in soag, but it remains unde-
scribed and indescribable. The
maryels Of form and color are there
but they cannot be reproduced else
where.
The greatest misconceptions are in
regard 10 extent and position. Few
people think Of fields Of ten, forty, or
a hundred acres covered with the
various formations deposited by the
springs. Looking down from the
upper terraces as of Norris Basin, one
seems to see a large lake covered with
dirty ice from which issue jets of
steam or hot water. Across this
grayish crust lies plank walk TO
enable the visitor, reach the steaming
or spouting vents. The word Dan
gerousn IS conspicuously placed near
the walk 10 keep him of the crust,
lest, breaking through, he be cooked
and served below. There are more
extensive areas further on and more
charming sights.
Between the socalled geyser basins
are long stretches of country, some
times IF theaFy sand and bastard
pine, sometimes Of steep mountain
sides bedecked with the same degen-