The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1910-03-10

; When one is away from home, his
thoughts and footsteps often turn to-
} wards the postoffice. The postoffice is
} the one friendly institution that yields
, its treasures freely to the stranger. You
step up to Uncle Sam, announce youI
considered of any account back home,
you will get letter. [ think MOST
people find fascination in calling fol-
: letters because it is so much like fish:
ing;- they never know when they are
going to get bite.
1t was one morning last August in
Idaho Falls, mad just visited the post
office, received my mail and was 60
ing through it as [ walked along the
street when [ almost bumped into Col.
and Mrs. Philip Cheek. There were
some hearty handclasps, fluctuations,
and information sought and given.
The worthy couple had been in attend
ance at the grand encampment of the
G. A. r. at Salt Lake City, and had
run up to the Idaho town TO look over
some of the colonel's real estate invest
ments, with which, by the way, he
was very much pleased. They had it
in mind to continue their trip into the
/ Yellowstone National Park, but turn.
ed back because they heard that the
horses that drew the coaches in the
park had been overdriven during the
summer and were suffering greatly
| from their exertions.
The first week in September found
me near the west entrance to the park,
and was joined at that time by Mrs.
| d orsett and daughter and few hours
ride by rail brought us to the park.
This early morning journey was along
the upper waters of the Snake river,
said to be one of the best trout streams
in the world, and many a longing
glances did / cast at the foaming rapids
and deep pools and made mental esti-
mates of the number and size of the
speckled beauties that they contained.
[ The railroad ends abruptly at the
park. Uncle Sam allows no iron horse
to get liked up with his other animals
in the great preserve, nor does he per-
nit the trolley or the auto to invade
this sacred precinct. At the little depot
| were drawn up dozen or more stage
coaches, modernized to some extent,
but swung in the old style on huge,
leather straps that served for springs.
Attached to each of these were four
horses, poor, overworked animals
that had seen better days. The drivers
lash cracked like pistol shot over the
backs of the leaders, there was hasty
assembling of the bones that had been
allowed to enjoy brief period OF re-
Taxation, and We were off. The horses
gave the best exhibition of a trot of
which they were capable, and half
! hours journey along beautiful pine
fringed avenue, gave us good appetite
for the hot breakfast which awaited
us at the first tent village. 1t was here
that our eyes and minds were diverted
from the beauties of our surroundings
long enough to exchange one-hundred
dollars in sordid gold for tickets that
placed transportation, tents and table
/ for six days at our disposal.
There are four ways of getting
through the park. The "four hundred"
60 by coach and rest at the end of each
days journey in we'll appointed hotels.
The second class likewise travel by
coach but make the tent villages their
habitat. Third raters join the wander
ing caravans that carry their shelter
| and their kitchens along and make
camp wherever night overtakes them.
The others are known as'sage brushers"
and comprise large number OF people
who go as families or in small parties,
dependent upon no one but themselves
and enjoying the freest kind of a dirty
existence. People who are used to
camp life will readily understand that
this is no reflection upon people who
choose to go in this way. 1t is really
the only way to see the park thorough
ly, but bedding, clothing and every
thing about camp naturally take on
lots of dirt in journey of month or
six weeks.
The tent villages are good enoug h
for those who are not too fastidious.
The tents have board floors, excellent
beds with clean linen, and one gets
lust as much privacy as he does in a
first class hotel. In the early morning
boy builds a roaring fire of pine knots
in your little stove and in five minutes
your canvass home is comfortably
warm and perhaps hot. Another boy
brings boiling water from nearby
fgeyser and your ablutions are made In