The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-08-11
Three July Weeks in the Great
National Yellowstone Park.

Washington, to old Waldo Co. we spent Weel
looking about the thriving city of Seattle, my
husband going from there to San Francisco
and beginning my eastward journey. Two
nights and day brought me to Livingstone
Mont, where l spent few hours, then took
the branch line to Gardiner and the great
National Yellowstone Park, which we soon
reached, and climbing to the high seat beside
the driver on one of the big 6-horse tally-ho's
double deckers-we passed through the tow
ering entrance arch of lava rock which cost
100000, built in 1908 and dedicated by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, bearing the inscriptions
yellowstone National Park" Created by Act
of Congress March l, 1872 "For the Benefit
and Enjoyment of the People,"
/ Just inside the gate the valley is cultivated
to alfalfa and hundreds of antelope were graz
ing, or resting, contently chewing, looking on
us with friendly eyes as we drove through and
wound up the hill. All about here is situated
Uncle Sans feeding pens, cofrals and racks
that are kept filled with alfalfa during the
winter season when the SHOWS are Deep This
is done to induce the wild animals to lnger
about the depot and the little town of Gardiner
of about three hundred people, as objects of
interest and great drawing card to the Park.
They tell me that daily through the winter
many hundreds of deer, elk, goat, mountain
sheep and antelope come down from the noun
tains in herds ard feed there.
l enjoyed 10 The fullest extent the drive of
five miles through the grand mountain scenery
rising high at the sides of the Gardiner canyon,
following the many turns of the Gardiner river.
which is roaring mountain torrent-a sue
cession of cascades and falls. This road all the
way to the Fort has an elevation of 200 feet to
the mile.
Yellowstone Park is in the heart of the Rocky
Mts, extending over an area of 5575 square
miles, occupying corner of Wyoming, over
tapping into Montana and Idaho. Here nature
has crowded more wonderful phenomena and
startling freaks than in any other region, and
many thousands of tourists come from all parts
of the world and go through this park each
year, more especially during the three months
of the open season of the hotels 1t is most
healthful climate and many wealthy people
summer here. Mr. Shedd, the proprietor of
Hoyts German Cologne, of Lowell, Mass, brings
his family here each successive year, as well as
many other names familiar to u.s. The lowest
elevation in the valley is 5000 feet, while the
mountain peaks range as high as $4,000 feet.
Fort Yellowstone is the headquarters of the
Park, the commanding officer being the Park
Superintendent. The buildings are mostly
large, commodious, are all modern army
posts, of graystone and cement, the grounds
about them beautiful with lawns flowers. and
cement walks. A fine cement hospital and
guard house are being erected. The four troops
OF the 5th Cavalry stationed here are used to
preserve order and protect objects of interest
from the hordes OF curio tiends who unhin-
dered would carry away piecemea year by
year even the bright-hued walls of the Grand
Canyon itself, | believe. Even the watchful
eye of the Military does not always prove eff
clent against this class of vandas, as your cor
respondent can attest, having carried away
three or four-pound piece of the Obsidian Cliff,
which is a mountain of black shining glass, and
the road winding along its side was blasted out
by a most difficult process, being called the
glass road probably the only piece of its kind
in the world. These troops were stationed
with US at Fort Apache, Arizona, five years
ago, SO l find many old acquaintance among
them.
1ave been here nearly three weeks, max
ing numerous trips to points of interest, view
ing many of the wonderful freaks of Nature.
The geysers are what l, and l believe nearly
every person, is most interested in. Grand
mountain scenery, waterfalls and such like
features of the Park have had nv fill of in
other sections of the country, but the geysers
and boiling springs have long wished to see.
There are more than one hundred of these,
some fifty of which throw stream of boiling
water from thirty to two hundred and fifty
feet in the air; some every minute, others at
intervals from that to fourteen days. "Old
Faithful is, think the favorite of all the gey-
sers. Every hour, not varying more than five
minutes day and night, summer and winter
it gives its exhibition, beginning with a few
spurts. In about five minutes a stream of boil
ing water two or three feet in diameter shoots
up to 125 and $50 feet, surrounded with vol
umes of steam. 1t plays for a few minutes, then
gradually subsidies. 1t is wonderful specta-
Gle at all times, but seen by moonlight, in
storm, when the search light from the hotel
plays on it at night, it is grand beyond descrp-
tion. This hotel-"Old Faithful Inn"-is a
very imposing rustic structure, with all the
conveniences and luxuries of the modern city
hotel. 1t was built at cost of 100000 in 1904,
and is finished within, all in the natural logs
The huge entrance doors with their quaint iron
hinges and locks, the immense clock, the old
time freplaces, the broad log staircase and bal
comics with their twisted rustic railings, the
electric candles, hardwood floors, mission fur
niture, gay rugs and dainty curtains, make a
charming interior. The main building rises
eight stories high, with bell from the roof
announcing the interesting events, as well as
the call to meals, and dozens of long staffs fly
the flags of different nations. At night it dis
plays powerful search light to show up the
various geysers in action in that locality and
the numerous bears which always hang about
the hotels for the waste food which is given
them daily. This hotel and the fine old "Colo-
nial" at Yellowstone lake have capacity for
45O guests.
There are seven hotels situated at as many
interesting points through the Park run by
the same management, most of them of rustic
architecture, all electric lighted, and guests
can talk by telephone telegraph with friends