Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-11-30
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"A W AMMOTH CAVE! Ten to one
you have not heard the name
v mentioned, let alone thought
-" of it, since you put aside
your school geography. Yet
it is one Of the greatest natural won
ders of America and at one time
rivaled Niagara falls In popularity.
There was a time when it was the
Mecca Of all newly-married couples
who could afford the trip. Travellers
came from all over the world to see
it. Today. however. it is practically
forgotten. Visitors even from near
by cities are few and far between.
In fact, Mammoth cave is the forgot
ten natural wonder of the world.
Representative Thomas of Kentucky
expects to introduce a bill in con-
gress providing for the purchase Of
Mammoth cave by the government
and making it national park like
Yellowstone and Yosemite. His argu-
ment will be that the United States
government should take steps to pre-
serve a great natural wonder that is
likely some day to be destroyed I'M
less some strong hand intervenes to
protect it.
There is as yet no indication that
Mammoth cave will be destroyed;
but no one can guarantee that science,
in its constant search for new mate
rial to convert to mans use, may not
discover some profitable use for the
curious geological formations that go
to make up the glory Of this great
hole in the ground.
At any rate, this project for it's uur-
chase by the government brings it
once more to the attention of the
public. Its present owners, the heirs
OF the late DR.. John Croghan, under
the trusteeship of Judge Albert Gov
ington Janin, have allowed the great
cave to become neglected and forgot
ten. Back In 1874 moro than 100 per.
sons visited the cave every day. To-
day tho number does not average
five. Yet the population of the coun.
try has increased from 10000, 900 to
almost 100000 since that time.
To discover what had brought about
this condition a newspaper represen.
ta1ve recently 5ourneyed to Mammoth
cave. It required nearly an hour to
buy a ticket to the nearest point on
the railroad. Only after a long, care.
full study Of railroad maps was it DOS.
stble to get ticket, and this was to
Glasgow Junction, KY. This station
was reached after 24-hour ride, and
there, on a siding, was the train for
Mammoth Cave, nine miles away
This train consisted of little engine
with the name Hercules" painted on
its sides, and one old-fashioned day
coach lighted by smoky oil lamps
The writer and an old man with q
dog were the only passengers. There
were two conductors to collect the
fare OF two dollars which is demand
ed for the short ride to the cave. The
nine miles Of grass-covered tracks
were covered In about an hour and
at last the lights of the Mammoth
Cave hotel came into view.
The hotel is a rambling old struc
ture built nearly seventy-f1ve years
ago-part of it,, In fact, almost 10(
years ago. There were only three
persons at the hotel during the wri
ter's two day stay The big dining
room, with it's long rows of tables
capable of seating $50, or 300 persons
at one time, was deserted. The
greater part OF the structure was
boarded Up. deserted and fast falling
into ruin. =. 49,.
The cave itself. Of course, is Just
as wonderful as ever. It Is thu
largest cave that has ever been dis
covered and its natural beauties ex
Gel those Of every other. There arr
more than 1877 miles of walks in thu
cave, and some idea Of it's size ma,
be gained from knowing that it's MAR
avenue is four and one-half mile.
long, 100 feet high and 60 feet wide
There are 40 other avenues. large
and small. AUD Ut least 100 cham
bers. The Present owners charge
two dollars for the first admission
to the, cave and one dollar for eacl
succeeding visit. Four trips are nee
essary to see all the wonders. Eacl
one takes from four to six hours t.
make, .a--d the four enable one t
see practically all the sights, If on,
is willing to walk some twenty-five o.
thirty miles. On one long trip prac
tically every important sight coult
be seen Il the guides were disposed
to show the cave that way. II th,
cave shall ever become the propert,
Of the government, Is lighted b!
electricity and shown In way tina
/ will not take three or four day., an
= modern hotel be built 70 rsplae,