Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1911-09-15
President to Visit Mt. Rainier

ow so wonderfully massive and 50
delicately beautiful as to be deifed
and sanctifed in the pagan mind OF
the Indian, President William H.
Taft will spend Sunday, Oct. 9th.
Mr.. Taft will visit Mount Rainier
on this trip to the Pacific coast, a
visit made possible in the limited
time he has by government built
roads and the improvements made
and train service established on the
old Tacoma & Eastern road by the
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound
railway. The presidents visit will
be fitting close to one of the most
successful tourist seasons, now at
its height, ever experienced in
Rainier National park.
Travelling over the Milwaukee
up to the mountain, the president
will leave his train at Ashford, the
terminus of the line, and thence go
by automobile to Rainier Inn, we'll
within the national park. From
this point either by stage coach.
automobile over the government
road, or on horseback over a ro-
mantle pony trail through and up
the sides of the canyons he will
make a quick trip to Gods Roof
Garden, at the highest point of
which snow and meadow meet.
Standing on the snow fields he will
be able to pick delicate wild flow
ers, he will wade through fields of
mountain aster and other wonder
full blossoms but a few steps out
onto a snow field extending for
mile after mile up the mountain
side to the very crest Of the peak.
The Indians called this noun
tain. which is I4,so3 feet high and
rises more than 5000 feet above its
nearest sister peaks, their god.
Gods Roof Garden or Paradise
Valley, which is. but one of many
wonderful natural parks averaging
two miles in width and girding the
mountain just below the snow line,
was their sanctuary, their place Of
refuge. Never was there blood
she or quarrel within it, arms were
laid down at its entrance and here
the pursued had no fear of violence
or capture by his purseur. 1t was
haven of refuge. A mountain
and a valley of which John Muir,
the great mountain climber said:
OF all the fire mountains which
like beacons, once blazed along the
Pacific coast, Mount Rainier is the
noblest in form. Its massive white
dome rises out of its forests. like
world by itself. Above the forests
there is zone of the loveliest
flowers, SO closely planted and lux
uriant that it seems as if nature
were economizing the precious
ground and trying to see how many
OF her darlings she can gather to-
getler in one mountain wreath
among which we wade knee-deep
and waist-deep, the bright corollas
in myriads touching petal to petal.
This is the richest subalpine garden
| ever found, perfect floral elysi-
um."
Here Presiden Taft is promised
one day that will be perfect an
tithesis in its peaceful grandeur to
the turmoil and strife of the politi-
cal campaign in which he is en-
gagged. Time will not permit his
attempt to tcale the mountain sides
to its crest. not a difficult but an
arduous trip which is being made
daily by tourists who visit this
wonder place. Neither will he
have time to go over the trail in'o
Indian Henry's Hunting Ground,
another wonder place, from which
other grand views of the mountain
and surrounding peaks is secured.
He will have but a day in Gods
Roof Garden. whence he must re-
turn to the tumultous crowds in
Seattle and other coast cities, who
will be waiting to see and hear him.
HOmeSteaderS.