The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-09
SN0W 5HOE PARTY
AT
OB5,D'AN cLlFF

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ana spikes. tenpennies and shingles. had
to be heated on the cook stoves before
the carpenters could handle them. The
reason Tor this haste was that the new
hotel had to be finished in time for the
summer season. when the park is in
| us brlef period OF vcrdant glory
More people VIII go to the Yellow
stone National Park this year than ever
before. In 1872. when the Federal Gov
eminent dedicated it "as a public park
or pleasure ground for the benefit and
enjoyment of the people," probably not
more than thousand persons wear
were visiting It. In the next twenty
three years the number of visitors
climbed slowly to about 5000 annual
~ In 1895. the authorities began
counting the persons who entered the
Park. and complete records have been
Kept ever since. There were 5,43S vis-
itors In 1885. Ten years later the num-
per had risen to 26.lsS. In, 1906, It
dropped to 17,172 The next wear it
ieii on nearly thousand In 1908. the
total was 1S,74S. Then came the most
remarkable increase in visitors that
the park ever has known In 1909. there
were nearly twice as many (32.645) as
the year before. This was principally
due to the opening of new railroad
| gateway to the park-at Yellowstone
(which made It much easier
Of access.
| a 6't OF E. h. Hsrrinan's Wizardry.
This came about through visit that
| the late r.. II. Hartman made to the
Park III the summer OF 1904. He was
INN l.
Park that he Immediately ordered the
| location and construction OF n branch
! from the Oregon Short Line, a part Of
| the Union Pacific system, to the west
ern border OF the Park This road,
| from Idaho Falls to Yellowstone. Mon
lana, twenty miles from the lower
Geyser Basin. was finished Nov. 70.
lso'' and was opened for traffic the
following June. It is 107 miles long and
cost nearly $4,000. 900. It's construction
cailcd into play the greatest energy and
skill In the science OF railroad build
/ Ing.
Owing to the deep SHOWS and severe
| wlnters work could be carried on dir
Ing only about four months Of the year.
But, In that brief season, vast army Of
men and machines toiled night and
| day. The giant mountain barriers with
their deep valleys in betwet:. had to be
conquered. That part OF the ea...h
| where the rails ran had TO be rerod-
elca so rs to secure the safest and
easiest grades. Probably no railway.
! where so many obstacles had to be
| overcome, ever was built in SO short a
time. But the largely increased num-
| Der OF visitors to the Park has proved
that the new line Is fully apprecia ted.
Of the more than 10000 who entered
the Park last year nearly half went by
this new Western Gateway that Mr..
Hartman created.
| Inc government scouts who are guard
lans OF the wild creatures are about
! inc OILY ones who ever see much OF
the winter beauties Of the Park. Those
VINO have been there any length Of
time have learned much that is now
about the habits OF the animals that
abound there. although they are chiefly
concerned in keeping Doachers out OF
the park There are fewer OF these
nov than there used to be. because
heavier penalties have been laid by the
Government on those who are caught.
The few that do venture into the Park
mostly come in winter. Then there is
less chance OF their being detected. hui
more risk OF losing their lives in the
cold and snow. One thing more than
/ all others ten1pts them-the buffalo
/ interruptions taS;dermists will pay the
weight In silver for buffalo head
nowadays. for these heads are practi-
cally unattainable by legitimate means
me rest of the wild creatures that
make their homes in the Park are sell
dom molestcd.
Poaching In the Deep Shows.
i 1t has been seventeen years since one
OF these poachers after buffalo has
been caught. but nc did so much dam
age before he was arrested that 1t has
taken long time to make up for It.
Early in March. 1894, a party was or
! ganized at Fort Yellowstone for the
purpose OF visiting tho winter ranges
OF the game to ascertain the exac,
number OF buffalo that still existed and
70 photograph them. The party tray-
cleo on Norwegian snowshoes with
packs OF sleeping bags, provisions and
/, camera, directly to Hayden Valley via
Norris and the Grand Canyon. They
found eighty one buffalo in tho valley
: together with numerous small groups
OF cik aSgresating morc than 500.