The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-03-20

ing. Alghting at the village of Belton, we have
delicious meal in the Great Northern's pretty
Swiss chalet hotel and climb aboard a stage coach
for the ride to Lake Mcdonald. For an hour we
travel a boulevard cut through a dense forest OF
pine, spruce and balsam, and then. where group
OF cottages clustered on its shore, the lake
opens out before This 11-mile stretch Of water
is so beautiful, in setting and color that no words
are adequate to describe ii. Lake Mcdonald was
a popular resort long before the national park
was established, and there several hotels and
camps about its northern end. To OF these,
the Glacier hotel taken by launch to be
greeted cordially by its proprietor, j. E. Lewis,
who for years has been taking care OF fishermen
and other folk who wanted to spend week or
summer in the OPEN So near that 1t seems but
moments walk from the shore, the mountains of
the park tower to the skies, casting their Jagged
reflections in the still waters Of the lake. ten
mile ride through the forest that clothes their
lower slopes brings us to Avalanche lake. Pea
green in color rejecting the spruce and pine and
hemlock that crowd to it's very edge, it les like
q precious gem in a deep basin that is veritable
mountain garden. At one end the rock wall rises
almost perpendicularly for 5000 feet, and its
edge ard down its face dash four torrents dis
charged from Sperry glacier two miles away.
Not very easy OF access, but wonderfully impress
sive when you get to it after some five hours OF
climbing is Sperry glacier Just a great field OF
ice and snow, about three miles in extent and OF
unknown depth. II lies glittering and sparkling
under the midsummer sun. Crevasses cross its
expanse here and there, and the tourist must be
exceedingly careful IL he ventures out on its
face. Indeed. the authorities do not permit this,
unless with guides and ropes, on any of the gla-
cers in the park. The wind is always high up
there and snow and rock slides are frequent.
The mountains and glaciers and lakes and
passes we have seen are only few OF the wonders
of this wonderful park--only a few, indeed OF
that part that is open to ordinary slghtseers
Almost half Of the park, the northern part, is
known TO few except forest rangers, guides, Ind
ans and some scientists. Doubtless before many
years the whole region will be opened up. and the
remarkably satisfactory system of camps estab
lished by the Great Northern Railway company
will be extended TO the Canadian border. Within
the last year these accommodations have been en-
larged greatly to meet the demands OF the rapidly
increasing stream OF visitors.
One more thing must be said for Glacier Ma
tional Park: 1t is a pleasure ground for the peo
ple not for the millionaire. No fine clothes,
expensive luxuries there. All charges are regu-
lated by the government, and II is the ambition
OF Louis HILL chairman OF the board OF directors OF
the Great Northern. TO keep the necessary ex.
penses of visitors down to the minimum. Glacier
park is his hobby and his pride. and he is as
familiar with its trails and passes the
guides and the Indians OF course. tourist travel
to the park helps his railway, and at some time in
the far future the company may begin to break
even on its lavish expenditure OF money to make
things comfortable for those who go all the way
TO Montana TO see the Switzerland Of America--I
haven't yet devised better name for IT,