The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-04-14

Itoric a ge. a giant among the peaks Of
the world, higher than anything III
the andes Then some deep-sea Eo.-
Icanic disturbances literally tore out
the bottom of this great mountain.
$50 that its summit sank into the
bowels of the earth leaving in It's
place a rocky cup over five miles
wide and 1000 feet deep. Gradually
this great granite vessel filed with
pure crystal water to the depth of
more than 1000 feet
This is the origin of Crater lake,
on the national park of that name.
as 1t is explained by biologists. AS
1t is today. the lake Is probably the
most striking body Of fresh water in
the world. OF a glowing sapphire
tint under the vivid western sky. the
lake is surrounded by sheer cliffs
from five hundred to two thousand
feet high. and these cliffs are mir
rowed SO perfectly in the still waters
that the eye can siAIrecly dtect where
the reality ends and the image be-
gins.
Because it i sfairly typical Of our
less celebrated national parks. the
Crater Lake reservation is worthy Of
description The lake is near the
center Of the park, which contains
249 lies of unspoiled mountain viii
.deness. Not only the forests and
the natural scenery in general nave
been preserved inviolate, but the wild
animals are protected at all times Of
the year. SO that deer and bear and
other big game are found in some
thing like their primitive abundance.
Crater Lake originally contained no
fish whatever, but In this respect, man
has improved upon nature. for the
government has planted there the
splendid rainbow trout of the Rocky
mountain region, and it has become
extremely numerous. The fish reach
a much larger size in the lake than
they do in the mountain streams, so
that two pound trout are common,
while those weighing six or seven
pounds are frequently taken Thus,
in addition to being a natural Won
der, Crater Lake park has many at
fractions for teh angler, mountain
climber and the nature student.
Present accomm odations at Crater
Lake park consist in couple of pub
lie camps, where one may rent tent,
and one small hotel. There is tri-
weekly automobile service between
Medford. Oregon. and the park. Thus
Crater Lake is seen to be wholly ac-
cessib1e. but to enjoy nothing like the
development and popularity which its
beauty and interest warrant. IA study
of the visitors to the lake last year
shows that very large percentage
of all of them came from the state of
Oregon. OF the 700 visitors who
We're in the park during the year 1914
nearly 5000 were Oregonians and
nearly 1000 were from California. a
mere handful from other states hav-.
ing registered
The same condition prevails upon
nearly all OF the national parks The
inhabitants of the states where they
are located are we'll aware Of their
charm as summer resorts and patron
iZe them regularly but Am erican tray-
Felers at large, who have money to
spend in going long distances, are
blinded 10 these attractions of their
own country by the prevailing mania
for foreign travel.
The way in which Uncle Sam has
heretofore taken care of his national
parks is shown by the fact that at
Crater Lake in 1914 there were only
two temporary rangers allowed dur
ing the season, and as one Of these.
was kept busy registering guests, the
249 miles of mountain wilderness had
to be patrolled by one man As a
result. some game was killed by the
poachers; and that there were not
more violations of the law was large.
" due to the way in which most of
the visitors cooperated with the adj.
ministration of the park
BY Way OF illustrating the variety
of natural scenery included in the
national parks, we will jump from
the Oregon Rockies to the far south
west, where the Mesa Verde nation
al park is located in Montezuma coun-
ty, Colorado. This tract Of land which
Includes about 90 square miles was
set apart primarily because Of the
great number Of ancient cliff dwell
lings whose we'll preserved ruins are
found there. ,.
plateau, lifting 1000 feet almost
sheer above the. floor OF the Monte.
yuma valley. The plateau is cut BY
numbers Of great Jagged canyons in
whose overhanging walls OF purple
lava the Pueblo Indians Of prehis-
toIic days built their impregnable for
titled village. Nowhere else in the
United States are there such extern.
sive and Well prepared relics of life
in America before 1t was discovered
by Europeans
he3largest of the Mesa Verde ruins
us that Of the spruce tree house,
which is a structure Of ia rooms
built on shelf in the side of cam
yon. OF the three stories which this
structure once possessed. two are
still almost intact, the rock and adobe
mortar OF which they We're construct
ed being almost incredibly durable;
Many archacologists have journeyed
to the Mesa Verde ruin and by means
of this great house OF. the primitive
red men they have been able to re-
construct much OF the life OF van
fished times. Thus they have identi-4
Il fed the. khLivas. or council chambers
where the warriors met; the granar-
les Where the crops raised IN the val;
I legs below We're stored, and the NOR.
tnary chambers where the dead were
kept literally next door to the living.
SO perfectly preserved are ruins OF