Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-18
NATIONAL PARKS
ARE GREAT ASSET
Secretary Lane Calls Attention TO
Value of Big Public Play
grounds Owned by Nation.
ASKS MONEY TO BUILD ROADS

grounds to the people of this country
which are. we may modestly state with
out any rivals in the world. Just as the
cities are seeing the wisdom and the
necessity OF open spaces for the chill
dren, So with a very large view, the
nation has been saving from Its domain
the rarest places OF grandeur and beauty
for the enjoyment of the world
And this fact has been discovered by
many only this year. Having an incen-
tive in the expositions on the Pacific
coast, and Europe being closed, thou
sands have for the first time crossed the
continent and seen one or more of the
national parks. That such mountains
and glaciers lakes and canyons, forests
and waterfalls were to be found in this
country was revelation to many, who
had card but had not believed. 1t would
appear from the experience Of this year
that the real awakening s1 to the value
Of these parks has at last been realized,
and that those who have hitherto found
/ themselves enticed by the beauty OF the
Alps and the Rhine and the soft lowell
( ness of the valleys Of France, may find
( equal If not more stimulating satisfac-
ton in the mountains. rivers and valleys
which this government has set apart
I Tor them and for all others.
IL may reconcile those who think that
money expended upon such luxurtes is
wasted--if any such there are-to be told
/ Il at the sober-mlnded traffic men OF the
railroads estimate that this year more
than SlOO, 90 600 usually spent in European
travel was divided among the railroads.
hotels. and their supporting enterprises
in this country.
New Park in Colorado.
During the year new national park of
distinction and unusual accessibility has
come into existence. 1t crosses the
Rockies in Colorado at a point of SUI
preme magnificence; hence Its title, the
Rocky Mountain National park. Through
IT, from north to south, winds the CONT
mental divide-the Snowy range in name
and fact. Two hundred lakes grace this
rocky paradise, and bear and bighorn In
habit its Businesses. 1t has an area OF
$40 square miles and lies only seventy
miles from Denver. Many hotels lie at
the feet OF these mountains and three
railroads skirt their sides.
This is Colorado's second national park,
the other being Mesa Verde. where this
department, with the assistance OF DR..
jesse w dlltT EtNhtb "a NHo CiillAil6pAiiaA
Institution. has uncovered during the last
summer prehistoric ruins Of unprecedented
scientific interest.
! Oregon has but recently completed a
great highway along the Columbia river.
This should be connected by road with
Mount Hood and a portion OF the present
forest reserve converted into a park. The
limits of Sequola park. in California, the
home of the great redwoods, should be
so extended as to include the Kern River
canyon a most practicable project today;
but tomorrow may be too late, because
of the lumber interests. The Grand can
yon is not yet part of the park system.
although as part of a national forest it
comes under the control OF the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
should he Available for All.
There is no reason why this nation
should not make its public health and
scenic domain as available TO all its citi-
zens as Switzerland and Italy make
theirs. The aim is to open them thor
oughly by road and trail and give access
and accommodation to every degree
Of income. In this belief an effort has
been made this year as never before to
Oullll lit pdIhS Will new HOltlS winch
should make the visitor desire to llnger
rather than hasten on his journey. One
hotel was built on Lake McDermott, in
Glacier park. one is to be built immedi-
ately on the shoulder of Mount Rainier,
in Paradise valley; another in the valley
of the Yosemite, with an annex high
overhead on Glacier Point. while more
modest chalets are to be dotted about in
the obscurer spots to make accessible the
rarer beauties OF the inner Yosemite. For
with the new Tloga road, which, through
the generosity of Stephen T. Mather and
few others, the government has ac-
qulred, there is to be revealed a new
Yosemite, which only John Muir and
others of similar bent have seen. This Is
a Yosemite far different from the quiet
Incompatible valley II is a land of for
ests. snow and glaciers. From Mount
Lyell one looks as from an island, upon
a tumbled sea of snowy peaks It's lakes
many Of which have never been fished.
are alive with trout.
Great Game Preserve.
While as the years have passed we
have been modestly developing the SUI
perb scenic possibilities Of the Yellow
stone, nature has made of it the largest
and most populous game preserve in the
western hemisphere. It's great size. its
altitude. its vast wildernesses. its plenti-
full waters, its favorable conformation OF
rugged mountain and sheltered valley.
and the nearly perfect protection afforded
by the policy and the scientific care Of
the government have made this park.
since its inauguration in 1872 the natural
and inevitable center OF game conserva-
ton for this nation. There is something
OF significance in this. 1t is the destiny
OF the national parks, II wisely controlled.
TO become the public laboratories OF
nature study for the nation. And from
them specimens may be distributed 10 the
city and state preserves. as is now being
done with the elk Of the YellnuLstnnn