Evening star., 1915-04-13
OUR NATIONAL PARKS.
I.-Putting Them on a
Business Basis.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

|
chosen by Secretary Lane OF the In
terror Department to make our nation
| al parks and monuments familiar and
| accessible to the American people. once
conducted a personal investigation TO
| find out how much was known about
these American wonderlands. Every
time he met an American citizen OF
light and leading, man VINO shouio
have known his countrys resources
thoroughly. he took occasion to ask
him how many national parks there
were in the United States. Out OF
twenty prominent, intelligent and
| highly educated Americans there were
only eleven who knew the names OF as
many as three of our national parks
while none of them knew that there
were fourteen parks and monuments
under the protection of the 1eoeral
government. ... ...".
These parks and monuments shouio
not be confused with the natlonai LOT
ests The latter are timber reserves
only The parks and monuments aie
bits of the American wilderness Ia. ta.
have been set aside because OF theiI
beauty and the national wonders ana
curiosities which they contain. Cncie
Sam does not allow any one 10 cut
stick of timber. plow an acre OF IAAo
or harm a wild thing upon these pro-
tected lands
Certain il is that TO most Americans
TN. term national park" suggests
nothing except
Wbot tho Term the Yellowstone
and the Yosemite,
Means to Many. which have been
praised and advertised and toured 10
the exclusion of the other twelve, many
of which are equally interesting, ana
some of which are just as easy TO
reach. There can be no question but
what our national parks and monu-
ments constitute a great, undeveloped
resource-not only a resource In their
capacity to give health and rest and
recreation to hundreds of thousands OF
people, but also in the sense that they
may be made to pay splendid revenue
both Of the government and TO the peo-
pie.
A traveller who has seen practically
all of the great mountains of the world
has said that the Hima1ayas contaln
the most wonderful scenery, that the
American Rockies are second ana tnat
Switzerland is rather a bad third. Yet
thousands of Americans have annua!iy
gone to Switzerland to climb peaks
that were molehills beside the ones
In their own Rocky mountains; and to
view scenery decidedly less impressive,
overrun with guides and tourists. and
capitalized and exploited until much OF
it's primitive charm was gone
Furthermore. these Americans have
spent their vacations and their millions
in Europe without even stopping to
learn what the United States had to
offer. They do not even know the
names of the national parks which
contain some of the most wonderful
course. has heard of the geysers OF
the Yellowstone and the Yosemite
valley. but how many Americans have
ever heard of Iceberg lake. in the Gla-
Wilbur mountain OF glavier pushes a
sheer front OF ice 1000 feet high into
the crystal waters of the mountain
lake. When the sun grows warm the
great icebergs break away from the
parent glacier and crash into the
lake, where they float, about in the
wind, grinding against each other and
awakening myriad echoes in the noun
tain canyons. Iceberg lake is un-
doubtedly one OF the most weirdly
Americans know of its existence.
The Natural bridge of Rock creek,
Virginia, is pictured in all geog-
raphies and known
Sandstone Arches to every school
YI YY.l boy as one of our
Located IN utah. natural wonders.
but almost unknown to the public is
the greatest natural bridges monu
nent of Utah. In this wild mountain
tract. which has been set aside by the