The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1916-06-30
A WONDROUS LAND
The Yellowstone Region as James
Bridger Saw 1t.
AND HE WAS A TRUTHFUL MAN

of nl0e HTou41 ALUM NT1SN wv
ry of the Mountain That Was Cursed.
AS q teller of tales Munchausen had
worthy rival in James Bridger, the
celebrated hunter, trader and guide,
whose name and career are part Of the
pioneer history Of the west. Bridger
was thoroughly familiar with the re-
gion now comprised in the Yellowstone
park as far back as $780,
In his book, THE Yellowstone Park"
the author, Hiram Martin Chittenden,
brigadier general United States army,
retired, sets down some Of the yarns
Bridger told about that land of Won
ders. Many of the Yellowstone coun-
try tales ascribed to Bridger have sur
vtved to this day, probably because
they have never been capped. The
first story General Chittenden tells re-
lates to the celebrated Obsidian cliff,
a mass Of black volcanic glass with
which all the tourists are familiar Its
discovery by Bridger was the result Of
a hunting trip, and it happened in fhis
way:
Coming one day in sight Of a mag
nificent elk, he took careful aim at the
unsuspecting animal and fired. To his
amazement the elk not only was not
wounded, but seemed not to have heard
the noise of the rife. Bridger drew
considerably nearer and gave the elk
the benefit of his most deliberate aim,
but with the same result as before. A
third and fourth effort met with simi-
lar fate. Utterly exasperated, he seized
his rifle by the barrel, resolved to use
1t as club, since 1t had failed as a
hrearm. Rushing madly toward the
elk, he suddenly crashed into an i'm
movable vertical wall which proved to
be a mountain of perfectly transparent
glass, on the farther side of which.
still In peaceful security, the elk was
quietly grazing.
stranger still, the mountain was not
only OF pure glass, but was a perfect
telescope lens, and, whereas the elk
seemed but few yards off, it was In
reality twenty-five miles away"
Another of Bridger's discoveries was
an Ice cold spring near the summit of
lofty mountain. the water from
which flowed down over a long.
smooth slope. where 1t acquired such
that it was boiling hot when
It reached the bottom. This, a later in.
Vestlgator of the Firehole river found.
was a case In which hot spring dis
charged into the river bed.
Alum creek, tributary of the yell
lowstone, received its name from an
accidental discovery by Bridger. One
lay he forded the creek and rode ont
several miles and back. He noticed
nat the return journey was only a
small traction of the distance going
ma that his horses feet had shrunk
o mere points which sank into the ,
'ol1d ground so that the animal could
scarcely hobble along. Seeking the
'ause, he found it TO be in the astrin.
sent qualities of the water, which was I
aturated With alum to such an extent |
NAT II had power to pucker distance |
tself.
bfldger also found n fine place to |,
ISM; somewhere along the shore an
boiling spring discharges its
Nernow directly into the lake. The
pecitic gravity of the water Is less i
nan that of the lake. owing to the ex.
ansive action of heat, and 1t floats in
stratum of three or four feet thick
pom the cold water underneath. When
'ridger was In need of fish It was TO
his place that he went. Through the
OF upper stratum he let fall his bait
the sub1acent habitable zone and.
aying hooked his victim, cooked him
n the way outw
The visitor to the region OF netr,fica.
ons In the northeast corner of the
ark and to various points in the hot
rings districts will have no difficulty
discovering the base material out OF
hich Bridger contrived the following
cturesque yarn:
"A mountain In the park was once
lrsed by a great medicine man of the
row nation. Everything on the noun
IN at the time of this dire event be-
me instantly petrified and has re-
aimed so ever since All forms Of
Q are standing about in stone where
ey We're suddenly caught by the
'trlfying influences, even as the in.
.oltants OF ancient Pompeii were sur
ised by the ashes of vesuvius. Sage
ush' grass, prairie fowls, antelopes
IS and bears may there be seen os
rect as in actual life. Dashine TOR.
nts and the spray mist from them
ana forth in arrested motion as n
rVed from rock by sculptor's chisel
zen flowers are blooming in coIors Of v
ystal, and birds soar with WINGS II
read In motionless flight. while the o
floats with music and perfumes
lceous, and the sun and moon shine
IN pertriied lightr' 1t is denied y
ough' that Badger was responsible q
the story that even the laws Of 81
'Vitation were petrifed in the region s.