Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-25
The National Park Service
By Frederic J. Haskin

Washington, June 22-The national parks OF
| the United States have now been co-ordinated
and placed under special government service
with director in Washington, in much the same
way that the national forests are controlled by
the forest service.
Properly to protect and conserve the national
parks means to save from destruction and ex-
ploitation for all time certain of the most beauti-
iul and wonderful parts of the west-to save them
Just as they were when the first daring Americans
pushed into the Rockies, when Fremont found the
way across the divide and Kit Carson trapped
from Taos to California and from Canada to
Mexico. 1t also means making these wonder
regions accessible to all Americans on equal
terms.
All the city dwellers of the world who have
money are willing to spend it for fresh air and
scenery. Canada realized long ago that there
was easy money in this eternal hankering of man
to get back to the hills She began advertising
her Rocky mountains, which are in no way su-
perior to our own. Now the Canadian Rockies
are almost as we'll known as the Swiss Alps, and
the tourist business is said to rank fourth among
the Canadian industries. But that is not the
worst OF it. About 70 per cent Of the $l500O0,0OO
which Canada is estimated to make annually by
selling glimpses of her mountains is spent there
by Americans. Think upon thatl The people
that own the Yellowstone, and Glacier and Mount
Rainier and the Yosemite, not to mention num-
Der OF others that you never heard Of carry their
hard iron dollars every summer up into Canada
and leave them there for the privilege Of scram-
bling around in the Canadian Rockies.
The process of creating our national parks be-
gan about 1872, and did not attract any attention
for long time. Congress would now and again
pass bill setting aside such and such areas as
through because they did not call for the ex-
penditure OF any money. The parks were merely
handed over to the secretary OF the interior to
look after. Later on, when all the world began
going to the Yellowstone to look upon that bit
OF virgin American wilderness teeming with wild
lite, detachment OF troops was sent there to
keep. order and make some effort to suppress the
poachers who were killing the last OF the buff
falo for their robes, and the elk that fraternal
order might be provided with watchfobs To
other national parks engineers were sent rangers
fire guards, whatever seemed urgently needed,
There was no system about it. There was not
even clerk in Washington whose sole duty it
was to- attend to national park business. Hotel
concessions were let to almost anyone who had |
little pull, and many of these hotels bravely pre-
served the good old hold-up traditions Of the
west. /
Secretary Lane lived in California and could |
not fail to see what great possibilities were being
neglected in the national parks. He made it one |
OF the prime purposes OF his administration to |
develop some OF these possibilities Stephen r. |
Mather was chosen to direct the work He is |
rich man who. made his fortune out of borax and |
in doing so acquired that lasting love of high |
and swift streams which is as much |
part OF the true westerner as his right hand So |
Mather combined the advantages that he did not
require salary, had money of his own that he
was wiling to spend and natural enthusiasm
Tor his job. He employed Robert Sterling Yard,
formerly editor OF the Century Magazine, as a
press agent Mr.. Yard started at the right end
oy inaugurating great advertising Campaign
tie not only got out tons OF government iitera-
ure on the subject but he induced the railroads
70 advertise the parks, and interested capital in
building good hotels there. He began explaining
% the American people that there was some
scenery out in the west which was just as good
IS the genuine Swiss and Canadian articles, al
hough made in America. Immediately the num-
Der OF visitors to the parks took big jump Peo-
,le began to talk about them. Mary Roberts
2inehart, Irwin Cobb and other sovereigns of the
'ublic mind wrote about them It is not too
much to say that Mr.. Yard made the national
'arks national hobby.
Naturally these rpples OF public interest were
cit in congress and much valuable legislation re-
'arding national parks has gone through Con-
'ress has even been induced to appropriate quite
little money for roads and trails. And Mount
Mckinley in Alaska and the Hawaiian volcanoes
ave been added to the list of our protected won
ers. his measure creating national park sery-
ce. which passed last April and has just been put
nto effect, is but the cnching of the matter,
which guarantees the permanence of the great
obstructive work that went before