Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-25

Americans, never got a thrill out of
mountain until he saw tho Jungfrau,
hotel.
Muir "Discovereds the West.
Which shows that Clemens was 4
good American first. and a connoisseur
OF scenery afterwards 1t was John
muir n Scotchman. who really dlscov-
cred that the West is beautiful. 1t
was he who first saw it's great de
velopments" as stains on beautiful
fabrtc woven by God-stains which
would ultimately splotch and ruin the
whole unless some parts were set aside
TO be preserved as they were. To him
belongs good deal of tho credit for
setting aside these regions.
The process OF creating our national
parks began about 1872. and did not
attract any attention for a long time.
Congress would now and again pass a
bill setting aside such and such areas
as national parks. 1t was easy to get
the bills through because they did not
call for the expenditure 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 viii.
derness, teeming with wild life, a de-
tachment OF troops was sent there 10
Keep order and make some effort 10
suppress the poachers who were kill.
ropes, and tho elk that fraternal or
der might be provided with watch fobs
10 other national parks. engineers
were sent. rangers. fire guards. what
ever seemed urgently needed. There
was no system about II. There was
not even clerk in Washington whose
sole duty II was to attend to national
park business. Hotel concessions were
let 10 almost any one who had a lit
Ito pull. and many of these hotels
oravely preserved the good old hold.
up traditions of the West
Secretary Lane lived in Californ,,
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 admins
ration to develop some OF these posi-
bilities Stephen T. Mather way
chosen to direct the work. He IN =
rich man vino made his fortune out Of
ooraS and in doing so acquired thar
lasting love of high mountains and
swift streams which In as much a mart
OIL the true Wcsterner as his right hand.
80 Mathcr combined the advantage,
that he did not require a SALARY hsJ
money OF his own that he was willing
10 spend and natural enthusiasm for
his job. ~
Employed Press Agent.
ne employed Robert Sterling Yard,
formerly editor of the Century Maya
zine. as press agent. Mr.. Yard
started at the right end by inaugural
ing great advertising campaign. He
not only got out tons OF government
literature on the subject. but he in
duced the railroads TO advertise In,
parks. and interested capital in build
ing good hotels there. He began OK
piaining to the American people that
there was some scenery out in tha
West which was just as good as the
genuine Swiss and Canadian articles.
although made in America Imme-
diately the number OF visitors to tho
parks took bis jump. People began
to talk about them. Mary Roberts
Rinehart Irwin Cobb and other SOW
crciEns OF the public mind, wrote about
them. II is not too much to saw that
Mr.. Yard made the national parks a
national hobby.
Naturally these nipples OF public in
;crest were felt in Congress. and much
valuable legislation regarding ma
tionai parks has gone through. Con-
Ercss has even been induced to an
propriatc quite little money for
roads and trails And Mt Mckinley.
In Alaska. and the Hawaiian volcanoes
have been added TO the list of our pro-
tected wonders. This measure creating
national park service. which passed
last April. and has just been put into
effect, is but the clinching of the
matter. which guarantees the pcrma-
nency of the great constructive work
that went before