The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1918-04-04
our ALASKAN PARK
1t Is cIassed as One Of Worlds
Colossal SpectacIes.
GRANDEUR OF THE SCENERY.

Mighty Mount Mckinley, Most lofty Of
All Our country's Towering Peaks,
Crowns the Titanic Glory of the New
est of Uncle Sans Reservations.
The national park in Alaska which
congress created in the spring OF 1917
is one of the monster spectacles of
the world To say that Mount McKin-
ley rises &c, 300 feet above sea level and
that it is the Hottest peak in America
is to convey no idea whatever OF Its
grandeur. There are several mountains
in the HimaIayas which materially ex-
coed its height, one which rises more
than 25,000 feet above sea level, and ]
yet Mount Mckinley to the observer is
loftier than any of these. s
The reason Is that the greatest Him
alayas are seen from valleys 1000 to
10000 feet In altitude, while Mount Me-
Kinley rises abruptly from valleys
5000 feet and even less in altitude.
The visitor to the Mount Mckinley
National park will look up more than
1900 feet to the double peak, the up
per 1900 feet Of which are covered
with perpetual snow.
This enormous mass is the climax or
the great Alaskan range which extends
roughly east and west across southeast
central Alaska, separating the vast
northern inland from the more popu-
lated country whose shores are the
gulf of Alaska. The range parallels
the mighty Yukon many miles to its
mouth.
The reservation contains 1900 square
+ miles It's northern slopes, which over
look the Tanana watershed with its
gold mining industry, are broad val
leys inhabited by enormous herds OF
caribou. It's southern plateau is a
perpetual winter wilderness through
which glaciers of great length and
enormous bulk flow into the valleys of
the south. In this National park, which
the railroad now building by govern
ment into the Alaskan interior will
open to the public, America possesses
| Alpine scenery upon a titanic scale.
From the stormy south Mount Nc
kinley is wholly inaccessible. But
from the plains of the north valleys OF
| easy grade lead one from another to
| it's foot.
SIT is an awe inspiring region of mas
| sive mountains and ice capped peaks,
I Belmore Browne of the Campfire club
testified before the senate COMMITTEES
on territories. .sThe Piedmont plateau
that follows the range affords beau
| tifuI roadway direct to Mount Mckin-
ley, and when you reach the plateau
j all difficulties vanish and you see a
/ view that is unique on this earth. You
see the huge mountain line of perpet-
ual snow, rising like great wall on
/ the southeast You can ride a pony to
] where Mount Mckinley rises 1900
feet above you In a giittering wall Of
snow and ice. It is flanked by stu
| pendous mountains, which make Won
derful setting for the monster"
North of the vast mountain, however.
is a rolling country dotted with beau
i tiful lakes and forests and inhabited
by enormous herds Of caribou. In fact,
the special reason why congress set
4 apart the region at this time was to
conserve the wild animal life in ad.
i vance Of the invasion of hunters which
the new government railroad will bring
into Alaska, the road as projected run
ming within twenty miles of thin great
i est of natures spectacles
Charles Sheldon of the Boone and
Crockett club told the senate commit
] tee that several times he has counted
as many as 500 mountain sheep in a
single day of ordinary travel and that
herds of caribou numbering from 1920
to 1,500 are frequently seen.
/ As game refuge and breeding
! ground the new National park con-
i serves Alaskan game which elsewhere
is rapidly disappearing. As in the case
| of the Yellowstone National park, the
reservation serves as perpetual cen
ter of game supply for large neighbor
ing areas.
4 These animals do not greatly fear
man, because they have never been
hunted One can approach the great
1 herds of caribou. There are also many
Alaskan bear of great size.
/ An extensive educational campaign
has been inaugurated by the depart
| ment of the interior for the informa,
ton of the people concerning the hith
erto unknown quality and extent of
4 our national parks, of their scenic and
recreational possessions, under which
i public interest in our national parks is
/ growing with unanticipated speed, and
public realization, interest and prae.
teal use is the condition as well as the
4 object of national parks development
/ Public patronage of the parks has in
creased rapidly and steadily.
Cooperation in the public interest
has been promoted between railroads
and the government, between conces-
sioners and park homogeneous and be-
tween parks. Large private capital
has been induced to enter several ma
tional parks for the enlargement and
Improvement Of hotel and transporta-
tion service. Prices to the public have
been decreased wherever possible.
Boudoir Gardening.