Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-08-05
VISITS YELLOWSTONE
NATIONAL PARK
Miss Lillian L. Crosley Writes En-.
tertainingly Of Trip to the
Great West.

bright and fair began my first jour-
ney to the west, and up to date not
an unpleasant incident has occurred.
While common to all mankind there
is a depth of thought and a sympathy
for suffering humanity underlying all
my activities, 1 am sure no tender
foot ever had more successful
fortnight of sightseeing and inter-
esting associations.
The first day through Iowas beau
tiful farm lands, prosperous looking
towns and cities, made me feel that
nothing could surpass it in economic
beauty. The night took us through
what was, no doubt, as prosperous a
part of Nebraska, but daylight found
us in western Nebraska and eastern
Wyoming, where sand and rocks and
hills abound. No doubt there is also
great wealth in these grazing lands,
but to one Iowa born and bred, the
outlook was far from pleasing.
Toward evening as we approached
Cheyenne, we encountered a noun
tain thunderstorm Of short duration,
and after leaving that city when at
Sherman's point, the highest spot in
Wyoming, SOTO feet above sea level,
a veritable cloud burst-a storm sur
passing in wind and fury the one
which occurred at Webster City on
June 3rd-was upon us, and when
we reached Laramie, we were told
that the water in the streets had
been running three feet deep. Night
came on and one was obliged to miss
seeing the first mountainous country,
but while passing through western
Wyoming and into Idaho the next
day my knitting was neglected as the
scenery took ones entire attention.
There were some two dozen pas
sengers in the tourist car and with
fans operating at both ends of the
car, excellent ventilation and pleas
ant company, the day passed very
rapidly and Pocatello, Idaho, was
reached about 800 p. m.
Here I was to change cars for the
trip to Yellowstone Park. There is
but one train to the southwest en-
trance of the park. This leaves Salt
Lake City in the evening, reaches
Pocatello about 1870 a. m. and Vel
lowstone Station at 500 a. m. 1t
stays there all day, leaving for Salt
Lake City at 700 p. m. One sleeps
but little after 500 a. M, as the
scenery is enhancing and one wishes
he could look out of both sides Of
the car at the same time.
After a fine breakfast at the rail-
road cafe. we were on our way to
the first camp at the upper geyser
basin at $3.50 a. m. Eleven persons
besides the driver occupy large
touring car, and these form a party
which is taken the full round of the
park together. The personnel of our
patty was as follows: A club woman
and writer of Chicago, whom l had
met at Pocatello, and as each of US
was touring the park alone we wire
glad to join forces; a man and his
wife from Englewood, Chicago; three
young ladies from Chicago; a man
and his wife from Staten Island, N.
Y; a business man from Omaha, and
civil engineer from Poland. The
latter gentleman and ninety-nine 9TH
er civil engineers were sent to this
country three years ago by the Ker-
ensky government to purchase and
ship guns and ammunition to Russia
and they have remained to study in
detail ways of communication in
the United States.
To attempt to write about the yell
lowstone National Park, when so
wany Webster City people have Wis
tied it, some of them giving repeated
lectures about it, would be superfiu-
GUS. Suffice it to say that to stand
on Artist or Inspiration Point and
behold the glories of Yellowstone
Canyon is worth years of toll and
struggle. To have the mysteries of
the geysers SO intelligently explained
by a college student who is making
chemical engineering his life work,
to see "Old Faithful" play every
hour for a day or so, until you grow
attached to it as to an old friend, to
view the wonderful panorama of
scenery as you are driven
over Mt. Washburn, reaching at
times height of $500 feet, with
snow capped mountains all about