Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-09-02
"A SzzAH EzR LIVED
Photo 6y2XL~ek


at Norris, and at Thumb the hot water has
brought to the surface quantities Of white min
era deposits which build terraces Of beautifully
incrusted basins high up into the air, often en-
quilting trees of considerable size. Over the edges
of these carved basins pOurs the hot water. MI
croscopic plants called algae grow on the edges
and sides of these basins painting them hues OF
red and pink and blush gray, which glow bril-
lanty. At many other points lesser hot springs
occur, introducing strange almost uncanny, ee-
menJs into wooded and otherwise quite normal
landscapes.
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone affords
spectacle worthy of q national park were there
no geysers. Standing upon Inspiration Point,
which pushes out almost to the center of the cam
yOn, one seems to look almost vertically down
upon the foamng Yellowstone river. To the south
a waterfall twice the height of Niagara PUSHES
seemingly out Of the pne-cad hills and pours
downward to be lost again in green. From that
point two or three miles to where you stand ana
beneath you widens out the most glorious kaleldo'
scope of color you will ever see in nature. The
steep slopes dropping on either side 1000 feet ana
more from the pine-Opped levels above, are incon-
ceivaby carved and fretted by the frost and the
erosion of the ages.
The fossil forests of the Yellowstone National
park cover an extensive area in the northern por-
ton of the park, being especially abundant along
the west side of Lamar river for about 70 miles
above it's junction with the Yellowstone One
traversing the valley Of the Lamar river may see
at many places numerous upright fossil trunks in
the faces Of nearly vertical walls. These trunks
not all at particular level but occur at trreg.
ular heights; in fact a section cut down through
these 1000 feet of beds would disclose a success
sion of fossil forests. That is to say, after the
first forest grew and entOmbed, there Was
time without volcanic Outburst-a period long
enough to permit a second forest to grow above
the first. This in turn was covered by volcanic
material and preserved, to be followed again by a
period of quiet and these more or less regular al
formations Of volcanism and forest growth Contin-
ued throughout the time the beds were in process
of formation.
The Yellowstone National park is the largest
and most successful wild animal refuge in the
world 1t is also, for this reason, the best and
most accessible field for nature study. Its $500
square miles of mountains and valleys remain
nearly as nature made them, for the 200 miles of
roads and the four hotels and many camps are as
nothing in this immense wilderness. No tree has
been cut except when absolutely necessary for
road or trail or camp No herds invade its val
leys. Visitors for the most part keep to the beat
road and the wild animals have learned in the
years that they mean them no harm. To be sure
they are not always seen by the people in the
automobile stages which whir from point to point
daily during the season. but the quiet watcher on
the trails may see deer and bear and elk and, an
telope to his hearts content, and he may even see
mountain sheep, moose, and bison by joumeyng
on foot or by horseback into their distant retreats.
1t is an excellent bird preserve also; 200 spe-
ces live natural, undisturbed lives. Eagles are
found among the crags.
Trout fishing in Yellowstone waters Is uneN-
celled All three of the great watersheds abound
in trout, which often attain large size. Yellow
stone lake is the home of large trout, which are
taken freely from boats and the Yellowstone riv-
err and its tributaries yield excellent catches to the
skillfu angler.
The criticism often made by persons who have
visited granite countries that the Yellowstone re-
gion lacks the supreme grandeur of some others
Of our national parks will cease to have weight
when the magnificent Teton mountains just south
of the southern boundary are added to the park.
These mountains begin at the foot of the Pitch
stone plateau mile or two below the southern
gateway and extend south and west. They bor-
der jackson lake on its west side rising rapidly
in a series of remarkably toOthcd and jagged peaks
until they reach sublime climax 80 miles south
of the park, in the Grand Teton, which rises ca
thedral-like to an altitude Of 1874 feet.
These amazing mountains are, from their ma
ture Il component part of the Yellowstone Nh
tional park, whose gamut of majestic scenery they
complete, and no doubt would have been included
within its original boundaries had their supreme
magnfCence been then appreciated. Already yell
lowstOne visitors have claimed It. and automobile
stages run to Moran and back on regular schedule
In time no doubt, part of 1t will be added formally
to the park territory.