The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-09-09


knows it The story of John Golfer and "Col-
ter's He'll" properly begins away back in 1903,
when Thomas Jefferson, third president,
bought the Louisiana territory from Napoleon
BOnaparte
The western boundary of the United States
was then the Mississippi fixed by the treaty
with Great Britain after the Revolution. Jeffer-
sent James Monroe to France to cooperate
with Minister Robert r. Livingston in the pur-
chase of the AIississppfs mouth for $2,OO0,OOO.
Napoleon laughed at them. He had just made
Spain cede him the louisiana Territory, intend
ing to establish there empire to replace that
lost to the British in Canada. Then Napoleon saw
he must fight the British. He could not fight and
coIonize, So to spite the British, he told the
two Americans they could have all the country
between the Mississippi and the Rockies (TexaS
not included) for $15,OOOOOO. And he made Mon
and Livingston agree. Jefferson scared
stiff at the act of his agents. There a nation
wide rumpus the purchase, but congress rati-
fed it and the people finally approved 1t.
Jefferson had not the slightest idea what the
United States had bought and in the spring of 1904
he started the Lewis and Clark expedition from ST.
Louis to find out. This famous expedition went to
the mouth of the Columbia river and returned to
ST. Louis in 1906, after having been given up for
lost. 1t passed few miles to the north of the
Yellowstone, without suspecting its existence
John Golfer of the private soldiers Of
the expedition. Before it reached St Louis he got
his discharge and returned with two trappers to
the headwaters of the Missouri for beaver. In the
spring OF 1907 at the mouth of the Platte he met
Fort Lisa at the confluence of the Yellowstone and
the Big Horn Golfer, going alone to summon the
Crows to the fort for trade passed to the south OF
the Yellowstone through Jacksons Hole to Pierres
Hole at the west of the Yellowstone. Returning
thence to Fort Lisa he passed dfagonally through
the Yellowstone the first white to its
ders.
Golfer, after adventures and travels that give
him a front rank among explorers of the west
turned to st. Louis In 1910. He recOunted his adj
ventures and ne told Of the marvels of the Yellow
stone. St Louis believed some of his tales of adj
venture, but would have none of the geysers, boil
ing springs and paint-pots Of the Yellowstone.
They derisively dubbed it Golfers He'll" laughed
over it for a time and then forgot it. Gen. VIII
liam Clark, his commander, the only to
believe him. On the official map OF the Lewis and
Clark expedition is a dotted line from Fort Lisa
TO the Yellowstone and return, with the legend,
Golfers route In 1907"
The Yellowstone discovered the second
time about 1827-this time by Jim Bridger, one Of
Gen. William 81. Ashleys Ieutenants In the Rocky
Mountain Fur company. Bridger the discov-
erer of Great Salt Lake map-maker without an
equal mOuntaineer plainsman and guide with
no superior. But he had hObby-big yarns, 1t
is he who made up those classic "whOppers" Of
the west-the obSidan cliff, boiling spring, echo
and alum creek stories So, when he told about
the wonders of the Yellowstone scofing frontier
said, with laughter: "Oh. just another of Jim
Bridger's yarns
Warren Angus Ferris described the Upper Gey-
ser basin of the Yellowstone in 1S42-and was not
believed Prospectors In the Montana gold excite
ment of 1862 again described the Yellowstone; they
were set down - liars. Newspapers and maya
zines would publish the stories; lecturers
stoned. In 1859 the semi-oficial Montana Wash
burn-Langford expedition did succeed In getting
hearing. In 1870 the federal government sent an
Official expedition which officially put the Yellow
stone on the map
Cornelius Hedges, September 1s 1870, by a
campfire In the Yellowstone. proposed that the
wonderland be made a national park play