The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-12-29


Hough article in the Saturday Even
ing Post. as,.. .sss ls 1'.
Hough apparently secured the ma
terial for his introduction and ap
pealing setting OF the story from
THE Discovery OF Yellowstone Park
by w. p. Langford.
We are very grateful to history
for giving US all those sturdy dis
covering men Of 1870 and to thu
Washburn party for initiating thu
movement to preserve the wonders
OF the immense tract now compris.
ing our world famous Yellowstone
park. ~,
The book mentioned is published
only by j. e. Haynes OF Selby, Vir.
GINA and st. Paul, Minnesota"
think you will find that J.. e. Haynes
controls the souvenir sales in the
park and that this book is one OF his
specialties. am supposing that
Hough in making q tour OF the park
stopped for a few days at Old Faith.
full, Dstrolled over the pretty curic
shop, happened to find the book
recognized material for q good story
bought 1t, read it, happened next
across some enthusiastic person with
only phantom dream that the won
ders he beheld were doomed to de.
struction by grafters and capitalists
INDUCED in few automobile rides
with this person and another one or
so with like prejudice, sat down at
his typewriter and developed his
printed story, somewhat Munchau-
sen in atmosphere though altogether
Houghsonian in style, never dreaming
for a moment that he was bidding
for all these maledictions upon his
head or that the thread he unwound
for his weaving could also be made
into other fabrics with truer sur
rounding influence. Hough took some
historical facts and with the license
of novelist, made good story that
is trying our mettle a bit. n,
The Washburn party lived in 1870
with the spirit and vision Of that
period. They had the undouted cour-
age that was beginning to manifest
signs Of progress in placer mining
and looting for buried treasurer,
building railroads to reach the coast
or make the path of the miner more
accessible. They saw the buffalo give
way to the range cattle, the wild life
made extinct by the trapper. They
saw Yellowstone made a Sightseeing
playground with roads cut through
for camping parties and the open eye
of w0nderment at sight of the gey-
sers, expectancy at the falls, peace
at the lakes and admiration of the
forest teeming with wild life that
had never been disturbed by shot
or trap. That was in 1870 when the
explosing party was on the lookout
for hostile Indians; now 1t is 1920
and the tourist is watching for the
big yellow automobiles lest he be
run down as mercilessly as the In
dian of 1870 would have scalped.
1t was the movement of that per-
iod to endure the hardships of the
West for gain, to seek the treas
urer and the pelt until satisfac-
ton or encouragement induced fur
Their migration.
Irrigation was undreamed of and
therefore no one thought of this vast
country in terms of home dwell
ling one. The spirit of the West at
that time was exploration, discovery
and endurance. Now it is progress
and education and art, of which l
shall have something to say later.
These men in their camp fire dis
cussions could not more have Wis
loned the physical needs of 1920
than an airplane could have drop
ped down upon them with the infor-
nation that one Fall river section
should be exempt from the survey
because it had no special significance
Is part asset and would be needed
% assist in the development of a |
future Western race of people.
The entire upper section of Snake
liver valley, including the Dubois
project, was at one time wonder
,usly beautiful lake, covering some
i've million acres above American |
Falls. Big game laved at it's shores
Ind grazed on thousand hills that |
we're mirrored in the lake. They |
,alved and summered and raised |
heir young on the greensward; the
rout spawned in the rushing rivers
hat fed the lake; the pelican and
Wild duck occupied their respective |
circuits Of motion and all nature was
lnder spell of contentment and |
natural development.
The southwestern barrier of the |
AXE boundry gave way and the wa
er that had been the home of this
Wild life was drained off to lower
evel, leaving vast alluvial fans in |
he Ashton country, Egin bench,
Jamas meadows and the Birch creek |
,lains. What had once been a mil
ion acres Of shallow lake near the
hore was at once transformed into
! million acres of slime and bog.
All the water courses heretofore |
ushing to the bosom Of the lake on i
he higher levels, now broke through
he slime and saturated terrain and
nut new channels down to the new
axe shore, notably the canyon Of
he south fork Of Snake river be-
ween the Wyoming line and Swan
alley. The canyon of the north fork
Il Snake river between Ashton and
It. Anthony, the upper reaches Of
Big Lost river and Little Lost river
nd the food land Of Birch creek,
dedicine Lodge, Camas creek and
he lesser streams that intervene.