Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-12
HEALTH, SPORT,
REST WAITING
IN THE ROCKIES
Our Own Western MountaiH'
Region Largest Play
ground in World.
VAST AREA OPEN TO ALL
By FREDERICK j. HAsKIN.

WASHINGTON-More than a million
Americans will spend their vacations in
the Rockies this year, according to an
estimate by Stephen IT. Mather' Of the
National Park Service, who says that the
Government, the railroads, and the auto
mobile associations are cooperating to
make these vacations as inexpensive and
pleasant as possible
Reduced rates In the Government hotels
in the National Parks and great improve
ments in the roads and trails through
out the National Parks and Forests are
the Government contributions The rail-
roads are Offering reduced round trip
rates to points in the Rockies. The au-
tomobile associations are ready to tell
the autoist how to reach his chosen desti
nation over the best roads.
These first aids to modern argonauts
and the growing number Of those who
take advantage of them are evidence that
the Rocky Mountain playground is com
ing into its cwn as a conservator Of the
public health and a means Of keeping A
Americans Of the great eastern cities IN
touch with the primitive.
1t will probably be another generation
or so before the American people fully
realize what a boon they have In the greAs
Government controlled areas Of western
mountainland Here is wild natural
playground larger than most of the
European states, which will always re-
main public playground-at least as
long as our Government stands. There is
nothing else like 1t in the world.
MORE ROOM
NEEDED.
OF course, there are other natural play-t
ground areas in the United States which
are delightful-New England, the Adiron-
. dacks, all the Atlantic coastal resorts,
the Poconos. But these are to the Rock
les as a postage stamp on a large enTe-
lope Every hotel and camp in them
is filed to capacity every year and every
year the crowd grows. Furthermore, only
small parts Of these areas are State
owned, which means that wealthy per
sons have bought up large parts of them
and converted them into private hunting
and fishing preserves. The areas where
the poor man may wander free, and do
as he pleases, are restricted.
In the Rockies, a different order OBJ
tains. If you will look at a map of the
West you will see that from Denver to
Frisco and from the Canadian border to
the Mexican border about a third Of the
whole country is covered with large green
spots indicating national forests aud
parks. This means that all of these greeuN
tinted areas belong to the people of the
United States as a whole. and are free to-
all of them on equal terms. In the M
tiOnal forests, open land along streams
may be homesteaded or rented from the
Government, but the forest lands. which
form by far the greater part Of the area,
are open to all on the same terms. Any
one may rent a patch Of ground big
enough to build him a summer home
upon, but he cannot control any large
areas Of land Every one can fish, hunt
and camp where he pleases provided only
he obeys the fish and game laws and
does his part to prevent forest fires
And the area thus open to all who
seek sport health rest, is enough to ac-
commodate all the vacationists of a nation
twice as large as ours. Some parts of
this area are at present almost unex-
plored. Most Of It is mountain forest.
which can never be converted into cities
or farms. This is a permanent wilder
ness which has been taken In hand by a
great Government before industry had a
/ chance TO destroy its forests or private
wealth, to monopolize its charms.
THE NEGLECTED
ROCKIES.
Distance and inaccessibiIity have kept
eastern Americans out of the Rockies ever
&
ways been thought Of in the East as
something remote, wild and uncouth. It
Is almost exactly 100 years since the
first white men penetrated into the
Rockies by way of what later became
the Santa Fe Trail. And II is less than
half century since it became possible
TO reach them by railroad Even after tha
railroads had crossed the continent. Cali
fornia, with its charming climate and
great industrial opportunities gained
vastly more by them than the Rockies
did. There are probably twenty persons
In the East today who have crossed the
Rockies on the way to the Pacific ooAs~
for every one who has stopped In the
mountains
Yellowstone, with its spectacular ma
tural features and great herds Of wild
animals has been long a gathering place
for travellers from all over the world,
but the great majority Of these have
come merely to look and move on again.
More recently the parks in the vicinity
Of Denver, and Glacier Park. Montana.
have become tourist centers. Great hoteIs
have been built, with golf links. tennis
courts, high prices. social atmosphere.
and all the other perQuisltes OF American
tourist life.
But by far the greater part Of the
ROCKY Mountain region offers you none
of these luxuries. What 1t offers you is
a splendid chance to pitch your own tent
or build your own shack in a really Wild
country where the fishing Is still good,
where there are no fences and a few
neighbors. Provided this is the sort Of
thing you seek. the Rockies are not at all
inaccessible. Even with railroad rates
what they are, the round trip fares are
moderate. And you can always join the
caravan of jitney pilgrims that moves
over the great transcontinental highways,
and lights again the long forgotten camp
fires of the nioneers