Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-07
Rediscovering the
Rockies
ny Frederic j. IIaskin

Washington. June s.--More than 9
million Americans viii spend theh
vacations In the Rockies this year
according to an estimate by Stepher
4. Mnthcr OF the National Park Ser
vice. who says that the government
the railroads. and the automobile as.
aoOiatlons are cooperating TO make
THESE vacations as inexpensive and
pleasant as possible.
Reduced rates in the government
hutels IN the national parks and great
improvements i'm the roads and trails
throuehout che national parks and
forests are the government contribu-
tions. The railroads are offering re-
auccd round trip rates 10 points IN
,he Rockies.. The Automobile associa-
tinnN are ready To tell the autoist how
"a reach his chosen destination over
the best roads.
These FIRST aids C. modern argo-
nnuts. aud the growing number oi
those Who take advantage ot them
a., evidence that the Rocky Mountain
playground Is coming into It's owh
a. a conservator of the public health
snd a means Of keeping the Ameri-
cams of the great Eastern cites IN
touch with the primitive.
II viii probably be another genefs-
Sion ur ~ before the American peopie
fllV rralize what boon they have an
tn great government controlled areas
of Western mountainland. Here Is a
Wild natural playground larger than
most az the European states. which
will always remain public play
rround-at least as hong as our gov-
lernmont stands. There Is nothins
else like it in the world.
More Room Needed.
of course. there are otheV natura.
playground areas in the United
States which are delighttul-Ne"
England. the Adirondacks, all the At
mntic coastal resorts the ioconos
pnt these are To the Rockies as 4
postage stamp on large envelope
EYrrN hotel aud camp in them Is fill
o. a. capacity every year. and very
wear the crowd grows Further
onlN small parts Of these areas arr
Siate-owncd. which means tha
Wealthy persons have huught ~ large
p,rts 81 them and converted them
mo prlVatc hunting and fishing pre-
serves The areas where tha poor
n,nn may wander free and 4" as ~
plrascE. are r,stri,tcd-
III tho Rockies, a different order Oh
tains. lf Nuu Will luok at map 81 the
West. you will -, that from Denver
a. Frlsro. and from the Canadian bor-
der IL the MeXicau burder. about
thtrd II the whole country IS covered
with large green spots. indicating n2-
tlnual forests ana parks. Thus means
that an 81 these grgcn-tinted areas
bpiong a. the pcup. III the nhed
states a. 4 whole and are free ito "A!
81 them on equal terms Ia the na-
tlonal forests. ontr land along
streams ray H. humsst,adrd or rcnt-
"a from the government tout nj. forest
ands. Which form Is tar tho greater
pall ~ the area are open - all on the
same terms. ANY one may rent
match ~ ground hig enough - build
him summer home upon, but hc
cannot contrnl any large areas of
lana Every nnc can FISH, hunt and
canp where ~ ploases. provided only
~ al,css tho hsh and game laws AMI
,lsen his part O. prevent forest iires.
And the area thus open q an who
n.ek sport health, rest l. enough 4
an the vacationists ~ q
nation twice as large a. ours. some
parts II this area are al present AZ
mosi unrNplored, Most II Il ISL
mountain forest which can never -
converted into cities or farms This
Is 4 prrmancut Wilderness which has
ln,rn taken II hand hy great gov
trnment before industry lad a
chance Il destroy ts forests lr|
private wealth a. monopohze its
harms.
The Neglected Rockies.
DISTANCE and inaccessihilny have
kppt Eastern Americans out q tn
Haekirs ever since their disco oyery
They have always been thought ~ in
the East a. something remote Wild
and unrouth. II i almost exactly 100
ears since the first white men pene-
tratpd into the Rockies - way Of
What later ht,am the santa r. Trail.
And Il l. less than half a century
since Il became possible 10 reach them
hy railroad. Even after the rail-
roads had crossed the continent
california, with is charming climate
and great industrial opportunities
gained vastly more by them than IN,
Roakles did. Their. are probably %
fsrsons la tht East today who have
eronas-d the Hockies ca thc way ~ tha
Pacific coast for every one who has
stopped iu the mountains.
Yellownione. with its spectacular
natural features and great herds u
Wild animals has been long a gather
ing place for travellers from all over
me wofld. hut the great ma oiity Of
these have come merely 20 look anj
move on again. More recently the
PARKS IN the vicinity uf Denver. and
Glacier Park, Montana have become
tourist cenfers Great hotels have
t,aen built. with golf links. tennis
courts. hiFh prices, social atmosphere
and an the other Perquistes Of Amer,-
can tourist life.
but hy far tGr greater part Of the
kecky Mountain region offers you
mine nf these lnNuries. What IL offers
you IL splendid chance 10 pitch your
own tent oF build your own shack in
really wild country where the nshing