The New York herald., 1922-05-21
YELLOWSTONE PARK
Is FIFTY YEARS OLD
Semi-Centennial of It's Crea-
ton by Congress VIII Be
Observed in June.

ASHTON, Idaho. May 2O.-Back in the
''fifties' when there was not even a
trail between here and Salt Lake City. a
man arrived at a spot not far from
this place. slipped off his horse and
looked around. He saw boiling hot
water shooting up out of the earth.
When he got back the other side OF
the Teton range and told the folks
about 1t he established for his lifetime
at any rate the reputation of being "the
biggest liar west Of St. joe"
The man was Jim Bridger and he
had discovered Yellowstone Park.
Few believed his tales OF sky-mount-
ing smokes and egg boiling geysers.
Loco was the term applied to Jim.
That was long ago. Yellowstone will
in June celebrate it's semi-centennial
as a national park. for on May !, 1872,
Congress passed the bill creating 1t.
| The opening Gay is June IS. Last year
| S1,651 persons made" the park. Of
ficials hope to- sec the 100000 mark
| reached this season.
| In 1869 Bridgers's stories had resulted
| in C. w. Cook and David Folsom maxi
| ing the trip They saw all that Bridger
| had seen and more. They were followed
by the Washburn expedition. These
army men got the idea of national
park. In this party were Gen. II. ID.
Washburn, Lieut.. G.. c. Doane and sew
eral civilians.
THE sky over Yellowstone National
Park is not shell pink says a mono
| graph of the American Forestry AS
| sociation. the trees are not blue. the
waters of the great lake in no wise
resemble red ink and the geysers dc
not spout streams of molten metal
as some have been led to believe. II
Is possible to traverse the woodland
trails and pass many trees without
seeing a grizzly bear. The buffaloes
! and anteiopes do not crowd the tourists
and stages from the highways. 1t Is
quite possible to spend a week In the
park without being molested by 'deni-
zens,' as some nature lovers delight In
| calling the hapless bears and other
animals OF the park.
Buffalo eantelope and bear abound
in this largest of national parks. anc
they may be seen without difficulty. bu
that they are so numerous as to inter
rupt one in the pursuit of pleasures, Il
purely Pigment of the imagination.
Lake Above Sea Level.
There are more natural phenomena tt
be seen in Yellowstone National Parl
than In any other equal area in the
United States. Add to this the fac
that there is a great lake fifteen miles
wide at its widest point. and twent,
miles long the placid surface OF which
is seventy -eight hundred feet above th'
: sea level. a great gorge of rainbow hue!
through which mighty river roars OF
It's way to the sea, hundreds OF squar,
miles OF great forests and broken. saw
toothed crests. and you have combina
tion which will inspire even a cowboy
Everything Is on giant scale. Distance!
are great. canyons are of terrifying
depth. mountain peaks raise their loft,
crests to inconccivabe heights.
II The northern and western entrances
are most used In the early historyof tn.
park most OF .he travel came in by tn,
northern entrance. which is but few
miles from Fort Yellowstone. where. a
one time. was stationed very consid
erable force of cavalry.
From Yellowstone the road follow,
the Madison River to It's junction witt
the Firehole River. where il branches
One road follows the Gibbon River I,
the north. while the other follows u,
the valley OF the Firehole. The roat
along the Firehole is particularly beau
tiful. as It clings for miles to the yer,
edge OF the river until II reaches wha
is known as the Lower Geyser Basin.
Famous Paint Pots.
In this basin are the famous Nam
s..4 NJ -. y
nothing but mud geysers. the content
OF which look and ac. like nothing $,
much as 'vividly colored mush that &
being boiled and tossed by escapinl
steam.
"Old Faithful Geyser may be seen I,
spout. with its never interrupted resu
larty. at intervals OF ono hour and fiv,
minutes There also may b.
seen many OF the geysers across tn
road on the stern border Of tn
basin. and the entire surrouding ha
the appearance OF manufacturing towr
with the innumerable Jets OF steam ris
Ing from unseen escapes
There is no doubt that Fthe Falls o
Yellowstone River are among the fines
In the world. At the Upper Falls tn,
entire river passes over a drop Of 10.
feet. The Lower Falls is a drop OF 30'
feet. The Canyon Is approximate |.
1000 feet deep. and its walls and slop
ing sides are OF the most varie'
hues imaginable.
Fort Yellowstone has quite an ali
OF romance surrounding IT, II ha
housed some OF the most distinguish,
soldiers In the army. many Of whom
received their medals OF distinction IL
the Indian fights in the Northwest
The Park is the largest of the Ma
tioual system and contains over 1000.
600 acres There arc hundreds Of mile
OF trails, innumerablc lakes, stream
and wonderful mountain peaks. together
with an infinite variety Of natural phe
nomena, all OF which offer sufficien
interest to entertain tho most exactin,
J for a period of several months
That tho number Of visitors Is IN
creasing every year proves Jim Bridge
was right"