The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
PARK D|SCOVERER
 WON REPUTATION
 FOR BEING LIAR
Yellowstone Will Celebrate Its Fiftieth Anniversary as a National Playground
 in June
By Associated Press

Ashton, Idaho, May 20-Back in tho "fifties" when there was not even a trail between here and Salt Lake City a man arrived at a spot not far from here. 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 reton range and told the folks about 1t he established for his life- time at any rate reputation of be- ing "the biggest liar west of St. Joe"
 The man was Jim Bridger and he had discovered Yellowstone Park.
 Few believed his tales of sky mounting smokes and egg boiling geysers Loco" was the term appli- ed to Jim. That was long ago. Yellow stone will in June celebrate it's semi-centennial as a national park for on May 1. 1872. Congress passed the bill creating it. The opening day is June IS Last year S1,651 people made" the park. Officials hope to see the 100, ,000 mark reached this season.
 In 1869 Bridger's stories had re- suited in c. W. Cook and David Fol som making 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 a national park. In this party were Gen. H. D. Washburn, Lieut. G C. Doane and several civilians.
 Perfectly Safe
 ''Tha sky over Yellowstone Ma tional park is not shell pink" says a monograph of the American Pores try association. the trees are mol blue, the waters of the great lake t.Y. s~,lx ha geysers do not spout streams Of molten metal. as some have been led to believe. It Is possible to traverse the woodland trails and pass many trees without seeing grizzly bear The buffaloes and antelopes do not crowd the tourists and stages from the highways. It is quite possible to spend a week in the park without being molested by "danizens. as some nature lovers delight in calling the hapless bears and other animals of the park.
 "Buffalo, antelope and bear abound in this largest of national parks. and they may be seen without difficulty but that they are so numerous as to interrupt one in the pursuit of pleas ures Is purely. figmsnt or the imagination.
 ~There are more natural phenomena to be seen in Yellowstone National park than in any other equal area fin the United States. Add to this the fact that there is a great lake l5 miles wide at its widest point. and 20 miles long, the placid surface of which f3 7,S0o feet above the sea level, a great gorge of rainbow hues through wich a mighty river roars on its way to the sea. hundreds of square miles of great forests and broken saw-toothed crests, and you have a combination which will inspire even a cowboy. Everything Is on giant scale. Distances are great, canyons are of terrifying depth. mountain peaks raise their lofty crests to in- conceivable heights.
 s"The northern and western en- frances are most used. In the carly history of the park, most of the tray ell came in by the northern entrance which is but a few miles from Fort yellowstone, where at one time. was stationed a very considerable force of cavalry.
 Follows River
 sTrom Yellowstone the road follows the Madison river to its junction with the Tfrehole river, where 1t branches One road follows the Gibbon Rivel to the north. while the other follows up the valley of the Firehole. The road along the Firehole Is particular ly beautiful, as 1t clings for miles tc the very edge of the river until Il reaches what Is known as the lowel Geyser Basin. In this basin are the famous Mammoth Paint Pots, whicf are really nothing but mud geysers the contents of which look and ac' like nothing so much as vividls colored mush that is being boiled and tossed by escaping steam.
 "Od Faithful Geyser may be seen to spout, with its never interrupted