The Washington times., 1922-05-25
YELLOWSTONE
|. FINDER CALLED
BIGGEST L|AR"
oId-Time Cowboys Wouldn't
Believe Jim Bridger's Yarns
Of Spouting Water.
by International News Service.


ASHTON, Idaho, May 24.-Labeled
as the biggest liar west of Mis-
souri," Jim Bridger. cowboy, died
twenty years before the world learn
ed that he had told the truth.
Bridser discovered the natural
wonders that made Yellowstone Ma
tional Park. Riding out over the
rim Of nowhere" he discovered boil
ing water spouting from the earth
and saw tendrils of smoke towering
toward heaven.
Cowboys didn't talk much back IN
the sixties" But Bridger did talk.
He told his comrades about the won
ders he had discovered. And. in
cowboy jargon, he was given the
merry hs-ha!'
plum loco" derided his pals Of
the corral. "Daffy as the demented
granddad Of an alligator-crazy as
pruner'
LOCO" explains Philip Ashton
Rollins. Princeton graduate, who has
written a history of cowboys and
their ways. means madness. The
boys all thought Jim was loco be-
cause he told them he had seen
geysers gushing up steaming water
from the bowels of the earth. 1t
sounded like an Arabian Night story
to them.
Vests Biggest Liar"
And so Jim was branded the
biggest liar west Of the Missouri.
That appellation clung 10 his mem.
ory for twenty years after his death.
The truth Of his discovery now is
given to the world in Yellowstone
National Park. His story about the
geysers proved real. Jim Bridger
discovered Yellowstone National
Park and didn't know IL. He was
laughed TO scorn by his playmates
Of the plains"
In 1859 c. w. Cook and David Fol.
som, hearing the persistent stories
OF Bridger, decided TO investigate.
They rode out to the land OF the
geysers and discovered what now is
Yellowstone National Park. They
were followed by the Washburn eI.
pedition, members OF which con.
ceived the idea OF a national park.
Their idea was capitalized, and near
Madison Junction today you will find
a marker dated September l9, 1870,
which sets forth the national park
idea. In the party that conceived
the idea for the birth OF Yellowstone
Park were Gen. II. d. washburn.
Lieut.. G.. c. Doane and several
civilians.
We're Jim Bridger alive today he
might slap his riding chaps and
chortle at his fellows OF the corral:
II told you So" he might exuIt.
You. didn't believe noe. You called
me the biggest liar west OF the Mis-.
souri,. Come on out and look It over.
you bunch Of cowstall bums!'
Those cowboys who lived after
,Bridger were willing 20 admit the
righteousness Of his story. They
were the first 70 see Yellowstone
after word was sent out that the
great park was in the making. The
playground Of Gods Country"
found by Jim Bridger. their pal. was
to become the most famous spot OF
scenic beauty on the face OF this
mans great. green. gorgeous earth.
Yarn Was Large"
But Yellowstone today exceeds in
beauty the wonders OF it's embryo
being as described by Bridger.
L
never were seen by the cowboys OF
Jim's day.
And some OF the things described
by Bridger are not there. Nor were
they ever there. The trees in Yellow
stone are not blue. and the sky Is
not pink. and the water IN the great
lake is not the color OF red ink, and
the geysers do not spout molten
metal Further there are No grizzly
bears poking their noses from wood
land crevices at passersby. The
"denizens Of the woods" now are
hapless bears, tanned to meet the de-
mand OF modern days.
On June Is more than 100, 900
visitors from throughout the world
are expected to view the exquisite
beauties OF this great park. The
semi-centennial celebration will be-
gin on that date. in accordance with
a Congressional bill Daased in March