The Dolores star., 1924-06-06

now In the third year of construction by the
tional park service. Already the service is plan
ming for substantial extensions to present accom-
modations for visitors, which will then be neces-
sary. Says Stephen I. Mather, director of the
national park service in his 1923 annual report to
the secretary of the interior:
In common with the majority of the ma
tonal parks Glacier experienced her most
previous year. as.sSs visitors having registered in
the park compared with 23.935 visitors 1922
In travel that Is certain to take place the
pleton of the Transmountain Road. now in its
third of construction Motorists travelling the
northern highways to Glacier had a
direct route across the Continental Divide. this
barrier requiring detour of several hundred miles
the Continental Divide through Logan pass VIII
aside from furnishing direct traversIng
the mountains. attract thousands of motorists by
its unsurpassed scenic qualities.
This Is good as far as it goes but the situation
may be made palmer by more detailed explana-
ton of Glaciers hard luck in the matter Of auto
mobile highways An attendance of only }39SS
Tor frSt-class national park like Glacier is IA
Joke-and bad But the reasons for this
comparatively small attendance are easily found
few years ago the bulk of the tourist travel
to the national parks was by railroad. Now the
bulk of 1t is by private The per cent varies
Contrasting examples: Rocky Mountain in 1923
had 800 private in which probably more
than 80 per cent of its 21S,0OO visitors travelled
Glacier had $500 private cars; not more than so
car. This tells part Of the story. Rocky Noun.
tain is of higher class than Glacier and is only
about one quarter as large-4OO square miles in
the one and 1889 in the other-but Rocky Noun
tain Is the most easily accessible by automobile
from the geographical and population center of
the country Of all the 10 national parks
Another factor In the attendance comparison be-
tween Rocky Mountain and Glacier is this: Each
park has an independent east and entrance
either side of the Continental Divide each en-
trance taking care of separate and distinct lines OF
automobile tourist travel In Rocky Mountain the
east and west entrances are Estes Park and Grand
Lake. In Glacier they Glacier Park and Bel
ton. In Rocky Mountain the Fall River Road
the Continental Divide. connects Estes
Park and Grand Lake and makes possible through
traffic. which otherwise would be impossible. In
Glacier automobile tourist travel from both the
east and west halts at the Continental Divide.
The Great Northern, which Glacier and
the situation by maintaining daily shipments of
motor between the two entrances. Unless
motorists take advantage of this rail shipment
they have to make wide detour either through
Monana-as far south as Helena-or through
Canada
What the Fall River Road does for Rocky Noun
tain the TransmOuntan Road will do for Glacier.
Here Is what the 1923 reports says of the progress
of the work:
Work on the second section of the Transmoun-
tain Road the side begun about
miles, extending from the end Of the first
tion the head of Lake Mcdonald. UP Mcdonald
Greek to above Avalanche Creek. Will be finished