The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-08-28
DISC0VERER OF
THE YELLOWSTONE
PARK TELLS OF TRIP
WAS FIRST WHITE MAN TO SEE
WONDROUS BEAUTY OF THE
YELLOWSTONE CANYON
Charles w. Cooke of White Sulphur
Springs, Modestly Tells of Thrill
ing Experiences Which Accompan-
Jed The Discovery Expedition.

OtOA Ia N"O
lives an old man. He is tall, spare,
bearded man, whose eye, despite
So years, is bright, and whose
frame is still erect. The marks life
has left upon him are like the writ
ings Of time upon the mountains
they have traced upon his coun-
tenance the record Of a strong
mans life, sOftened and mellowed
now by age.
But there is nothing about this old
man, living simply there among his
neighbors to set him apart from them
or to distinguish him as a person of
note. Fame has not paused by his
humble home, to point him out to the
throngs of his countrymen who hurry
past. 1t is often that way with these
old timers.
To the home of this old man, the
other day, came two others, in the
manner of men making a pilgrimage
to see a parsonage. They were busy
men, whirled along on the rapid
stream of today, but they pulled away
form the swift current into the quiet
backwater where this old man lives.
They did this because they wanted to
shake his hand, to give him, while he
lives, the assurance that there are
some who accord him that honor.
These two men were Stephen T.
Mather, director of the national park
service, and H. M. Albright, superin-
tendent of Yellowstone National park
two fairly busy men these days,
when Yellowstone and other national
parks are in the midst of their biggest
season. On their way to Yellowstone
from an engagement in Great Falls,
they stopped at White Sulpher to see
the old man.
They found him milking his cow.
They shook his hand. In these hand
clasps the past and the present of
Yellowstone park met.
Steer Saves Lives.
1t was the summer of 1864. A party
of young men with a herd of cattle
from the Little Missouri had come
into the Montana country. Their trail
was barred by a scalping party of In
dams, from whose belts dangled the
still dripping scalps of white men.
The Indians councilled on the fate ,
of this little group of cattlemen.
Some we're in favor of adding their
scalps to the dripping belts, their cat
tie to the Indian herds. But most of
the warriors were stated with killing.
A queer notion took them. They of
fered in exchange for one steer from
the white mems herd, to let the lit
tie party go free. And so, for a steer
life was bought.
In those days the gold fever was
high in Montana. The cattle bust
ness was beginning. The Indians
were many and hostile. 1t was a
wild and stirring time.
Stories came of a great country at
the headwaters of the Snake, Wind
and Yellowstone rivers, where boil
ing water spouted from the earth to
the height of the flagpole at Vir-
ginia City-a full sixty feet-of a
marvellous lake lying in a high
bowl; of boiling springs
and smoking mountains, or rivers
bottoms were warm, of won
drous waterfalls that dropped over
sheer precipices into deep chasms
with the war paints of a hum
bred Indian tribes. +.
Mostly these stories we're not be-
Lieved. Jim Bridger, the old noun ;
hunter and trapper, had told :
If them. Now Bridger was account
I'd a great liar in a day of wondrous
lars, and he was not believed by
many people at n time. And yet
men wondered and some determined
% go and see. {
Braves Dangers. !
Several efforts to send an expedi- I
ion into the Yellowstone failed, in 9
he period from 1867 to 1859, be- !,
of fear of the Indians. But in |
he summer of 1869, Charles w. .
look and David e. Folsom, with a 4
anch hand named Peterson, declin- :,
ng to be deferred longer by the tim !.
dity of others, plunged into the I'M |
Explored wilderness. q
Three men and five horses, they !.
ct out up the Yellowstone river from !.
Tort Ellis, near Bozeman, Montana !
'erritory. Their way lay through :.
Ieavy timber, and was crossed by 7
roaring through deep can :
ons. Many times they had to work y
heir way to the headwaters Of these 8
and then down the other
ide to the river again, but they al