The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-07-29
T0RREY GIVES
PRECEDENCE TO
PARKS IN EAST
FavOrs Projects on Atlantic
Coast Over BAD Lands for
National Fairgrounds
TELLS OF PILGRIMAGE
Reports FavOrably on n. ID.
Area But Urges Resorts
in East First

The report of Raymond II. forrey,
who last month inspected the Bad |
Lands with distinguished company |
for the purpose Of reporting upon its |
feasibility for national park pur-
poses, has been received by the Of
ficers Of the Roosevelt National Park |
association, and upon the whole is
favorable to the park project, Mr..
and availability. He, howe:e,, gives
park projects in the Appalachian
range of mountains along thc At
Iantic coast, declaring these pro-
posed parks should come frs, be-
ing the only national parks pro-
posed for the eastern part Of the
country. as all the national parks
are in the western section OF the
United States.
Mr.. Torrey gives a lengthy account
Of his pilgrimage through the Bad
Lands, describing the various tea-
lures Of that strange country in the
sequence Of their order on The trip,
from the start at the Peaceful Vat
ley ranch down the river to the
grand canyon and thence back up the
river to the McCarty ranch, burn
ing coal veins, old forest reserve,
Pretty butte and other scenic fea-
lures in the Marmarth section. He
has suppressed much of the en-
thus iasm he exhibited on the trip
in an unbiased recital of what he
saw. He pays a tribute to the great
interest that attaches to the petri
fled forest, showing an intimate
knowledge Of its origin and estimat-
ing the age of the trees as between
1900 and 1000 years before their
death and likening them to the Sc
quota trees of California now liv-
inG.
Describes Country
He expands considerably on the
weirdness of the "HelPs Hole" sec
tion and says it is all that it claimed
for it in wildness and strange beau
ty, and comments on the availability
Of scoria for road making. He de
scribrs the valley ranches and the
hardShips passed through by th"
ranchers in dry years and hard win
ters. and of their desire to remain
on their lands should park be made
Of the region. He relates with in
terest the campfire on the site Of
the Roosevelt Elkhorn ranch house
and Of the greeting at that time to
the spirit Of Roosevelt, of the inter-
Of the scenery.
In describing the grand canyon
Mr.. Torrey says: I'VE rode l2 miles
north, over the tops of buttes and
mesas, which gave us good view
of the deeper and more impressive
part Of the valley, where the river
turns east toward the Big Missouri.
For some miles here, there is true
canyon, with deeply sculptured walls
rising 600 to 800 feet above the river,
and above the NEST walls are higher
buttes. The general level of the
prairie surrounding the Little Mis-
souri, valley is about 3 900 feet, with
buttes rising 300 or 400 feet higher,
but the erosion in the valley and it's
tributaries, cutting down in places to
1000 feet above sea level gives the
relief to the region. The character
istic colors. grey in the sandstone
and gumbo, red in the scoria beds
and black in the Ignite veins, some
times 20 feet thick. are displayed to
the highest degree in this northern
part of the Little Missouri valley.
The higher buttes, such as Bullion.
Sentinel, the Singleterry ridge and
others, and the Pretty buttes. fur
ther south, make impressive masses
above the general level and give
splendid viewpoints when climbed"
Tells OF Wild Game
Then he speaks Of his trip through
the regions south Of MedOra. Of the
burning coal veins, the former re-
foresting reserve and the Bad Lands
around Pretty butte. In regard to
game in the region he speaks Of
herd of antelope ESTIMATED at from
ten to thirty" as the sole remnant
of the millions that used to roam
this region, when at one place the
number is estimated at around one
hundred and as many more at other
scattered points in the Bad Lands:
He says extensive fencing would
probably be needed to protect the
antelope and other game that might
be brought in after the park is
created.
Mr.. Torrey says he first explored
every avenue looking toward the
creation of state park, but was as
sured by Governor Sorlie and others
that the financial condition Of the
state precluded such action by the
legislature. He then discussed the
ownership of the proposed park area,
making an estimate Of 10000 acres
of public lands, as much more owned
by the Northern Pacific railway.
school lands at 10000 acres, and the
majority of the balance being in
private ownership at a value of from
81 to $3 an acre, except the bottom
lands, which are worth more.
Mr.. Torrey suggests that in case
the park is created that it "might be
regarded as a sort of Cow Country
park, remnant Of the old cowboy
, life Of which. Roosevelt wrote; and
made enjoyable to visitors through
the dude ranch system which has
had considerable success in the
West ,gaias I'LL,
In conclusion Mr.. TQrrey says:
"That in any thorough ALLEGATION Of
the territory Of the United States
for recreation the Bad Lands area Of
(Contiuusd on page thrss)