Arizona state miner., 1927-02-26
NINE YEARS AGO
SINCE NAMING Of
CANYON As PARK

OEakw O9M E}O ! kfksEE
Belated Recognition of Americas
Outstanding Scenic Wonder at
Length Gives 1t Place Due in
Park System of Nation.
Gra1l Canyon, Ariz., Feb. 25.-
Tomorrow starts the ninth year in
the history of the Grand Canyon
National Park. Although the first
of Americas outstanding scenic
spectacles to be viewed by white
men, it was one of the last to be
included in the National park sys-
tenn. 1t was in the year 154O, or
80 years before the Pilgrims landed
at Plymouth, that the first Euro
pean stood on the brink of this
sublime spectacle. 1t was in 1872
that Congress, by creating the Vel
lowstone National Park, recognized
the policy that the outstanding
scenic features of the United States
should be set aside for all time
tfor the benefit and enjoyment of
the people," However, it was not
until February 26, 1919, that the
Grand Canyon, Americas transcen-
dent scenic exhibit, was finally
brought into the National park
system.
Just why this sublime spectacle
should wait so long for this recog-
milton forms an interesting chapter
in conservation history. In 1886
Benjamin Harrison, then Senator
from Indiana, introduced the first
bill to give it a park status. How
ever, a long struggle developed be-
tween the forces of conservation
and those of local apathy, politics
and private mining, grazing and
power interests. Finally, in 1908,
President Roosevelt took matters in
his own hands and set it aside as
a National monument. There re-
mains no doubt but that this act
saved at least the most interesting
portions of the Canyon for the
American people.
After taking its place among the
National parks of the country, the
Grand Canyon promptly became one
of the major units of the system.
The public use of the area, as re-
vealed by travel statistics, has in
creased in a phenomenal manner.
For instance, records show that in
1919 a total of 1875 autos entered
the park, while in 1926 this had
increased to 22,849. Carefully kept
records show that during the sea-
son of 1926 total of 140,252 per-
sons entered the park, and for the
first year more than half reached
the rim by private means of travel.
Although business by rail has shown
healthy increase, the private mo-
torist is the factor that has caused
travel figures to skyrocket.
During the past eight years the
National Park Service and the park
operators have been concerned
chiefly with keeping developments
up to the demands made by the
constantly increasing number of
those of water supply, power, sani-
tation, extension of hotel facilities,
public auto camps, extension of
road and trail systems, building of
telephone lines, etc., have either
been solved or are in process of
solution.
The first problem settled was the
adoption of a uniform plan of de-
velopment. In order that buildings
and other improvements would not
be located in haphazard manner
during the extension of facilities,
the operators and the Government
worked out and agreed to a definite
plan of development. All work has
been, and VIII be, in accordance
with this plan.
Perhaps the most interesting ac-
complishment has been the solution
of the sanitation problem in the
Grand Canyon village. The prob
lem concerned the disposal of gar
bage and sewage. A modern incin-
orator was built by the Santa Fe
railroad and all refuse from the
village is now burned. In 1925
Congress appropriated $4,000 for
the construction of a sewerage sys-
tenn. The Government developed
me plant to q point where the raw
sewage is treated to a degree de-
manded by public health regula-
tions. The railroad then installed
additional units that purified the
water completely Tests made since
The plant started in May, 1925,
show that the e3fluent at the end Of
treatment is 90 per cent pure, a
higher test than the average city S
water supply. This effIuent is used
in generating steam, for irrigation
and The operation Of public flush
toilets. Water pipes carrying this
pffluent are also cased In vitrified