The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-08-09
Olympic Games and Several
Large Conventions Also
Draw Visitors in
Nv GEORGE d. MANN

BY GEORGE d. MANN
Camp Curry, Yosemite Park, Aug. g.
approximately the size Of Rhode
Island, Yosemite park, despite eco
nomic stress, has more tourists this
season than any of the other federal
preserves.
The Olympic games, which have at
tracted thousands to the Pacific coast,
and several large conventions held IN
cities near this park are responsible
for the rather unusual rush of tour
lists to the gem of the Sierras. More
than 100000 tourists visit this park
annually.
Massive shafts of granite, majestic
peaks, the songful streams, MERGED
and Tuolome, wild game life in album
dance, wild flowers of wide variety
and a bird life of unending interest
are factors which explain the grow
ing popularity of Yosemite park.
Those who plan trip by stage or
in their own motor car, by all means
enter via Fresno, visit the great red
wood trees, then turn away from the
floor of the valley and 60 to the rim
or ridge of the Sierras. There it is,
preferably at Glacier Point, prac-
tically on the top of the world-at
least you feel on top of the world
that you get your first impression OF
this mighty combination OF granite,
forests and waterfalls.
The floor of the valley, where there
are broad highways, jazz bands, NOV
les and other concomitants OF our
humdrum existence, is much less i'm
pressive. One must get a measure OF
the parks splendor from Sentinel
Dome, Glacier Point, where reverber-
ates the roar Of the Nevada, and Yer
mel Falls, or Inspiration Point, which
brings into sharp focus the most COM
handing of the parks peaks.
More Than 728,O00 Acres
Yosemite park comprises more than
728, 900 acres of superb playground as
we'll as a most alluring laboratory fol-
the scientist, be he a geologist or bot
anist or any other kind of an "ist."
Sleek, sluggish, black California
bear waddle to your car in search OF
food, deer eat out of your hand, and
lazy grouse, grown fat on tourist feed
ing, almost hop on your lap. Striped
chipmunks will nestle on your Shout
der or play about your knee If you
will only feed them. I saw one
perched in the blonde locks of a col
lege sheik while a deb fed the little
critter peanuts.
If you get up early enough in the
morning you can see gorgeous sun
effects out on the rocks near Glacier
Point. I ran upon small sect hold
ing it's devotional exercises here at
sunrise. What great and impressive
cathedral nature furnished them
Someone has referred to Yosemite as
the great outdoor cathedral and only
the most hardened tourist can fail
to feel the sublimity of this park. II
must have been that which caused
these humble people to move out Of
their cabins and under the blue
canopy of heaven to hold simple re-
ligious exercises, too much out Of date
in this age of hustle and speed.
The federal government, through
the department of interior, has beer
seeking for the last decade to human
ize it's park system. Naturalists
trained in the science and lore of thu
park, give lectures and the commu.
nifty gatherings at night about thu
great camp fires reveal a cross section
of American life which is most virilt
and interesting.
Dude Sees One Side
There the hard-boiled park ranger
of daytime, directing traffic ane
disciplining unruly turists-there arr
very few of them-become the camp
fire entertainer by night. With hin
is a lecturer. He may talk of Indians
the flora of the park or tell interest
ing adventures on the trails that leae
up to the Sierra heights. The dude
in the great carabancs sees but ont
side of the park. Horses must be usee
to penetrate the silences of the in.
terror where there are books IL
brooks, sermons in stones, tongues II
trees and good in everything" Wher
the melancholy Jacques spoke tina
philosophy, he had much less inspira'
ton in the forest Of Arden than ha'
the everyday Yosemite tourist today
These forests have the same peace
and calm that Shakespeare makes ont
feel when he writes Of the forests Of
Arden. This haunt surely Is exempt
from the great public stream, except
in the more noisy and more CONNER.
cialized floor of the Yosemite basin
Camp Curry and its environs. Uncle
Sam has provided trails and means tt
lift one above all this into the peace
of Arden-like woods.
One of the marvels is that the au.
tomobile can bring you up by narrow
tortuous roads some 1000 feet above