Your National Parks, with Detailed Information for Tourists

ne wonderland. They had seen the geysers,-little hot-water volcanoes,-the pools of boiling colored mud, the great petrified forest, and the golden

to be considered. This region, he thought, should be set aside by the Government and forever held for the unrestricted use of the people. The magnificent National-Park idea was thus born by a camp-fire in the wilds. The views of this statesman prevailed

ional Park Mountain. In 1891 I made a reverent pilgrimage to this historic spot. I am grateful to every one

the first published reference to the park project. Honor must be given to David E. Folsom and a number of other ind

to Congress from Montana. Langford lectured in behalf of the project before interested audiences in Minneapolis, Washington, New York, and elsewhere; and he and Wal

e bill for Congressional enactment, and marked the boundary lines of the Park. This bill was introduced in the House by William H. Claggett, December 18, 1871. Senator Pomeroy, of Kansas, immediately introduced the identical measure in the Senate. Claggett, Hayden, Langford, and

sachusetts, championed the measure. It reached a vote, February 27, 1872, with the following re

s the privileged classes have had almost exclusive enjoyment of scenic empires. The campaign which brought ab

islation as one of the important acts of statesmanship. A few public-spirited men of vision began a revolution and triumphed. The anniversary of this event

al Hiram M. Chittenden, author of "The Yellowsto

tend its importance, and to give additional force to the sentiment so well expressed by the Earl of Dunraven when he visited the Park in 1874: "All honor then to the United States for having bequeathed as a free gift to man th

l policy of government. From time immemorial privileged classes have been protected by law in the withdrawal, for the exclusive enjoyment, of immense tracts for forests, park

had a definite and striking influence on the early history of the region. It attracted few visitors and no settlers. To the pioneer and the Indian it offered few necessities, and these

ng-places-these conditions have given to this and to other scenic mountain places a high economic value; likewise what may be called a nobler or higher value. Re

d, and retarded the movement and the development of society. T