Protection of the Yellowstone Park 



plishing anything. Mr. David W. Wear was 

 next in succession, and remained until legislat- 

 ed out of office in August, 1886. Nothing of 

 value seems to have been done in these two 

 administrations. In the sundry civil appro- 

 priation bill for 1886-87 the item for the pro- 

 tection and improvement of the Park was 

 omitted. By the act of March 3, 1883, the 

 Secretary of War was authorized, on request 

 from the Secretary of the Interior, to detail 

 part of the army for duty in the Park, the 

 commander of the troops to be the acting su- 

 perintendent. As there was no money appropri- 

 ated to pay the old officers, they, of course, had 

 business elsewhere. Captain Moses Harris, 

 First Cavalry, was the first detailed under the 

 new regime. He arrived there on August 17, 

 1886, and assumed control on the 20th. From 

 this time on things assumed a different aspect. 

 He had the assistance of a disciplined troop of 

 cavalry, and he used it with energy and discre- 

 tion. It very soon became unsafe to trespass 

 in the Park, winter or summer, and load upon 

 load of confiscated property testified to the 

 number of his captures. His reports show the 

 heroic efforts made to prevent and extinguish 

 fires, to prevent the defacement of the geysers 



