DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL PARKS. 9 



NATIONAL PARKS TO PAY THEIR OWN WAY. 



It has been your desire that ultimately the revenues of the several 

 parks might be sufficient to cover the costs of their administration 

 and protection and that Congress should only be requested to appro- 

 priate funds for their improvement. It appears that at least five 

 parks now have a proven earning capacity sufficiently large to make 

 their operation on this basis feasible and practicable. They are 

 Yellowstone, Yosemite, Mount Rainier, Sequoia, and General Grant. 

 Accordingly estimates have only been submitted to Congress for ap- 

 propriations for improvements of these parks. 



The revenues of Eocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Crater Lake, and 

 the new Lassen Volcanic Parks are covered into the miscellaneous 

 receipts of the Federal Treasury. Legislation providing for the 

 use of the revenues of these parks in their improvement or for 

 administrative purposes is earnestly recommended. 



WANTED: GATEWAYS TO OUR NATIONAL PARKS. 



Many of the parks should have gateways to mark their boundaries. 

 These gateways should be simple, dignified, and in complete harmony 

 with their environments. They should not be costly structures and 

 should be erected if possible before next season. Gateways already 

 constructed at the northern entrance to Yellowstone and the south- 

 western entrance to Mount Rainier are most impressive, and it is 

 with a thrill of pride in our great national playgrounds that the 

 average visitor passes through these gates and beneath the Stars and 

 Stripes waving over them. 



Proceeding to a review of the 1916 season in the several parks, 

 Yellowstone National Park will first be considered. 



YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 



WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN YELLOWSTONE. 



For the first time in the history of the park, tourists were carried 

 to three of the gateways, each by a different railroad. The new 

 entrance is the Cody or eastern entrance. It offers a full day's ride 

 through remarkable natural scenery and past the great Shoshone 

 Dam, second highest in the world. To accomplish this, the Chicago, 

 Burlington & Quincy Railroad operated a special summer-train serv- 

 ice to Cody, Wyo., and spent money in large sums in promoting this 

 gateway. The service was largely experimental, but it was eminently 

 satisfactory, and the Burlington route is to be congratulated on its 

 successful enterprise. 

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