AMERICA'S GREATEST PLAYGROUND 



47 



Jack Johnson. Yellowstone National Park 



Our men, our old Montana citizens, followed down the Pirehole to 

 what is now known as the junction of the Firehole and Gibbon rivers. 

 There is a beautiful little valley here, fenced high about with bold 

 escarpments. It is crossed by the splendid stream known as the Madi- 

 son from this point down — one of the three sources of the Missouri 

 river. At this place our explorers held what might be called their 

 farewell camp. The diary of Langford describes all of these events 

 perfectly and in detail. 



By this time it was of course obvious to all these men that they 

 had found a marvelous region. They were all Americans who had 

 come West to secure their fortunes. Here lay fortunes for each of 

 them close at hand. They were no fools, and they knew they had 

 found resources which could be sold; realized well enough the wealth 

 that they could make out of their knowledge. It was discussed among 

 them how easy it would be to locate claims at all of the great points 

 of interest and so take into private possession all of this land of won- 

 ders. It was even suggested that they might pool their interests, each 

 man putting his homestead claim into the general pool. 



An Anti- American Vision 



But then there spoke up a man whose name we ought never to 

 forget. He was an early American, a real American, by the name of 

 Cornelius Hedges. He listened to what the others said, and then made 

 his own speech. It ran in effect somewhat thus: 



"God made this region for all the people and all the world to see 

 and enjoy forever. It is impossible that any individual should think 

 that he could own any of this country for his own and in fee. This 

 great wilderness does not belong to us, but to America. Let us make 

 a public park of it and set it aside for America, never to be changed, 

 but kept sacred just as it is now, so that Americans always may know 

 how splendid this early America was, how beautiful, how wonderful." 



Make the picture again for yourselves, if you can — the green circle 

 of the valley, the bold mountains about the river. Paint for yourself 

 the camp fire, with the horses standing about. Make again for your- 

 self, if you can, all the wild, old adorable picture of the mountains and 

 the West of fifty years ago. Especially paint in for yourself carefully 



