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now appropriated yearly, and the Indians, by these means, would have 

 a perpetual fund, the principal of which should never be touched, except 

 by acts of Congress. In fact, if all Indians and their reservations were 

 treated in this way a better system of government for the Indians 

 could be obtained. It would also be a good bargain for the govern- 

 m3iit, as the purchased land could be sold to actual settlers for an ad- 

 vance, and be occupied by people paying taxes, to say nothing of 

 the opening up of the country. The Indian would be satisfied, as he 

 would then receive a fair compensation, to him, for what we acknowledge 

 belongs to him. No appropriation would then have to be made by 

 Congress each year for the Indians ; there would be less chance to 

 squander what would be justly due them from the interest on their 

 bonds, and from the principal in bonds, held by the Government,- they , 

 would have the security of never coming to want. 



The geysers in the National Park presented nearly the same condi- 

 tions as in the previous year, but there seemed to be greater action on 

 the part of some of them, Old Faithful, the Beehive, and the Grand 

 showing a marked increase in their efforts. The Sheridan has been 

 very violent, wearing out the crater until the diameter has enlarged 

 from 70 feet to about 125 feet. Quite a large section of the crater next to 

 the Fire Hole River has been torn out, and at each eruption an immense 

 volume of water is emptied into that river. The bed of the river con- 

 tains many large blocks of stone, thrown out by the violentaction which 

 has taken place. On arriving at the railroad I regretted exceediugly 

 to learn that the National Park had been rented out to private parties. 

 The place is worthy of being a National Park, the geyser phenomena 

 and the Yellowstone Canon having no parallel in any nation. The 

 improvements in the park should be national, the control of it in the 

 hands of an officer of the government, and small appropriations be 

 made and expended each year for the improvement of roads and trails. 

 It has been now placed in the hands of private parties for money mak- 

 ing purposes, from which claims and conditions will arise that may be 

 hard for the government and the courts to shake off. The game in the 

 park is being killed off" rapidly, especially in the winter. I have been 

 credibly informed that, since its discovery, as many as four thousand 

 elk were killed by skin hunters in one winter, ami that even last win- 

 ter, in and around the edges of the park, there were as many as two 

 thousand of these grand animals killed, to say nothing of the mountain 

 sheep, antelope, deer, and other game slaughtered in great numbers. 

 I would like to see the government extend this park to the east as far 

 as a north and south line through Cedar .Mountain; this would be due 

 east about 40 miles, at the same time placing the southern boundary of 

 the park at the 44th parallel of latitude, which would be due south 10 

 miles. This would increase the area of the park by 3,34 1 square miles, 

 and would make a preserve for the large game of the West, now so rap- 

 idly decreasing. This extension would not be taking anything away 



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