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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



"playgrounds" within the United States. 

 Indeed, some lie at our very doors, al- 

 though for lack of good transportation 

 facilities they may be more difficult of 

 access than far distant points. 



The nation owes it to itself, to the 

 people of the present day, and even more 

 to those of a future congested popula- 

 tion to create into national parks the 

 magnificent regions of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains and the High Sierra, which have 

 little, if any, economic importance, and 

 thus preserve always their natural, whole- 

 some beauties. Transportation methods 

 will quickly follow and thus new "play- 

 grounds" become accessible. 



A NATIONAL PLAYGROUNDS ASSOCIATION 



A national playgrounds association for 

 grown-ups, organized on some such basis 

 as that of the Sierra Club of California, 

 but with the United States for its field 

 of activities, would find important work 

 to be done and would enlist many ardent 

 supporters. Numerous national parks 

 have already been established by the gov- 

 ernment, some because of their recog- 

 nized standing as natural wonderlands, 

 such as the Yellowstone, and others 

 through insistent championship of enthu- 

 siasts. 



The youngest member of the play- 

 ground family, now knocking at the door 

 for national protection, is the proposed 

 Glacier National Park in northern Mon- 

 tana. There are some people in the East 

 who do not even know that there are 

 glaciers in the United States today, but 

 think of them as extinct monsters be- 

 longing to a past geologic era. To such 

 the very name. Glacier Park, is an edu- 

 cation. There are no longer, it is true, 

 ■vast continental glaciers ; even the great 

 frozen regions of Alaska are small in ex- 

 tent compared with the ancient glaciers, 

 but the remnants of the one-time univer- 

 sal ice-sheets, such as c?,n be seen in 

 Glacier Park, are so majestic and numer- 

 ous as to awaken in the mind of the 

 traveler sentiments of unbounded awe 

 and wonder at Nature's matchless handi- 

 work. 



"Give a month at least to this precious 



reserve," says John Muir, some ten years 

 ago, in speaking of the delights of this 

 region. "The time will not be taken 

 from the sum of your life. Instead of 

 shortening it will indefinitely lengthen it 

 and make you truly immortal." 



Nor are the attractions of the Glacier 

 Park region confined to the scenic. Here 

 lies, for instance, the majestic Lake 

 McDonald, full of brisk trout, as de- 

 scribed by Mr Muir, in the heart of the 

 splendid Flathead forests of giant pine, 

 spruce, and cedar, while lo miles above 

 is Avalanche Lake, shimmering at the 

 foot of a group of glacier-laden moun- 

 tains. Far up the white peaks one can 

 hardly fail to meet the white goat or 

 American chamois, while in other re- 

 treats dwell deer, elk, and bear and many 

 smaller, sleek- furred animals enjoying 

 their beautiful lives in company with 

 numerous bird species. 



It is hoped that the present session 

 of Congress will preserve for the nation 

 this latest playground and constitute it 

 another of our national parks. It will 

 then be our second largest park, sur- 

 passed only by the Yellowstone. 



FAVORABLY RLPORTED IN CONGRESS 



The Sixtieth Congress made a favor- 

 able report on a glacier park bill, which 

 had also the strong support of the Secre- 

 taries of the Interior and Agriculture. 

 This report was based largely upon a 

 topographic survey made four years ago 

 by a United States Geological Survey 

 party, and upon a later compilation by 

 Robert H. Chapman, one of the party, 

 embracing a total area of about 1,000,000 

 acres lying just south of the Canadian 

 line and between Flathead River and the 

 Blackfeet Indian reservation. This area 

 contains 60 or more true glaciers, rang- 

 ing in size from small glaciers of a few 

 acres each to those covering 5 square 

 miles. It also contains over 250 glacial 

 lakes from a few hundred feet to 10 

 miles in area. 



The Rocky Mountain system in the 

 United States abounds in regions of wild 

 and magnificent scenery, but it is doubt- 

 ful if any of them surpasses in grandeur 



