PEALE.] SCENEKY OF THE PARK. 69 



the article of one of Pliiladelpliia's distinguislied physicians (doctors 

 are not much given to sentimentality) : 



The man whose love of color is not satisfied by the view down this marvelons valley 

 must indeed be hard to please. For a mile away the sides are formed of slopes, from 

 which rise vast battlements, turrets, j)innacles, alone or in clusters, of tall, conical 

 spires; some are of basalt, some of limestone [?] ; they rise through slopes part clay 

 and part broken silicates and limestone. On this mass of material Nature has lavished 

 her wealth of colors with a spendthrift hand. The taller rocks of ruddy browns or 

 Pompeian red melt away in the d6bris from which they spring to rich yellows, fading 

 below to cool grays in exquisite gradation. Here and there are rocks of a red-like 

 claret-lees ; others have a basis of rich ocher, with the projections of umber-brown. 

 In places the reds are nearly of a dark scarlet. Here, the rocks are of a lovely French, 

 gray ; there, of a delicate fawn tint, rising above to saifrou and melting to snow- 

 white below, while in places patches of vivid green, orange, or black mark the masses 

 of moss and lichen, fed by the abundant spray, and forced into luxury of growth by 

 the warm streams from the numberless springs issuing from the walls of the caiion.* 



The view of this caiion is one that never disappoints, and if the visits 

 to the Grand Falls are separated by a few years each succeeding- visit 

 only serves to strengthen and heighten the impressions of the first visit, 

 for the coloring is on such a grand scale that it is imjiossible to retain 

 the memory of its' vividness. 



The reports of 1871 and 1872 and the various newspaper and maga- 

 zine articles will give the reader an 5^ further descriptions of the scenery, 

 as the space at the writer's command will not permit of any extended 

 descriptions in this report. 



As has already been stated, the setting aside of the area now known 

 as the Yellowstone ISTational Park was one of the results of the survey 

 of 1871, and it may be stated that the movement was started by Dr. F. 

 T. Hay den, and its success was mainly due to his personal efforts. 



On the 18th of December, 1871, the bill to set apart this tract was 

 introduced into the United States Senate by Hon. S. C. Pomeroy, and 

 about the same time a similar bill was offered in the House of Eepre- 

 sentatives. The bill was referred to the Committees on Public Lands by 

 both houses and reported upon favorably. In the Senate there was 

 some discussion, the bill being opposed by Mr. (Jole, of California, and 

 advocated by Messrs. Pomeroy, Edmunds, Trumbull, Anthony, and 

 others. Mr. Trumbull, in reply to Mr. Cole's objections, made the fol- 

 lowing argument in favor of the bill : 



I think our experience with the wonderful natural curiosity, if I may so call it, in 

 the Senator's own State should admonish us of the propriety of passiug such a bill as 

 this. There is the wonderful Yosemite Valley, whicb one or two persons are claimiug 

 by virtue of a pre-emption. Here is a region of country away up in the Rocky Mount- 

 ains, where there are the most wonderful geysers on the face of the earth — a country 

 that is not likely ever to be inhabited for the purjDose of agriculture, but it is possible 

 that some person may go there and plant himself across the only path that leads to 

 these wonders and charge every man that passes along between the gorges of these 

 mountains a fee of a dollar or five dollars. He may place an obstruction there, and 

 toll may be gathered from every person who goes to see these wonders of creation. 

 Now this tract of land is uninhabited ; nobody lives tKere ; it was never trod by civi- 

 lized man until within a short period. Perhaps a year or two ago was the first time 

 that this country was ever explored by anybody. It is now proposed, while it is in 

 this condition, to reserve it from sale and occupation in this way. Now, before there 

 is any dispute as to this wonderful country, I hope we shall excej»t it from the gen- 

 eral position of public lands, and reserve it to the government. At some future time, 

 if we do so, we can repeal this law, if it is in anybody's way, but now I think it is a 

 very appropriate bill to pass. 



After this the bill passed. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the bill was passed so soon after the 

 explorations, there were claimants for certain portions of the Park. J. 

 C. McCartney and Mr. Hore claimed the Mammoth Hot Springs, and 



*Lippincott's Magazine, vol. XXV, No. 1.50, June, 1880, p. C99. 



