1885.] Condition of the Yellowstone National Park. 1039 
park should be divided into twenty-five parts, each one supervised 
by one of the guards with perhaps an assistant or roustabout. A 
simple house for the guard should be erected in each one of the 
divisions, and the guard should reside there through both winter 
and summer, and not be permitted, as is now the case, to come 
into the settlements and remain there during the winter. It is well 
known that large game may be more readily destroyed in winter 
than insummer. Those guards whose districts include the geysers 
will naturally be more occupied with the protection of these objects 
than the protection of the game, as the one is generally abundant 
inversely to the other. Visitors should not be permitted to carry 
guns or other hunting apparatus through the park, and should be 
required to deposit them with some designated person to be held 
during their stay in it. 
A project for reducing the size of the park has already been 
introduced into Congress. This is in order to permit the con- 
struction of a railroad to the Clark’s Fork mining camp, through 
the park via the Yellowstone, the East Fork, and Soda Butte 
creek, As the law creating the park forbids the passage of 
railroads through it, it is sought to alienate a tract of land from 
the park, of a triangular shape, of about forty miles in length and 
twelve to fifteen miles wide at the widest part. An examination 
of the map will show that the direct route from the Clark’s Fork 
mines to the Northern Pacific railroad is not more than one-tenth 
as long as the one proposed to pass through the park, so that it 
is difficult to guess at the motive which prompts the proposition 
in view. The project should be subjected to the most rigid 
- examination, as any alienation of the territory of the park seems 
to be unnecessary. On the other hand much greater security as 
a game preserve would be accomplished if the region on the 
south-east border of the park, which includes the Hoodoo moun- 
tains, were annexed to it. It is the headquarters of the game of 
the country, and that of the park frequently resorts to it. It is 
excessively rugged, and is nearly useless to man for any other 
Purpose. 
As regards the entertainment of tourists, the administration of 
the new superintendent, Mr. Weare, has been a great improve- 
ment over that of his predecessor. The monopoly of transpor- 
tation, sought to be established, has been abolished, and compe- 
tition is free to guides and hotel-keepers. This has the 
