National Park Notes 



99 



of private holdings in the Park. This is for the purpose of securing some 

 of the stands of sequoias in the Giant Forest now in private ownership, 

 provided they can be obtained at a reasonable figure. Efforts have been 

 made in the past to appropriate for these holdings, and it is hoped that 

 Congress this year will authorize the Secretary of the Interior to ex- 

 pend this proposed sum. The Department is also asking for an appro- 

 priation of $11,000 for the repair and improvement of the Mineral King 

 Road for a distance of eleven miles across the Park. The Tulare County 

 authorities are doing their part in improving the roads which lead to the 

 Park entrances, and the proposed improvement of the Mineral King 

 Road is intended to fit in with the work which they are doing. 



In the Mount Rainier National Park, now under Supervisor D. L. 

 Reaburn, a civil engineer of high standing, much has been accomplished 

 during the past year. Supervisor Reaburn did particularly excellent work 

 in handling the auto traffic to Paradise Park without a single mishap, 

 and in putting the roads in excellent shape for the heavy travel which 

 they received during the past season. During the fall Mr. Reaburn made 

 a survey of the proposed new road along the Carbon River, which, when 

 built, will open up a new entrance to the Park from the northwest cor- 

 ner. In the estimates for the next fiscal year the Department is asking 

 for $46,000 for the construction of eight miles of this road, which would 

 bring it up to the Carbon River Glacier, and also assist in making ac- 

 cessible the beautiful Spray Park which lies on the northwest flanks of 

 the mountain. 



Plans are well under way for a new camp hotel to be constructed in 

 Paradise Park at the opening of the season of 1916, and much of the 

 material is already on the ground. The Department also expects to con- 

 struct next season a shelter at Camp Muir, so that the mountain climb- 

 ers will have a refuge at this important point on the way to the summit. 



In the Yellowstone National Park the most important event during 

 the past year was the opening of the Park on August 1 to automobiles. 

 Nearly 1,000 machines visited the Park, operating under schedule which 

 did not bring them in contact with the horse-drawn stages. During the 

 coming year it is expected that a number of camps for the benefit of 

 automobilists will be established at important points throughout the 

 Park, and an effort will be made to develop the Cody, or eastern, en- 

 trance of the Park, and, if feasible, an automobile stage service will be 

 established from this entrance to connect with horse-drawn stages at 

 Yellowstone Lake. 



The road construction and repairs in the Yellowstone National Park 

 are carried on by the Engineer Corps of the Army, and the War Depart- 

 ment is asking for next year a total appropriation of $292,000. This will 

 be used largely in further improvement of the roads, and particularly in 

 surfacing the portion of the road from the Gardiner entrance with oil 

 and macadam. Under Major Fries of the Army nearly $200,000 was ex- 

 pended during the past year, and the roads in the Yellowstone Park are 



