Are National Parks Worth While? 237 



The national playgrounds, too, can, if they are held inviol- 

 able, preserve for us, as no minor possessions can, our unique 

 scenic wonders, our great natural mysteries. The spouting 

 geyser basins and marvelous hot springs of the Yellowstone, the 

 atmospheric splendors of the Grand Canon of the Colorado, 

 the silver threads of the Falls of the Yosemite, the ancient 

 homes of the cliff-dwellers of the Mesa Verde, the ice marvels 

 of the Montana glaciers, the towering temples amid the big 

 trees of the Sierra — how long would they last unharmed and 

 free to all the people if the hand of the Federal Government 

 was withdrawn from them? Ask harassed, harnessed Niagara 

 — depending right now for its scenic life upon the will of this 

 Congress — after, indeed. Congress alone has saved it until now 

 from State neglect ! 



The nation now has, it should be said, vast and admirably 

 handled national forests, potential with profit for all the people. 

 But there must be no confusion between the differing func- 

 tions of the forests and the parks. 



The primary function of the national forests is to supply 

 lumber. The primary function of the national parks is to main- 

 tain in healthful efficiency the lives of the people who must 

 use that lumber. The forests are the nation's reserve wood- 

 lots. The parks are the nation's reserve for the maintenance 

 of individual patriotism and federal solidarity. The true ideal 

 of their maintenance does not run parallel to the making of 

 the most timber, or the most pasturage, or the most water 

 power. 



Our national parks are young. They are yet undeveloped 

 to any considerable extent. But one of them, the Yellowstone, 

 is comfortably accessible. Their value to the nation is potential 

 more than instant, simply because they are not, as a whole, 

 yet known to our people. The nearest east of them is fifteen 

 hundred miles west of the country's center of population in 

 Indiana. Our people yet cross three thousand miles of salt 

 water to see less impressive scenery, less striking wonders, less 

 inspiring majesty in canon, water-fall and geyser, than they 

 have not seen at home, because the way to Europe has been 

 made broad, comfortable and "fashionable !" 



In 1910, barely two hundred thousand visitors were reported 

 to our thirteen national parks and our twenty-eight national 

 monuments, but all the east-bound Atlantic grayhounds were 

 crowded to their capacity. We have not yet begun to use the 

 national parks ; we have not commenced to attract to them a share 

 of the golden travel tide which is said to have taken from 

 America to Europe $350,000,000 in 1910. 



