That the spirit in which I write and act in this matter may extend to the press and the people of those mountain regions and the tourists who visit them is my ardent desire. P. W. NORRIS, Superintendent of the Yellowstone National Park. NOTE. The boundaries of the park have never been surveyed, but they are mainly crests of snow-capped basaltic mountains encircling the wonder-land of cataracts, cañons, firehole basins, geysers, salses, fumeroles, &c., unique and matchless, with entire area from 50 to 75 miles square. N. These rules and regulations are those adopted by the Hon. C. Delano, Secretary of the Interior, at the dedication of the park. Under these circumstances I ascended the Yellowstone, visited most of the park and its routes of access, including the exploring of an important cut-off route; and, too seriously injured at Tower Falls to otherwise return, descended the Yellowstone from above the gate of the mountain in a skiff, and reported facts and suggestions which were merged in the honorable Secretary's report of 1877, part first, page 837, and also deemed worth a publication in pamphlet form. (See Report of the Superintendent of the Yellowstone National Park for 1877.) After a long and careful investigation of the whole subject, and in consideration of the written opinions of the prominent scientists and explorers of our country, this cautious and prudent Congress at its first session, with a flattering unanimity, made an appropriation of $10,000 for the protection and improvement of the park. For an account of my expenditure thereof reference is respectfully made to the appropriate chapter of this report and attached map of the park. In addition thereto I may justly add that—unlike General Sherman in his tour of the park just in advance of last year's raid of the hostile Nez Percés, and General Howard in their pursuit, without roads-Generals Miles and Brisbin, in their military operations of this year, as well as the various parties of Professor Hayden's geological survey, the Berthold party of engineers in running a line for a branch of the Utah Northern Railroad, from Henry's Lake to the upper geysers, as well as many parties of tourists, have utilized my roads and other improvements as fast as made, thus opportunely rendering them of present as well as future convenience and benefit. With the expeditions of Generals Miles and Brisbin were Colonel Baker, Captains Baldwin and Egan, Lieutenants Douglas, Pope, Long, and other battle-scarred veterans of the Indian wars; Mrs. General Miles, sister of the wife of Senator Cameron, of Pennsylvania, and other ladies of distinction; the Rev. Dr. Hoyt, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and other prominent speakers and journalists. Besides these, Lord Stanley, English; Colonels Schultz and Koster, German; and many parties of American tourists, despite the Bannock raids, safely visited the park during the past season. The unanimous testimony of this long list of civil and military officers or agents of the government, and the scientists and tourists of our own and other lands, proves the Yellowstone National Park one of surpassing interest, a concentration of petrified forests and balmy groves, of lovely lakes, matchless falls, and yawning cañons; of azure pools and spouting geysers, unique and unrivaled-truly the peerless cliff and snow encircled wonder-land of earth, well worthy the fostering hand of the representatives of our people, whose priceless heritage it is. P. W. NORRIS, Hon. CARL SCHURZ, APPENDIX. Summary of weather reports kept in the Yellowstone National Park during the season of 1878. That portion of July which was taken would average, at sunrise, 57°; at midday, 80°; and at sunset, 74°. The month of August, the morning average was 44°, and ranging from 320 to 60°; at noon, average 789, ranging from 62° to 88°; at sunset, average 64°, ranging from 48° to 820. The month of September, the average at sunrise, 39°, ranging from 240 to 60°; at midday, average 61°, ranging from 3 to 78°; at sunset, average 51°, ranging from 36 to 74°. The first fifteen days in October average, sunrise, 41°, ranging from 24° to 54°; midday, average 57°, ranging from 46° to 70°; and at sunset, average 51°, ranging from 42 to 60°. Routes and distances to the Park. The following facts and suggestions will be of practical interest to our people in reference to the only two present or prospective routes of access to their heritage of wonders in the Great National Park. These are the northern or Yellowstone, and the southern or railroad, and as Omaha and Bismarck alike possess the advantages of Missouri River navigation and direct railroad connection with all portions of our country, they may be properly deemed starting points upon their respective routes. The northern route from Bismarck is still the natural one, by steamboat up the Missouri, 400 miles; the Yellowstone 360, to the mouth of the Big Horn, and probably some 60 further that of Clark's Fork; and by coach 160 miles to Bozeman, the main town and outfitting point of those regions. Thence it is by coach 72 miles to the Mammoth Hot Springs, within the Park-from Bismarck, distance 1,050 miles; time ascending, 12 or 14 days; descending, much less; expenses, about $100. The southern route is by the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha to Ogden, near Salt Lake, 1,033 miles; Utah Northern to Port Neuf Cañon, near Snake River, 150 miles; coach via Pleasant Valley and Virginia City, 380 miles to Bozeman, and 72 miles to the Park, or an aggregate of 1,635 miles; time, 10 days; expenses, $200. A saving of 30 miles can be made in the Yellowstone route by following it through the Gate of the Mountains instead of via Bozeman; and considerable time, distance, and expense upon the southern route by entering the Park from Virginia City, 90 miles from Bozeman. With little doubt both these routes will be materially shortened during the coming season: the southern, by extension of the railroad 70 miles to the crossing of Snake River at Eagle Rock, then coach some 150 miles via Henry's Fork and Lake to the Lower Geyser Basin within the Park, some 50 miles nearly south by the road this year constructed from the Mammoth Hot Springs. By the anticipated construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad from Bismarck to the Yellowstone, near the mouth of Powder River, some 600 miles of river route will be exchanged for 250 of railroad; the routes then standing approximately: Northern-Bismarck to the Mammoth Hot Springs, distance 700 miles; time, 8 days; expenses, $60. Southern-Omaha to the Lower Geyser Basin, distance 1,400 miles; time, 6 days; expenses, $100; showing that, as now, one route requires the most time, and the other the most money; but practically tourists should go one route and return the other. ROAD TO THE GEYSERS. MOUNT WASHBURN TRAIL VIA THE GREAT FALLS AND LAKE. Mammoth Hot Springs to the Forks of the Gardiner.. Cañon and Falls of the East Gardiner. Devil's Cut, or Dry Cañon Forks of the Yellowstone..... Tower Creek Falls....... Old Ruin..... Pass in east spur of Mount Washburn.. brink of the Grand Cañon.... Great Falls of the Yellowstone Sulphur Mountain Mud Volcano.... foot of Yellowstone Lake. return to Mud Volcano Mary's Lake.. Lower Fire-Hole Basin Upper Fire-Hole Basin..... A trail is greatly needed from the Upper Fire-Hole Basin to those of Shoshone, Lewis, and Heart Lakes, and those upon the fingers and eastern shore of the Yellowstone, some 100 miles in length, and the Pelican Creek route of 35 miles to the East Fork of the Yellowstone, at the mouth of the Soda Butte. As the very limited building accommodations at the Mammoth Hot Springs are all which are likely to be found in or near the Park the coming season, tourists should outfit at Ogden, Bozeman, or Virginia City, or, if reaching the Park by coach, excellent saddle and pack animals will be abundant at $1; guide and packer, $2 each per day. Time actually necessary for a tour of the main wonders of the Park, ten days; twice that more enjoyable; and August the best month, although July is only marred by flies, which nearly devour the animals; September good, except a severe equinoctial storm; and October, save deep snows in the passes. The best plan is to make the Park the main object and turning-point in a season's rambles, visiting both the Salt Lake and the Yellowstone Valley regions upon the outward or return routes. There is now all promise of a summer post for protection from Indians, if necessary REPORT OF THE COMMISSION APPOINTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF ACT OF CONGRESS OF MARCH 3, 1877, REGARDING THE HOT SPRINGS RESERVATION IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES HOT SPRINGS COMMISSION, November, 1878. SIR: We have the honor to submit the following statement giving the results of our labors since the original appointment of the Hot Springs Commission, also showing briefly what remains to be done in order to fully meet the provisions of the act providing for the disposition of the Hot Springs Reservation. On April 28, 1877, we entered actively upon the discharge of our duties under the act approved March 3, 1877. The purpose of creating the commission was to dispose of 2,560 acres of land owned by the government, being a tract of land two miles square, comprising the city of Hot Springs, or what is commonly called the Hot Springs Reservation, upon which about four thousand people have their homes and places of business. These people were attracted there by the renowned and wonderful curative qualities of the hot springs. They have expended large sums of money in building hotels and other improvements, and have a well-organized city government. The law implies that certain of these people shall have the first privilege (for the period of one year after the final settlement) of purchasing the land occupied and improved by them, at an appraisal to be fixed by the commission, and gave the claimants six months from the day of the organization of the commission in which to file their claims. Forms of petitions were prepared in accordance with the law, so that the same might be uniform, and every effort was made to induce the claimants to file their claims early, but the result proved that more than half the claims, including all the more important cases, were filed during the last two weeks of the term fixed by law. The time allowed for filing claims expired on October 27, 1877, and at twelve o'clock that night nine hundred and fifty claims had been presented. The petitions contain a plat and description of the ground claimed, showing the adjoining claimants, the time and circumstances under which the claimant had occupied the same, the character and value of the improvements thereon, and generally the reasons why the claimant should be entitled to purchase the same. As required by law, the commission designated in one boundary a tract of land containing all the hot and warm springs, and the Hot Spring Mountain, so called (being in all about 265 acres), to be reserved from sale forever, and this designation was approved by the Secretary of the Interior. About 2,300 acres remain to be disposed of under the provisions of the act of March 3, 1877. The law required the commission to hear any and all proof offered by the claimants in support of their petitions, and also on the part of the United States. More than six months were occupied in taking testimony, and in that time 2,750 witnesses were examined stenographically. Testimony was fully taken in 897 cases. Thirty-one cases were dismissed or withdrawn by the petitioners, and in 22 cases no testimony was offered. The mass of oral testimony taken and the documentary evidence is fully equal to 25,000 legal-cap pages. Accurate surveys have been made of the four sections of land comprising the entire tract known as the Hot Springs Reservation; boundaries have been re-established, and permanent monuments erected on the exterior and section lines and corners. Suitable monuments have also been set at each angle of the permanent reservation, 36 in number. Claims of individuals have been surveyed and platted on 16 large maps, representing the quarter-sections. A topographical survey has been made of the entire reservation, and three maps prepared and photolithographed-one topographical map, one claim map, and the third combining the two. The commission gave diligent attention to all matters coming before them, but found themselves unable to complete the work in the period of one year (that being the limit of their term of office), and at the last session of Congress a measure for continuing the work of the commission, and making the necessary appropriation therefor, passed both houses, but failed to become a law by reason of clerical omission in enrollment. The work necessarily left unfinished involved the interests of a large population, as well as the United States, and was deemed of so much importance that the proper authorities made the matter the subject of earnest discussion, and finally determined that it was for the best interests of all concerned that the work should proceed with as little interruption as possible, and the following letter was received by the undersigned: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, GENTLEMEN: The President directs me to request you, as the late commissioners appointed under the act of March 3, 1877, to settle the conflicting claims to a portion of the Hot Springs Reservation, in the State of Arkansas, and for other purposes, to take charge of the records of your proceedings under the said act, and to proceed to the consideration of the testimony in all the cases in which testimony was taken in relation to the rights of the respective claimants to any part of the Hot Springs Reservation, and to perform such work as may facilitate the early adjudication of such claims, and also to report to this department what measures may appear to you necessary to protect the rights of all parties upon said reservation, as well as the interests of the United States, trusting that Congress at its next session will adopt such legislation as may be necessary to confirm the acts done by you in the mean time, and provide for a due compensation for your services. In view of the fact that fears are entertained that serious difficulties may arise between the conflicting claimants to portions of said tract, you are requested to enter upon the discharge of the task above indicated at as early a day as possible, and that such steps shall be taken by you as may be necessary to preserve the present status of the claimants until their rights are finally determined. Very respectfully, Hon. AARON H. CRAGIN. Hon. JOHN COBURN, C. SCHURZ, Secretary. Hon. M. L. STEARNS. We accepted the trust and at once entered upon the discharge of the duties indicated in the foregoing letter. We were without funds, and have as far as possible done everything in our power to facilitate the early settlement of the vexed questions arising from the conflicting claims of the residents upon the reservation. |