| Show EVAN STEPHENS BEAR STORIES prof evan stephens who with willard Christop christ op herson berson Is at present on a visit to yellowstone park writes to H c S ensign no now on a mission to cr lorado colorado the letter was forwarded the news for publication and is as follows yellowstone park aug having written my first letter to the news giving a brief account of our trip as far as soda springs I 1 want the remainder to be addressed to yoube cause you are constantly in my myr mind nind having been through the park with me seven or eight years ago the news will be welcome to the same if it deems it of any interest to its readers well after writing my last at the idanha hotel we found that a ball was to be held in the dining room that night but we were rather tired alq and sleepy so slept while others danced leaving soda springs august ath and at once began our travel over lava beds there is a charm in the fancy to me that we are speeding over what was once a fearful stream of liquid fire this part of the world might have been then the orthodox hell or hades more modernly speaking at least it must have been terrible the thin soil scarcely covers it for hundred of miles eh even ehen en the hills are nothing but mighty waves of cooled lava the streams scarcely wear it but on very hill side it has broken into great ugly black blocks on we go to the blackfoot river where we stay for noon then again on to chub springs where I 1 fish in a stream with but one perceptible hole in itsou know what a crank I 1 am on a fine fishing ng hole my fishing pleasure always being divided into three parts seeing the fishing hole with its entrance ripple catching the fish and eating it however I 1 caught three or four nice fish and ate them with wills help for supper will triumphantly brought in a dozen ducks which he had bad shot so you see we feasted august ath after a duck breakfast we bid good bye to a pleasant old couple who lives on these chubs and away we go notwithstanding it was sunday but we felt there was more worship in moving through the lovely hills and mountains than stopping in this lonely place so we traveled about 30 miles to another ranch here after catching a few more trout we remain over night august fth we move on towards snake river valley over ridge after ridge on rather sandy dusty roads we met a party of Ogden ites who looked like stranded gypsies if all yellowstone parties returned looking like these the cho choir ir will surely not accept me on my return faces all colors from dark yellow to salmon red dresses dust cov ered from a high skirt with sweater bodice bicycle suit to shakers glasses etc while the gents faces were a grimy mixture of hair and dust horses mostly ribs and hip joints yet they were merry and having a great outing such is human fancy after a pleasant paea sant chat we parted and soon we were on the top of the last ridge that overlooked the wide and now dotted over with houses snake river valley here is surely a picture granary I 1 was glad to find it mostly inhabited by our people 1 I 1 predict for it a greater future than any of our valleys you should see the great streams in their canals time and time we exclaim surely this must be a river as we came to one after another of the swift running clear as an crystal streams on their way to irrigate the finest grain fields I 1 ever saw we found some lovely fruit here the future will find it groaning neath apples prunes pears and abundance of all things as the past found it groaning neath streams of fire from the great volcanoes which round it if and inderlied under lied it too whose remnants we now make a pleasure trip of in the form of a yellowstone park we next camped at la belle a settlement really built in the riverbed river bed of south fork of snake river aug 10 we were early at rex burg and kindly held up before we had gone half way up its main street by brother dern median and stake choir leaders formerly from salt lake who had heard we were coming and was on the lookout for us he soon had our horses in bishop T J winters stables and ourselves at his own hospitable board his good wife even insisted on giving loaves of her splendid bread which lasted us into the park brothers blackburn aar jarvis former members of the tabernacle choir were also there and were as P pleased leaned to see us as if we were lifelong life long chums how delightful such treatment makes one feel the scriptures admonishes us to be hiowt able and state that we may entertain angels unawares we are not angels nor devils either but the pleasure such entertainers gave make ministering angels of these that evening we traveled on to st anthony the county seat of fremont and still on twelve miles further where in searching a ranch to stop at quite unawares to us we found ourselves at the home of a brother kerr who gave us the warmest welcome getting up from his bed to see that we were all right we soon were over a pan of fine milk fresh butter and nice bread sister kerr is a daughter of apostle merrill and inherits her fathers kind disposition after this unexpected pleasure and a good breakfast we again journeyed on august alth we are now entering the beautiful timber which will surround us until our return through the whole park region this is I 1 believe generally called highland park and it Is well named we have left the snake river to the south of us the great old teton peak looming up in the sky still south of it now we pass through an open grass glade but always su Eu rounded by the fresh dark green pines fording the snake river further on three different times we at last come to about the same spot as you will remember we crossed it years ago calm and unruffled it glides almost without a ripple or a sound between its grassy banks the tall pines mirrored in its peaceful bosom the he whole makes the most beautiful and peaceful picture I 1 ever beheld prom From now on our journey brings you constantly to mind as an we again pass the same old places we camp tonight at henrys lake do you remember touch of mountain fever I 1 had when we were last here they have a nice organ here a mr garner and family now owning the place some butte musicians were also camped here so we had a jolly night with violin guitar organ and vocal music the butte gentlemen if the young lady of the house told it right declared will a finer basso than any in butte away we go august over the mountain mounta inand and up the madison river into the park reserve A few miles further they take our arms and leave us to the mercy of bears and other wild animals pets of the government who must touched if they attack us we must simply simple beg them to deal gently with us and give a bear hug tor for hug the road we took over the mountain into Fire firehole hole basin is now discarded and a fine new road takes us up through the canyon along the madison we came out just north of where we descended the steep hill A fine hotel to Is built over near the fountain geyser and the old one Is deserted the steam ascends as when you were with me and the geysers spout loud and furious as ever falling failing to get a place at the hotel stables for our horses we go back a couple of miles and camp out ilone alone at nes nee perces creek here we left our tent while we went to supper august to see old faithful who performs regularly still every sixty five minutes we did not see so many geysers in action as when you were vere here not more than six in all the park this time as we did not happen t to be present at this time the road now lasseson pas aeson on by old faithful up a canyon and over the divide into the south end of yellowstone lake this makes a fine tri some of the hights we get fine views of shoshone lake end and yellowstone lake the roads roada are genuine boulevards kept fit for he 0 pat nations ions park so our trip from the upper basin august to west thumb bay was a delightful treat by running streams pine clad mountains and valleys now overloading miles of forest now hedged in by walls of canyons now getting glimpses of lakes or streams in the far distance above and below us once in a while being steam ascending or streaks of the many colored refuse of geysers that nearly always remind one that he is in the park I 1 have spared you most particulars of our evening camping incidents but I 1 will here relate one it was near evening when we descended the hill to thumb bay and reached the beautiful lake that had charmed us for some time a as s we caught glimpses through the trees of water far beneath us so after registering with uncle sams defenders we had to search the woods for a camping place after much hunting we found a little glade with fair grass and little water plenty of trees surrounding about a hundred rods back of the lukondi station we had just received the startling news that a pany had been held up by two robbers a few miles north a few hoesr before and all the soldiers of the park were up in arms to catch them dead or alive we had not more than got settled and squatted down to our supper near our camp flie fire when a couple of gents came up to have a pleasant chat their first greeting was well boys you have camped right on the bear trail several come bown this way every night to the dump behind our eating house they wont likely hurt you but may scare your horses so 0 o they will get away aay just make lots of noise with tins or something of that sort and you can scare them away with this bit of pleasant tion which we pretended to take with indifference the bear matter was doppe dand the robbery question taken up suddenly the gleam of fire arms flashed in our campfire ligh tand in a second three boys in blue steppe dup to our little circle the tragic impression tor for a moment made me feel as if I 1 might be under arrest and court marti aled and shot in a few moments on closer inspection they looked very harmless their guns and ammunition excepted though we listened to some heap big talk of shooting the holdups at sight etc the whole talk gradi gradually Lally sizzled down to an urgent request st that if the desperadoes swooped down upon us during the night with the fiendish intent of stealing our horses or purloining some of our newly made soda fried doughnuts that one of us would silently teal steal down to camp to inform them while the other argued the point with the recreants we were then left two lonely wates waifs far from home with our campfire campf lre embers dying away with our courage silently we stole into our cheerless tent with our fancy tossing us from the embrace of a great black bear to the arms of a blacker desperado and our horses our chief pride and our only hope of escape from this fearful place I 1 fancied one in the clutches of bruin while the tearful fearful man with the mosquito bar mask sat stride of the other with these thoughts racking my brain while tucking away the two or three green backs I 1 had under leather lining of my cowboy hat willie storing away by his side his arms of warfare one tin plate one tin pan for musical effects and one hatchet to be used only if the former proved impotent with calm desperation I 1 undressed keeping my socks on to protect my feet after much musing I 1 fell asleep when suddenly I 1 heard the buckboard rattling as if a geyser had turned loose under it accompanied with tremendous tramping of horses I 1 really did not stop to wake but with one bound and will says an unearthly yell of get out 0 there rushed t towards the buckboard and the horse nearest it crying whoa net sooth angly to the mare but peering wagon about the same fashion have seen the villain do on the in plays will was soon at my and a fruitless search was m made ad e fai bear or robber crestfallen we stol into our tent but thoroughly aw alceo va ed nevertheless our heads wk scarcely on our pillows when a second and far more violent edition of tua afie first mysterious noise broke forth boxes frying pans and plates w we hurled in all directions faret bramm VA mingling with them will was wa map hughly aroused to the sense of duty and began vigorously the plate and pan together I 1 we did not think of but we did not I 1 led IQ piously out this time following in chinese tragedy earnestly beating the tins and ing the deadly hat hatchet 1 each they are bears sure the oard board been swung clear around the having in its course swept eve everyll before it the mare stood thern trembling the door of the tent A ben handle revealed the fact that 3 had been the culprit reaching for she had caught in the brake ha and with hobbles on had itin violently turning the whole tie rig ourselves topsy turvey in her mad tempt at release whether this ghisi sufficed to scare away the bears we had peace the rest of the night saw not a single bear on the trip save the ones tied up at the to be con from your old EVAN STEP |
