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Show n - Our New National Park Which Is Located In ;, the Heart of the Kocky t Mountains. F i Copyright, 1915. by The International 1 j Syndicate. ! ykURING tho last few years tho H Ka n'-ec Stages Government has I i opened quito a number of parks jf BLer or playgrounds "'for tho benefit and enjoyment of tho people." Thcso tracts of land are known as National j K Parks, and nearly all of them are west j of Denver and located In tho Rockies or tho Sierra Nevada mountains. Tho latest addition to thcso parks Is tho one known as tho Rocky Moun-' Moun-' tain Park, which was formally opened to tho public on September the fourth. It consists of parts of tho Colorado and Arapahoo National Forests and embraces sonio of tho finest scenery of tho West. It Is tho highest of all the parks In altitude as the lowest s point Is more than eight thousand j, feet abovo tho level of the sea. P Splendid Scenic Drive. Tho new pleasuro ground Is about seventy miles northwest of Denver I and at present Is reached only by automobile au-tomobile or stage. It Is not large, bc-. bc-. Ing about twenty-six miles In length, , elsrhtppn miles across at tho widest part and ten miles at tho narrowest. Tho boundary is Irregular on account of somo of tho land being takon up by homesteaders long ago and as tho government did not desire to buy this land they made tho boundary to suit tho situation. At prcsont thero aro few roads in the park, although work is progressing on tho famous Fall River road with Its switchback curvos and wonderful scenery. This road when completed will bo twenty-one and one-half miles In length, crossing a divldo moro than ten thousand feet high. Only a fow miles havo been completed so far. Part of the construction con-struction was dono by convict labor, tho Colorado trusties doing tho work. The building of tho road at present Is being dono by a contractor. When completed this "road will take the traveller to tho foot of the Munny range and through somo of the most magnificent sconery in America. Another road lcad3 to a little resort kept by a man named Sprague. This place Is famous for Its fish dinners the most delicious mountain trout bo-Ing bo-Ing served. Mr. Spraguo' and his mother wero among the early settlers set-tlers In that part of Colorado and were honored guests at the dedication ceremonies. Mrs. Spraguo is now about eighty years of age. Sho Is known throughout that section as "Grandma Sprague," and Is generally beloved. Horseback trails lead to tho dlfforent beauty spots, somo of which aro at an olevatlon of eleven thousand thou-sand feet. Beautiful lakes dot tho pleasuro ground, and It is quite tho thing to leave Estcs Park on horseback horse-back early in tho morning, carrying lunch, and to spend the day on tho shores of thcso picturesque waters. Beautiful JGakes. Lochvale Is particularly entrancing with its snow covored mountain shores. Bear Lake with its glorious view of Long's Peak is a joy to the lover of the wonderful peaks of. the Rockies. Odessa, away up on the mountain with Its pine-lined shores, is a restful place, and beautiful, dainty Fern Lake, set like a diamond In an emerald bed, vie with each other In attraction to tho mountain climber. Hundreds of streams tumble through tho ravines and waterfalls, many of which are yet unnamed, can bo seen through tho luxuriant follago. Tho Forestry Service has filled the streams with fry and tho followers of Isaac Walton will find a nevcr-ondlng nevcr-ondlng delight In trying their lines on tho wary mountain trout. There are stringent rules as to fishing a hook and lino only being allowed. No fish caught may be sold. Uncle Sam has no patience with tho "gamo hog," and persons breaking tho hunting and fishing fish-ing rules will pay a heavy fine. The Park has been stocked with elk and deer. They woro brought from Jackson's Holo near Yellowstono Park and turned Into tho Park only after they had been carefully dipped to prevent them from bringing any animal disease Into their new home. Those animals will bo conserved horo for the amusement of tho people as no hunting will be allowed in fact, no person will bo allowed to carry firearms fire-arms except by special permission, a favor next to Impossible to obtain. In time it Is expected that theso animals ani-mals will becomo as tame as the bears In tho Yellowstono Park tho delight of tho tourist. Tho wholo place is alivo with chipmunks, and when one spreads out lunch tho woods fairly bristle with these nervous little striped creatures. Indeed, they becomo almost al-most impudent in their efforts to secure se-cure food. A few wolves, wildcats and coyotes are still left, but they are harmless and will run at tho sight of a human being. Then, too, they aro "only to be found In tho dense forest. The Forestry Scrvico has been gradually grad-ually killing them off, aa they aro regarded re-garded as a menace In tho national j forests. According to Secretary Mather it is tho purposo of tho government to build a scries of Swiss chalets through tho park and leaso them out to proper persons who will tako caro of tourists who may caro to spend somo time in tho mountains. As tho area is so small it will requlro only a few days to visit tho beauty spots, and by having hav-ing a chain of chalets people may spend a day or two at each visiting tho points nearest to each particular chalet and then movo to tho next one. Camping Permitted. Thoso who prefer camping may do so under tho usual restrictions and rules of our National Parks that they must pitch their camps on spots designated des-ignated by tho Superintendent of tho park, put out all fires after meals and clean up camp beforo leaving. They must not cut trees or pull up wild flowers. Automobiles aro permitted at present free of toll, but after the roads aro completed a small charge will bo made. Tho Interior Department Depart-ment Is not overburdened with money to bo usod in tho National Parks, and as the building of many of these roads costs from fivo thousand to six thousand thou-sand dollars per mile, tho payment of toll is Important as It Is used to keep the roads in repair and to build safeguards safe-guards on tho sides whore tho roads run along canyons. Tho rules as to speed aro rigid as thero aro many sharp curves. As Colorado becomes a dry Stato after tho rirst of January, 191G, no liquors of any kind will be sold on the government property. Only Experienced Guides. Tho most rigid rules as to guides will bo enforced, and persons will not bo allowed to wander out in tho forests for-ests alone. Much of the park Is still virgin forest, unknown except by men of tho Government Forestry Soryico. and in order to travel through it off tho beaten track ono must havo a IH knowledgo of woodcraft Experienced guides only will bo allowed to tako tourists into tho forest mon who havo authority from tho supcrln- tendont. jH Tho Government spends about $400,000.00 annually In the upkoop of -fl our National Parks. Tho money Is used In tho building of roads and IH trails, In tho construction and malnte-nance malnte-nance of tolcphono lines, and in tho administration of the parks through IH civilian supervisors and rangers in all IH except tho Yellowstone, where an army officer and his cavalry troop aro in chargo. It 13 expected that within tho next year a civilian forco of rangers will tako charge of all too National Parks as General Supcrln-tondent Supcrln-tondent Mark Daniels is at presont working to perfect a ranger service. Capt. Charles R, Trowbridgo la tho Superintendent of Rocky Mountain Park. Ho is a man of wide experlonco In this lino of work, having spent several years at Hot Springs, Ark-ansas. Ark-ansas. Captain Trowbridge is an in-dofatlgablo in-dofatlgablo worker, and tho fact that tho roads in tho park wero In such jH excellent condition for tho opening is duo to his untiring energy. His offlco miles from tho Rocky Mountain tract. IH Tho rangers havo not yet been ap- pointed as tho season for outings was practically over when the park was dedicated. It ja expected, however, that everything will be in shapo by next season whon Rocky Mountain Park with its snow-capped peaks, its picturesque waterfalls and its charm- ing lakes will vie with tho othor Na- H tlpnal Paries In offering its beauties to tho tourist. ImMw, .... - h |