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---Chapter 7: Observations in the
Yellowstone Park---
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We are now In the mountainous country and I never wearied of the beauties and wonders of the scenery. Being naturally "full of curiosity" and roving in mind and disposition I would mount my riding nag and employ every spare moment in feasting my eyes and my "minds eye" upon'their varied and wonderful scenes.
My first and predominating thought was that an earthquake had visited that whole region, and that was even so, and many had there been as there are great masses of upheavals upturned along side of craters of vast extent extinct volcanoes, numerous rock forms, many of them showing pyrites of the precious metals, as gold, iron, copper and silver. In these observations my husband and father were both interesting companions and it was often remarked that we were passing over more gold than we would ever possess in any new lands which we might conquer. But no one dared think of stopping to investigate or prospect as the season was now drawing to a close and the thought of snow falling in the mountains was a continual menace to any tendency to tardiness or delay. The look of our weary teams was sufficient incentive to effort in behalf of reaching our journeys end.
One night we camped near a small marsh formed by water that flowed from a spring at the foot hills. The animals hurried ahead to slack their thirst but turned away in apparent fright. One of the men took a pail and went to get drinking water for the family, but he called out, "boys it's hot enough to cook eggs," and sure enough we made coffee by pouring the water just from the spring over the ground coffee. It was with feelings of awe that I viewed this one of the great works of creation that are marvelous in our eyes, yet common with Him who does all things.
A dog that had followed us through the entire journey tried to drink at this spring but one lap of his tongue was quite enough to satisfy the good canine, fie gave one loud yelp then ran off whining because of his scalded mouth.
One lady, a dear good woman, made tea by pouring the boiling water over tea leaves then asked me to sip a cup of tea with her in remembrance of the place and the occasion, so we took tea together made from the naturally hot water.
One evening when we had camped earlier than usual and the broken and upheaved surface of the ground awakened so much curiosity that, in company with a young lady of our acquaintance, I went for a stroll among the many curious and wonderful natural and misplaced formations. We came to a large flat rock surface of volcanic nature, or lava flow, which extended several yards in a direct slant, and, looking beyond I saw an opening that resembled a cellar mouth. As I proceeded down the incline the opening began to show enormous dimensions. The girl said "please do not go any nearer," but I walked to the farther side and thought to go inside, but on looking into the inky darkness I was over-awed by the deathly silence and, throwing a stone into the cavern, I heard a dull distant thud that convinced my mind of the great distance from my footing to the lower level. With shelly rock under my feet, the dismal cave in front of me, the lengthening shadows on, the distant mountainside, I turned and hastened up the steep Incline to the broad daylight where stood the dear girl awaiting my return, and in her face I saw the look of great relief from anxiety that had awakened by my safe return and I ever afterwards heeded Ruth's kind admonition to never again venture so far into such a dangerous place.
While coming on through those strange looking places where warm springs, and boiling springs, and spouting springs, and soda springs, and springs of clear cold water refreshing to taste were so near together and apparently so promiscuously dotted over the landscape, that while we were lost in the veneration of one we were brought in the close proximity of another. And thus the whole day would pass as one great panorama of views, grand and sublime. The grand old geysers spouting water to a distance of from twenty to one hundred feet in the air to come down in a beautiful spray which was often-times illumined by sunlight so as to give off all the brilliance of a rain-bow, the gurgle of boiling springs near our feet, the wonderful colors of earth and rock and tree and sky, the taint odor of brimstone, or the sweet disinfected air from the vicinity of a soda spring, all were new to me as "sermons in stones, books in running brooks, and good in everything."
I was on horse-back one morning and riding alone that I might halt or proceed at will and seeing a natural reservoir full of clear, limpid water I took my drinking cup from its fastening of my saddle and dipped up a cup of water. It was clear as crystal and looked very tempting, but, on tasting, it was strong as of mineral and had a tartishness very much like cider. A close inspection showed that the reservoir, which, in my estimation, was six to eight feet in depth, was circular in form and several times that distance across in any direction. The water flowed from a spring down the abrupt side of a mountain, trickling over a stony surface. The masonry of the vast pool or tank was formed of the mineral contents of the crystalizing. These pools were quite numerous in that section.
I did not find it necessary to leave the main traveled road to study these natural curiosities. Here all was curious. We would start into a canyon and wind round and round until It would seem that we were completely lost and hemmed in on all sides, then, after awhile, we would emerge from this into open space, yet on, on and on we would go.
Whatever gave people the incentive to continue such a dead march and march along, it was because, should we stand still, we must needs starve as in this strange and wonderful country little game was to be seen. Occasionally a bush bearing yellow currants might be seen along the ravines or on the hillsides. Some were so hungry for fruit that they seemed to relish these and some even made pies of them.
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Each day's journey now brought us rapidly into rougher lands and it became evident that we were ascending the Rocky Mountains, of which I have several times spoken. Of our journey across these mountains I will speak in the succeeding chapter.
After leaving these pools and wonders of nature the road became more rugged, hilly and rocky. The poor bovines became so lame and fagged that they seemed to dread the move and would try to evade the regular harnessing for the day's duty. But once under the yoke they would willingly obey and work to the last limit of their strength. These were times to try the mettle of men. The judicious and kind would control their teams with kind words and wait patiently for the poor jaded beasts to choose their footing, while the more unmerciful would resort to volumes of enathemas and the lashing of their great whips would almost deafen those of refined feelings or considerate natures. When we were nearing one of these difficult places I would, if possible, ride out of range of the sound of such voices and words, while dear mother would almost invariably say, "you go ahead. We will get so weary of the noise and profanity, but you have plenty of time to escape it."
In fording the larger or more dangerous streams, you may be assured that I did not attempt any long distance rides, and always rode near the side of my husband's team, although in this I was sometimes mistaken for, in some instances, the appearances were so deceiving and in one instance particularly, two or three women were riding with me and we saw an innocent looking stream with green and mossy banks, just beyond which was a large tract of grass land where our horses might have quite a feed ere the teams could overtake us. So we rode fearlessly into the water, but the banks were almost perpendicular and the smaller horses were midside in water and mud. My nag was the only one that seemed able to breast the current. I felt her courageous, forward move so I said, "Follow me, and do not attempt to turn around. Let my filly choose the exist." She turned her head upstream and within a dozen steps came to a regularly sloping bank that brought us safely out to the much coveted feed. The others laughed at our experiences, and, while we dried our wet shoes and clothing, the poor nags feasted on the rich pasture feed to which they had come. Our experience had been observed by the whole line of drivers and they profited by our experience and sent u man to look out a more safe bank for driving down and soon the entire procession of teams was halted in the grazing ground.
The daily routine of work was now becoming almost beyond the strength of our poor teams to accomplish and yet it was impossible to stop. We must either forge our way or take the risk of staying over winter in these lone wild mountains.
In fording this stream several of the wagons were overturned and some valuable stores were lost, yet, by patient per-severence and quick thought father saved most every valuable article and lost only of food stuffs. This loss was due to the reckless driving of a hired man. My husband crossed without an accident. In case a stream was very treacherous, as to hidden rocks, I would ride in front and discover hidden boulders, as most of the accidents in fording streams came from wheeling over these dangerous obstructions.