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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Bruce T. Gourley
INTERN
Andrew Mason
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS
Kevin Sanders
Kim Steinbacher
Steve Brashear
Clint Wilkes
Tim Gourley
Hon. Bob Gammage
Ruth Colter-Frick
Lee Whittlesey
Tom Mazzarisi
Russ Finley
David Monteith
Denise Elmer
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NOTICE: The next edition of the
Yellowstone Net Newspaper will
be the Monday, June 29 edition
National Park News Briefs from
Around the Nation
by BRUCE GOURLEY
BILLINGS, Mont (YNET) -- National Park news from around the nation:
Park Ranger Joe Kolodski was gunned down Sunday on the Blue Ridge Parkway
of North Carolina by a man with a rifle who had been threatening tourists.
A plan for banning some scenic air tours of Glacier National Park is
expected to be unveiled later this summer. The plan will also call for major
restoration work on both Glacier Hotel and Lake McDonald Lodge, historic structures that
are in need of repairs.
Seven British and American climbers were injured over the weekend near the
summit of Mt. McKinley in Alaska. The last of the seven climbers who were stranded,
two British soldiers, were rescued Monday, and both are in good condition.
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Yellowstone Postcards:
Dudes, Sagebrushers
and Wagons
by DENNIS ELMER
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- “Yellow Stone Park. August 10, 1907. Here we
are, 7 in number, 2 covered wagons, 4 horses -- Have seen such wonderful sights that
I am fairly dazed at their grandeur. I hope both yourself and cousin Lou will
someday make this trip. You will never regret it. With kindest love to you,
George”
This modest gang of sagebrushers were proceeding thorough Wonderland on their own hook
-- with no mention if the driving chores were shared amongst all of them or if just two
were acting as savages. But it is clear there were four tackies pulling the wagons. Early
tourists to Yellowstone Park immediately encountered a new lingo. Tourists hiring the
services of the Park’s businesses were dudes while those with less money, who used
their own transportation and camped along the way -- “their own hook” -- were
sagebrushers. The Park’s working stagecoach drivers were savages, a term later used
to generally describe any Park employee.
Yet as the note on the back of this Detroit Publishing Company Phostint postcard
attests, sagebrushers were as in awe of Yellowstone Wonders as their more well-to-do
counterparts touring in the four-horse, eleven passenger Yellowstone Wagons. Rather then
covered wagons, dudes had a choice of stage-touring in either the yellow coaches of the
Yellowstone Park Transportation Company or red coaches of the Monida & Yellowstone
Stage Company. Frank J. Haynes, Official Photographer of Yellowstone National Park and
credited with the first images of Yellowstone being captured on a postcard, owned the
Monida Company.
F. J. also has the distinction of having thwarted the last Yellowstone Park stagecoach
robbery, which occurred in 1915. Stagecoach robberies, while not an everyday occurrence,
did happen a few times over the course of the Park’s early history; in fact, five
times. More common occurrences though were horse and buggy wrecks. Horses bolted for a
variety of reasons: ineptness of drivers due to a lack of horsemanship and an occasional
intoxicating drink; foolish lapses on the part of drivers and passengers -- horses
particularly shied from the rustle of linen dusters and parasols; and natural calamities,
such as falling rocks and road cave-ins due to the geological instability of Park terrain.
One of the first concessionaires to sell souvenirs of Yellowstone, Haynes built his
first studio-shop in Mammoth Hot Springs, in front of the National Park Hotel, in order to
service eager dudes and sagebrushers anxious to return home with proof of having visited
YNP. Since carrying off specimens from thermal features was forbidden, most settled for
Haynes special set of Yellowstone lantern slides or the high quality German-printed
postcards sold individually, and later in sets of 12, 50 and 100. While those preferring
larger sized pictures then the three-by-five postcard view could order framed
colorgravures or hand-painted photographs, postcards were much easier to protect from the
tenacious dust of the wagon ride, and provided the opportunity to relive Wonderland sites
over and over again on the slow journey home.
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Editor-in-Chief Needed
Yellowstone Net Newspaper is looking for
an Editor-in-Chief to run this Newspaper. Must know the entire region, have newspaper
experience and be proficient in web design. Email clint@yellowstone.net
to set up an interview. (eoe)
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People and Places
A Weekly Column
by CLINT WILKES
 Every Wednesday Clint Wilkes will offer a story of interest to
everyone who loves Yellowstone and the surrounding area. Some stories will be humorous,
others will illustrate a point. You the reader are invited to respond by email.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- I love to go
into the Hamilton Stores located all over Yellowstone. The Hamilton family has been
running these
general stores since 1915.
Here's some good news for all you Yellowstone fans all over the world. You
can now shop in a Hamilton Store from the comfort of your own home via computer. That's
right! Go to www.hamiltonstores.com and
pick out that great T-shirt or other item for yourself or as a great gift for someone.
More good news from Hams for Park visitors: Two new Hamilton Nature Shops are open this
summer. One at Canyon
the other at Mammoth. The shops showcase the science and beauty found in Yellowstone.
"Kiddie Areas" which are educational
and interactive are located in both stores.
The photo above is of my favorite Hamilton Store, located at Lake Village. You can
see the Lake and the snow covered mountains, which is why this is my favorite. Be
sure to visit the Hamilton Stores when you are in the Park this summer!
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National Park Vacations
by CLINT WILKES
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- My
good friend Wayne Johnson from Texas claims to be an expert on camping. He recently
passed on to me an excellent list of "Camping Tips".
Having known Wayne for over twenty years it just occurred to me that I
don't think he has ever actually been camping-- something about "no room
service". Anyway you judge the value of the following "Tips:"
When using a public campground, a tuba placed on your picnic table
will keep the campsites on either side vacant.
Get even with a bear who raided your food bag by kicking his favorite
stump apart and eating all the ants.
Old socks can be made into high fiber beef jerky by smoking them over
an open fire.
When smoking a fish, never inhale.
A hot rock placed in your sleeping bag will keep your feet warm. A hot
enchilada works almost as well, but the cheese sticks between your toes.
You'll never be awakened by the call of a loon if you have an unlisted
number.
The best backpacks are named for national parks or mountain ranges.
Steer clear of those named for landfills.
Acupuncture was invented by a camper who found a porcupine in his
sleeping bag.
While the Swiss Army Knife has been popular for years, the Swiss Navy
Knife has remained largely unheralded. Its single blade functions as a tiny canoe paddle .
Effective January 1, 1999, you will actually have to enlist in the
Swiss Army to get a Swiss Army Knife.
Modern rain suits made of fabrics that "breathe" enable
campers to stay dry in a downpour. Rain suits that sneeze, cough, and belch, however, have
been proven to add absolutely nothing to the wilderness experience.
Lint from your navel makes a handy fire starter. Warning: Remove lint
from navel before applying the match.
You'll never be lost if you remember that moss always grows on the
north side of your compass.
You can duplicate the warmth of a down-filled bedroll by climbing into
a plastic garbage bag with several geese.
The canoe paddle, a simple device used to propel a boat, should never
be confused with a gnu paddle, a similar device used by Tibetan veterinarians.
When camping, always wear a long-sleeved shirt. It gives you something
to wipe your nose on.
You can compress the diameter of your rolled up sleeping bag by
running over it with your car.
Take this simple test to see if you qualify for solo camping. Shine a
flashlight into one ear. If the beam shines out the other ear, do not go into the woods
alone.
A two-man pup tent does not include two men or a pup.
A potato baked in the coals for one hour makes an excellent side dish.
A potato baked in the coals for three hours makes an excellent hockey puck.
You can start a fire without matches by eating Mexican food, then
breathing on a pile of dry sticks.
In emergency situations, you can survive in the wilderness by shooting
small game with a slingshot made from the elastic waistband of your underwear.
The guitar of the noisy teenager at the next campsite makes excellent
kindling.
A large carp can be used for a pillow.
Check the washing instructions before purchasing any apparel to be
worn camping. Buy only those that read "Beat on a rock in stream."
The sight of a bald eagle has thrilled campers for generations. The
sight of a bald man, however, does absolutely nothing for the eagle.
It's entirely possible to spend your whole vacation on a winding
mountain road behind a large motor home. Bear bells provide an element of safety for
hikers in grizzly country. The tricky part is getting them on the bears.
A great deal of hostility can be released by using newspaper photos of
politicians for toilet paper.
In an emergency, a drawstring from a parka hood can be used to
strangle a snoring tent mate.
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