Rocky Mountain, 1915, north-middle Colo rado, 358 square miles; embracing a snowy range with peaks from 11,000 to 14,500 feet in altitude in the heart of the Rockies. Here are seen remarkable records of the Glacial Period.
Hawaiian, Hawaiian Islands, 56 square miles; including three volcanoes and a lake of blazing lava.
Lassen, 1916, California, 106 square miles. This includes a volcano— the only one in the United States that is still potentially active.
Purposes Served by National The Secretary of the Interior writes that there is no reason why the United States should not make its public health and scenic domain as available to all its citizens as Switzerland and Italy make theirs. The aim is to open the na tional parks thoroughly by road and trail 'and give access and accommodation to every de gree of income; accordingly renewed efforts are promised, ((to outfit the parks with new hotels which should make the visitor desire to linger rather than hasten on his journey.* The Secretary's comment on the Yellowstone Park concludes: *Its great size, its altitude, its vast wildernesses, its plentiful waters, its favor able conformation of rugged mountain and sheltered valley and the nearly perfect protec tion afforded by the policy and the scientific care of the government have made this park, since its inauguration in 1872, the natural and inevitable centre of game conservation for this nation. There is something of significance in this. It is the destiny of the national parks, if wisely controlled, to become the public labora tories of nature-study for the nation.* From them specimens may be distributed to the city and State preserves, as is now being done with the elk and may be done later with the antelope. The report of the general superintendent and landscape engineer of national parks for 1915 contains the observation that the first step in the consideration of a general policy for the administration of the national parks is the determination of just what functions they per form. The general superintendent expresses the opinion that fostering of recreation purely as such is more properly the function of the city, county and State parks.* We must note the clear distinction between the character of such local parks and those which are na tional. The latter form a class that should be of national interest; and in the category of national parks no reservation should be found that is of local interest only. The national parks should serve three functions: The stimulating of national enthusiasm or patriot ism, the furthering of knowledge and health and the diverting of tourist travel to the scenic areas of the United States. The claims of the national parks upon the attention of tourists and others are thus summarized: Yellow stone are the geysers, in Yosemite the highest of waterfalls, in Sequoia the largest and oldest trees on earth, trees that were 3,000 years old when Christ was born. In Wind Cave Na
tional Park is a cave that comprises over 90 miles of sparkling passages. At Arkansas Hot Springs and Platt National Park are medicinal waters that have dispelled the pain of legions of sufferers. In Mesa Verde National Park are the crumbling dwellings of a forgotten race.* The National Monuments.— There were 30 °national monuments* (as above defined) at the close of 1917, two which formerly existed having been eliminated by the creation of Las sen National Park. Their names, State and areas (in acres) are given in the following list: Devil's Tower, Wyoming, 1,152; Monte zuma Castle, Arizona, 160; El Morro, New Mexico, 160; Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, 20,629; Muir Woods, California, 295; Pin nacles, California, 2,080; Tumacori, Arizona, 10; Mukuntuweap, Utah, 15,840; Shoshone Cavern, Wyoming, 210; Natural Bridges, Utah, 2,740; Gran Quivira, New Mexico, 160; Sitka, Alaska, 57; Rainbow Bridge, Utah, 160; Lewis and Clark Cavern, Montana, 160; Colorado, Colorado, Petrified Forest, Arizona, 25,625; Navao, Arizona, 360; Papago Saguaro, Arizona, 2,050; Dinosaur, Utah. 80; Sieur de Monts, Maine, 5,000; Gila Cliff Dwellings, New Mexico, 160; Tonto, Arizona, 640; Grand Can yon, Arizona, 806,400; Jewel Caves, South Dakota, 1,280; Wheeler, Colorado, 300; Oregon Caves, Oregon, 480; Devil Postpile, California, 800; Mount Olympus, Washington, 299,370; Big Hole Battlefield, Montana, 5; Cabrillo, California 1. Of these 30, the first 20 are ad ministered'by the Interior Department, the next eight by the Agricultural Department and the last two by the War Department.
An article entitled Our National Parks) in the Scientific American, 11 Nov. 1916, includes an observation on the commercial value of tourist traffic: "It is estimated that in time of peace Switzerland's annual revenue from tourists is $150,000,000, that of France $600,000, 000. It is claimed that Americans have spent $500,000,000 a year in travel abroad. The pine woods of Maine are estimated to bring a rev enue of $40,000,000 each year on account of the visitors they attract. Every dollar, there fore, which is spent by the nation on national parks may be considered an investment on capital account which is likely to bring in a very satisfactory return upon the money invested." (See also separate articles CASA GRANDE RUIN; CRATER LAKE; GENERAL GRANT; HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK; YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Krc.). Consult Yard, R. S., The Book of the National Parks) (New York 1919).