Three wonderlands of the American West; being the notes of a traveler, concerning the Yellowstone park, the Yosemite national park, and the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, with a chapter on other (14780395764)

Identifier: threewonderlands00murp (find matches)
Title: Three wonderlands of the American West; being the notes of a traveler, concerning the Yellowstone park, the Yosemite national park, and the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, with a chapter on other wonders of the great American West
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Murphy, Thos. D. (Thomas Dowler), 1866-1928
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston, L. C. Page & company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation



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compare with it. For the Old Faithful Inn isquite as unique as the wonderland in which itstands. It is distinctly a product of the wilder-ness which surrounds it. Its design and con-struction is peculiarly appropriate to its locationin the heart of the mountains and forests of thePark, from which the materials were drawn.Massive, unhewn forest trees, rough bouldersand undressed slabs are happily co-ordinated inthe great structure, and everywhere gnarled,twisted branches—the strangest ever seen—have been fitted into some appropriate place,forming supports for the over-hanging gables,the balconies and numerous dormer windows.The entrance hall is seventy-five feet square andrises ninety-two feet through the center to therough timbers of the roof. In the midst is theimmense stone chimney, fourteen feet square,with four great fireplaces, each of which cantake a good-sized log in its capacious maw, andagainst its front is fastened a monstrouswrought iron skeleton clock, whose massive 10
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THE YELLOWSTONE weights have a drop of perhaps thirty feet. Thehuge main entrance and dining-room doors areof solid oaken planks studded with heavy boltsand swung on great hand-wrought iron hinges.On the second and third floors rustic balconiessurround the entrance hall, affording a pleasantpromenade for the guests, and the bare slabsof the roof are visible at the top. There is afine veranda in front with many cozy chairs,settees and rustic swings, from which one maywatch the steaming basin and get a perfect viewof Old Faithful in action. Yet with all this rusticity, comfort, conven-ience and even elegance are everywhere. Thepolished hardwood floors are covered withoriental rugs and the furniture is of missionpattern in dark weathered oak. The windowsare of heavy plate glass in leaded panes and thefurnishings of the bed- and bathrooms are of thebest. Yet the rustic idea is carefully main-tained; even in the private rooms the walls areof rough planks or ax-dressed slabs and every-thing