rward, and perform the serious duty that they neglect
to-day.

Let the statesmen of America be not afraid of making too many game
preserves! For the next year, one per day would be none too many!
Remember, that on one hand we have the Army of Destruction, and on the
other the expectant millions of Posterity. No executor or trustee ever
erred in safeguarding an estate too carefully. Fifty years hence, if
your successors and mine find that too much land has been set aside for
the good of the people, they can mighty easily restore any surplus to
the public domain, and at a vastly increased valuation. Give Posterity
at least _one_ chance to debate the question: "Were our forefathers too
liberal in the making of game and forest reserves?"

We can always carve up any useless surplus of the public domain, and
restore it to commercial uses; but none of the men of to-day will live
long enough to see so strange a proceeding carried into effect.

The game preserves of the United States government are so small (with
the exception of the Yellowstone and Glacier Parks), that very few
people ever hear of them, and fewer still know of them in detail. It
seems to be quite time that they should be set forth categorically; and
it is most earnestly to be hoped that this list soon will be doubled.

THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.--This was the first of the national parks
and game preserves of the United States. Some of our game preserves are
not exactly national parks, but this is both, by Act of Congress.

It is 62 miles long from north to south, 54 miles wide and contains a
total area of 3,348 square miles, or 2,142,720 acres. Its western border
lies in Idaho, and along its northern border a narrow strip lies in
Montana. It is under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior,
and it is guarded by a detachment of cavalry from the United States
Army. The Superintendent is now a commissioned officer of the United
States Army. The business of protecting the game is performed partly by
four scouts, who are civilians specially engaged for that purpose, but
the number has always been totally inadequate to the work to be
performed.

At least one-half of the public interest attaching to the Yellowstone
Park is based upon its wild animals. There, the average visitor sees,
for the first time, wild mountain sheep, antelope, mule deer, elk,
grizzly bears and white pelicans, roaming free. But for the tragedy of
the Park bison herd,--slaught