--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Wilson, Robert E. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 18 number: 8 published: 1915-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Robert E. Wilson, "A Hike to the Yellowstone," *Improvement Era* 18, no. 8 (June 1915): 706–709.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1808unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1808unse start_page: 706 end_page: 709 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1808unse publication_year: 1915 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1915, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Hike to the Yellowstone Hike to the Yellowstone BY ROBERT E. WILSON, SCOUT MASTER [Dr. John H. Taylor, M. I. A. Scout Commissioner, Salt Lake City, Utah, has received the following interesting report of the doings of Troop 3, Ninth Ward M. I. A. Scouts of Ogden. Other troops and patrols will be interested in the narrative. Editors.] Dear Brother Taylor: As per your request I take pleas- ure in submitting a report of Scout work in the Ninth ward, Weber stake, Ogderi, started in October, 1913, when Mutual commenced. At our first meeting we had only five boys, and it appeared, as far as the Junior class was concerned, that Mutual, would be a failure. After giving the matter careful thought, we decided that Scout work was our only salvation, and decided to put our best efforts in that direction. Some of our friends told us it was impossible to have a Junior class as there were not enough boys in the ward, but through hard work, by Christmas we had forty boys enrolled. By February, the number had grown to eighty-three, and we now have ninety-three boys enrolled. Some of the boys, though not members of the Church, are yet active both in Mutual and Scout work. We found it impossible to do justice to Mutual and Scout work on the regular Mutual evening, and the boys de- manded an extra evening for Scout work. Their request was granted, and we had an average attendance of seventy-five active boys. It was the Scout work that attracted them, but we made them feel that in order to become good Scouts, the Mutual lessons must be prepared; and, pleased to say, we had very few failures. After Mutual was discontinued for the summer, the boys re- quested that Scout meetings be kept up but, as a good many ; boys left town, our attendance fell off somewhat, still the average was fifty. In January, 1914, a trip was proposed to the Yellowstone National Park, with the understanding that the boys earn the money themselves. The main object of the trip was to encourage them to work, during the summer, and to save their money. I must say the success was far beyond our expectations. Nearly every boy found something to do, and instead of spending his earn- ings foolishly, his money was put away. Boys who had never worked or saved before were the most enthusiastic. It might be well to tell you some of the work they did: Four boys contracted with different people to cut and keep their lawns in shape. Two boys agreed to dig a cellar. Several secured jobs as paper car- riers. Others picked fruit, made fruit boxes, worked in the can- ning factories, acted as delivery and messenger boys and two ; carried" water for construction gangs. One boy, whose parents are well-to-do, who had never worked before, took a job scraping mortar from bricks taken from an old building. This boy worked on main street eight hours a day and, although it was ; a man's work, he stayed with it and won out. The only disagree- able part was that a number of boys who worked hard could not go, as the money was needed for supporting the family. Two brothers in particular put in a garden and between selling vege- tables and running errands, earned enough money for the trip but, at this time their father was called on a mission, and the boys, without complaint, turned the money over to him. Such actions are commendable character builders. There were some boys, of course, who took no interest in the matter, but out of eighty-three boys, sixty worked all summer and saved their money. Only twenty-five, however, took the trip through the park. The cost to each boy was $32.50, besides an extra $6.20 for uniforms and equipment. The entire amount of money the twenty-five boys earned was $980. Regarding our trip through the Park, it was most wonder- ful, something never to be forgotten. We left Ogden, Saturday morning August 16, and returned August 29. The trip on the 'train was very pleasant, the officials of the Oregon Short Line Railroad Company making a special effort to have everything comfortable. They furnished us with a private car, and an agent to look after the boys' wants. As it was the first time many of the boys were outside of Utah, not a thing was missed enroute. We had a few hours' stop in St. Anthony, giving the boys a chance 708 . to see the wonderful Snake River. Arriving at Yellowstone, the next morning, we had breakfast got our equipment together, and hiked to our first camping place, about ten miles distant. To tell what happened each day would he a story in itself. Out of one hundred sixty-six miles we hiked one hundred six- teen, taking in everything to be seen.We did not have a sick boy during the entire Every morning we were on the march trip. before the stage coaches had been over the road, and it was all kinds of fun tracking the different wild animals. The road was covered with tracks of all descriptions, such as bear, deer, elk, buf- falo, coyotes, lynx, otter, fox, badgers, heavers, marten, mink, muskrat and many varieties of rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks. What made it more intensely interesting was the fact that at any moment we might encounter some of the wild animals. One morning, we ran across a bear. Some of the boys gave chase, but the bear made one dash for the river and was on the other side, before they realized what had happened. As we got farther into the Park, the animals became more numerous, especially the bears. Most of the boys kept an account of how many different animals they saw, and one day we counted thirty seven bears alone. To some of the boys the animals and birds were the most interesting, while others enjoyed the wonders, the geysers and different formations. Our Bishop, W. O. Ridges, and Stake Scout Commissioner, Arthur Halverson, accompained us, as well as Dr. T. G. Lind, the noted geologist. Dr. Lind was able to ex- plain the different wonders, making it more interesting and in- structive. The boys conducted themselves as Scouts, and did not hesitate to let people know they were"Mormon" boys from Utah. They made many friends in fact, some of the boys are still correspond- ; ing with people whom they met. They did not forget the Scout motto, "Be prepared." I will give one instance we were spend- : ing the afternoon at the Lake some of the boys were fishing, ; some boating, while others were hunting bears that they might take their pictures. While six of the boys were passing the hotel, they noticed an elderly lady who seemed to be in distress, and although there were several hundred people passing to and fro, the boys were the first to notice her condition. They hurried to her aid, and were just in time to catch her from falling. While two of them supported her, one went for a chair, one ran for the hotel nurse. Other people who had arrived on the scene offered her whiskey. One of the boys objected, saying that it would do more harm than good, that what she needed was aromatic spirits of ammonia in the meantime, the nurse arrived and was quite in- ; dignant when she saw they intended giving whiskey. She ad- ministered aromatic spirits of ammonia. It seemed that the high altitude had affected the old lady, and for awhile she was in a serious condition. That evening her husband, who was a Civil war veteran, having served with General Sherman, visited our camp, and with tears in his eyes thanked the boys for what they had done. Another time a forest fire broke out and the soldiers called on the Scouts to help fight it. Although they were very tired, having traveled twenty-two miles, besides climbing to the top of Mount Washburn, elevation 10,500 feet, every boy was eager to go, but as luck would have it, a rain storm came up and their services were not needed. This summer, we are planning a trip to Bear Lake. Our in- tentions are to take the train to Logan, and after "taking in" Cache Valley, hike through Logan canyon to the Lake, then, after spending a week there, return by way of Soda Springs and Gentile Valley. The boys have already earned some money for the trip, and through the kindness and help of the Curtis Publishing Com- pany, Philadelphia, we hope by August to have enough money to take fifty boys along. Through what this company calls the "Troop Finance Plan," a troop of Scouts can easily earn enough money to pay all expenses for a summer's camping trip. The Curtis Publishing Company certainly are to be commended for the work they are doing for the Scouts. They boost and help the boys on every hand. They have already presented our troop with a beautiful flag, besides giving prizes to three different boys the ; first a year's subscription to Boys' Life, second, a scout ax, third, a flash light. If any of the troops desire to investigate this plan, a card addressed to the Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia, will bring full information. Some of our boys are working on a different proposition. They are making a house to house canvass for extracts and spices. These goods are put up by the Ogden Pharmacal company, which pays the boy a good percentage on all orders taken. When a boy takes an order, he turns it over to some grocer, who in turn delivers it to the partv giving the order. Some of the boys are doing well in this work, and although there is little profit in it for the company, they are doing all in their power to help the boys, for, as the manager expressed it, he wants to see every Scout have a bank account. Last December our boys sent $10 to the Belgian Boy Scouts, from money earned in this way. In closing, I wish to say that I consider Scouting one of the greatest movements ever introduced among bovs. It reaches a class to which nothing else appeals, so strongly. If the work is taken up in the proper spirit, the boys will do their part, for they seem anxious to be enlisted in a good cause. Those who take up the work will never regret it, for the joy and satisfaction more than repays them for their efforts, OGDEN, UTAH