Page 96 - Cornelius Hedges Story

83 The Cornelius Hedges Story

bison. I call it Bison Rock. The color of this bluffly bank is
singular, appropriate to the name of the river its general color
is yellow, from dark below growing brighter up the stream, and
at the point where it descends to river becoming almost white
and so continuing one-half mile upstream. The general course
of the river seems from southeast with graceful curves.

I see two men fishing who started from camp as I left to
come up here. Away beyond bluffs on opposite bank is a bare
hill, and beyond and running back in a canon between rugged
and partly pine-clad mountains seems to be the bed of another
stream, perhaps East fork of the Yellowstone undoubtedly the
Lamar River. Through an opening in these mountains I see
snow covered mountains beyond - the horizon limits the view
on the opposite side - to the right on some barren mountains
right across the ravine through “which river comes from S. E.
stretches a pine-clad mountain. At my extreme right the land
rises fast in barren hills, mostly pine covered and above tops of
pines, rise two peaks of more distant mountains. I thank God
for creating such scenery and again for permitting my eyes to
behold it.”299
The above was expressed early in the expedition, and by the
time the expedition was ready to leave the area his thoughts and
ideas were well formed. In perfect harmony with his idea of total
charity, Hedges was ready to do what he could to share the natural
beauty, which he had seen, with others.
As the expedition sat around the campfire on the evening of
September 19, and discussed the area and its potential as a resort
development, Hedges’ sense of unselfishness, of giving and sharing,
would not allow him to agree with narrow, mercenary ideas of
restricting this wonderland of nature for exploitation of a few.
It was then that Hedges spoke:
“He did not approve of any of these plans - that there ought to
be no private ownership of any portion of that region, but that
the whole of it ought to be set apart as a great National Park,
and that each one of us ought to make an effort to have this
accomplished.”300