As previously stated, one of the surprising features of this new wonder land is its accessibility.  The Great Northern lands you at Belton.  A ride of three miles over a good road through a beautiful forest brings you to the foot of Lake McDonald, and in one hour more by boat you are at the hotels at the head of the lake.  At that point you are within three hours’ horse-back ride of Sperry Glacier and the marvelous panorama that unrolls before you from the top of Lincoln Peak.  At the foot of that Peak we saw a big, wild white mountain goat:  and another one watched us climb up to the Sperry Glacier.

MT.  OLYMPUS NATIONAL MONUMENT.—­For at least six years the advocates of the preservation of American wild life and forests vainly desired that the grand mountain territory around Mount Olympus, in northwestern Washington, should be established as a national forest and game preserve.  In addition to the preservation of the forests, it was greatly desired that the remnant bands of Olympic wapiti (described as Cervus roosevelti) should be perpetuated.  It now contains 1,975 specimens of that variety.  In Congress, two determined efforts were made in behalf of the region referred to, but both were defeated by the enemies of forests and wild life.

In an auspicious moment, Dr. T.S.  Palmer, Assistant Chief of the Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, thought of a law under which it would be both proper and right to bring the desired preserve into existence.  The law referred to expressly clothes the President of the United States with power to preserve any monumental feature of nature which it clearly is the duty of the state to preserve for all time from the hands of the spoilers.

With the enthusiastic approval and assistance of Representative William E. Humphrey, of Seattle, Dr. Palmer set in motion the machinery necessary to the carrying of the matter before the President in proper form, and kept it going, with the result that on March 2, 1909, President Roosevelt affixed his signature to the document that closed the circuit.

Thus was created the Mount Olympus National Monument, preserving forever 608,640 acres of magnificent mountains, valleys, glaciers, streams and forests, and all the wild creatures living therein and thereon.  The people of the state of Washington have good reason to rejoice in the fact that their most highly-prized scenic wonderland, and the last survivors of the wapiti in that state, are now preserved for all coming time.  At the same time, we congratulate Dr. Palmer on the brilliant success of his initiative.

THE SUPERIOR NATIONAL GAME AND FOREST PRESERVE.—­The people of Minnesota long desired that a certain great tract of wilderness in the extreme northern portion of that state, now well stocked with moose and deer, should be established as a game and forest preserve.  Unfortunately, however, the national government could go no farther than to withdraw the lands (and waters) from entry, and declare it a forest reserve.  At the right moment, some bright genius proposed that the national government should by executive order create a “forest reserve,” and then that the legislature of Minnesota should pass an act providing that every national forest of that state should also be regarded as a state game preserve!