A new bridge was built across swamp on Lake McDonald Trail, 108 feet long and 8 feet wide, containing 5 piers and ground sill at each end. Guardrails were placed on each side the entire length. Belton Bridge.-Bridge across the Middle Fork of the Flathead River at park line, length 235 feet, width 12 feet; 10 new stringers were placed on this bridge 10 by 10 inches. The entire bridge was refloored with 3-inch lumber. New guardrail was placed on each side. BUILDINGS. McDermott barn.-This barn was built at the McDermott ranger station. It is 16 by 194 by 12 feet high, and is constructed of logs with shingle roof. Ranger cabin, Surprise Pass.-Size 14 by 14 feet; built of logs, hewed and peeled. Roof made of logs, with dirt covering. Floored with logs. Fish Creek ranger station. Size of building 32 by 36 feet; 9-foot ceiling, 2 porches 8 by 36 feet. Rustic sided cabin containing five rooms and one bathroom downstairs and two rooms upstairs. Čeiled with rough lumber, covered with deadening felt. Two flues 17 by 17 inches, 16 feet high, were also built. St. Mary ranger station. This station was repaired; woodshed and small barn for park ranger's horse built. Warehouse.-Building 20 by 20 feet; 14-foot wall, 10-foot ceiling, three full windows, one sliding door downstairs, one small door in gable; 6,589 feet of rough lumber and 6,500 shingles were used in its construction. Cabins repaired at headquarters.-Two porches 10 by 22 feet were built on the cabin in which the supervisor resides. One bathroom was partitioned off, size 10 by 14 feet, with 8-foot ceiling, and one woodshed 10 by 16 feet was built. Messhouse. A woodshed was constructed, 14 by 16 feet; one porch 10 by 16 feet, and one brick chimney built and ceiling joists and plumbing installed. Clerk's residence.-Two rooms downstairs floored, ceiled, and partitioned. Floor of matched lumber; ceiling and partitions of beaded ceiling. Bathroom and bedroom built in garret, floored and ceiled. One roothouse 12 by 14 feet, 7 feet high, constructed. One porch 12 by 14 feet and 8 feet high and one woodshed 16 by 22 feet were also built. One woodshed 12 by 12 feet was constructed near the office. Sawmill and logging operations. Forty-five thousand five hundred feet of lumber was sawed and piled and 45,000 shingles were sawed and packed. Telephones. During the year the telephone line was extended from the Logging Creek ranger station to the Wilson Creek ranger station, a distance of 15 miles, and 6 miles of new line were constructed connecting the North Fork ranger station with the main line. There are now 118 miles of telephone line owned by the Government within the Glacier National Park. CONCESSIONS. The following concessions have been granted since January 1, 1915, and expire December 31, 1915: Glacier Park Hotel Co., news stands. $120.00 50.00 9. 18 160 00 50 00 55 00 1,090 00 15 00 250 00 Ski F. Keckler, saddle and pack. G. N. Ry. Co., back filling and borrow pits. Park Saddle Horse Co., saddle and pack... S. R. Franklin, saddle and pack. Automobile permits, June 1, 1915, to Oct. 1, 1915. Total receipts to October 1, 1915.. VISITORS. 5 00 15.00 25.00 47. 17 15.90 15. 00 20.00 9.00 300.00 100.00 24. 88 25.00 25.00 12.00 15.00 17.90 25.00 90,00 12.00 448.00 3,046. 03 From June 1, 1915, to October 1, 1915, there were 13,465 visitors registered at the two main entrances to the park, Glacier Park and Belton. It is estimated quite conservatively that 800 people entered the park at points where there are no stations and failed to register, making a total of 14,265 visitors. Belton, western entrance... Visitors by different entrances. 6, 434 Glacier Park entrance.. 7,031 The following shows registration by States and Territories of the United States, and foreign lands: The following number of persons were cared for at the various hotels and camps in the park: At the Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald 7,381 tourists were accommodated during the season, 2,154 of whom remained three days or more. One hundred and sixteen camping parties toured the park for trips of three days or more. FISH. Sixty-three cans of fish have been put in the lakes and streams of the Glacier National Park during the past year, and more will be received during October. WILD ANIMALS. Conditions for game during the past winter were excellent. There was an unusually light fall of snow for this section and the winter was very mild, and as a result the game in the park wintered in excellent condition. Deer. Both the blacktail and the whitetail are found in large numbers, and it is estimated that there are at least 10,000 in the park. Elk. While the greater number of elk range on Park, Ole, and Nyack Creeks, small herds are found in almost every section of the park, and the latest estimates place their number at 600. Moose. It is estimated that there are 80 moose in the park, the most of which are to be found in the valley of the North Fork of the Flathead River. Sheep and goats.-The bighorn sheep and the Rocky Mountain goat are found principally along the main range and on the eastern slopes of the Rockies. The sheep are becoming quite tame, and many photographs have been taken of small bands during the past year, which were taken at a distance of 50 feet or under. Bear. There are three varieties, which abound in considerable numbers throughout the park, the grizzly, the brown or cinnamon, and the common black. Predatory animals.-There are a few wolves along the eastern border of the park and the coyote abounds in large numbers throughout the park. They are the principal menace to the animal life. Their numbers are kept down to some extent by the regular park ranger force and by the settlers in the park. Some are caught in traps, but the principal method of extermination is by the use of strychnine. A few mountain lion are also found in the park. Fur-bearing animals. Large numbers of weasel, marten, mink, and some lynx are found throughout the wooded sections. They are very destructive to the wild fowl and bird life. Colonies of beaver are to be found on almost every stream in the park. Wild fowls and birds.-Grouse of the blue, ruffed, and pin-tailed varieties are found in the park, and there are a few ptarmigan in the higher altitudes. Many duck and some geese nest in the park and several varieties of small birds are found. Game protection. Three arrests were made during the year for game poaching. The parties were taken before the United States commissioner, two pleading guilty and were fined, but after an examination the third party was discharged. MISDEMEANORS. There was one arrest made for assault in the park during the year. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined $5 and costs, amounting in all to $15.75. RECOMMENDATIONS. I earnestly recommend the construction of an independent telephone system for the park service. The telephone lines in the park east of the Continental Divide are owned by the Glacier Park Hotel Co., and are not connected with the park system on the west side of the park. Under the present conditions when it is necessary to send a message to any point in the park east of the main range it has to be telegraphed to Glacier Park station and sent out over the telephone line from that place to its destination. During the season just closed the Glacier Park Hotel Co.'s telephone lines have been poorly maintained and as a result a great many times it has been impossible to transmit or receive messages of importance. I urgently recommend that a road be built from the foot to the head of Lake McDonald. This would facilitate the travel to the head of the lake and would be the first link in building the WatertonLake McDonald road or in building a road across either Gunsight or Logan Pass. In the future development of the park a road from east to west, through one of the passes, will be a necessity. It will afford quick and easy transportation to hundreds of tourists who will not undergo the hardships of a horseback trip, and would open up a new and scenic transcontinental route for automobiles, a constant procession of which would traverse this route during the summer months. Such a road would not only afford a vastly increased number of people the opportunity of seeing the park but would greatly increase the revenues of the park. The unusually wet weather of the past season has made it apparent to anyone familiar with the conditions that the roads build of native soil will not stand heavy traffic in wet weather, and in consideration of this fact I most emphatically recommend that the roads over which the park service has control be well surfaced with gravel or with crushed rock in order that travel may be safe and dependable the entire season regardless of wet conditions. Very respectfully, The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. S. F. RALSTON, Supervisor. |