 The Cavalcade of America, presented by Dupont. Each year, increasing thousands of eager Americans travel by rail, automobile and airplane to the numerous national parks of the United States to stand in awe before natural wonders thousands of years old. To see the Cavalcade of America brings you a bit of little-known history about one of these great national parks, the Yellowstone. The story of how its marvelous natural wonders were found and preserved for you, for me and those who come after us. Nature often hards her secrets. Discovering these innermost secrets and developing their best uses for our modern world is the work which inspires the research chemist. Men who are devoting their lives to the fulfillment of the Dupont pledge, better things for better living, through chemistry. As an overture, Don Borey's and our Cavalcade Orchestra bring you a special setting of Why Was I Born? from Jerome Kern's operetta, Sweet Abiline. 1804. At 18, he was an authorized scout and a hunter whose fame had traveled far. In 1824, when Bridget was 20, the new Middle West and the only slightly explored area beyond it were people by brave, hearty men and women. Fort Fargo was a typical western stagecoach center. The evening is in full swing as we look in on one of its places of amusement. All right, come on, come on, come on. Deal him, will ya? Yeah, sure will, Tenderfoot. Here they come and look out for him. I'll open. Well, you stay in Tenderfoot? Sure, I'm staying. The name's Peter. Yeah, your name's likely to be mud in this game. Don't worry about me. I'm getting along all right. I'll admit that. Me too. How many, eh? Two are the best, Tom. Hey, who wants to dance with me? How about you, Peter? Not me, ma'am. Run along and dance for yourself for all I care. I'm playing cards. All men like Jim Bridget don't waste their time over a dirty pack of cards. Back here to civilization. How many cards you want? Three. Hey, tell me something. What's this fellow Jim Bridget ever done anyway? Everywhere I go, I hear people talking about him. You bettin' Tenderfoot? Sure I am. I'll see ya. I got two pairs. All of them Jacks, good enough. Hmm, four Jacks are too good for me. Take the pot. I mean, I still want to know about Jim Bridget. Find out about Jim Bridget, cause here he is. Out it, Jim! Yes. Jim, you come just in time. This young fella here wants to know all about you. You got so. Well, young fella, I'm Jim Bridget. At least wise that was the last report. Glad to know ya. My name's Peter. Yeah. Now you don't need to be took back lookin' at me so strange, mister. There's other things besides my face that show the glory of nature out in these parts. I ain't claimin' it all. Say, did you ever see water a year? Could rest down without sinkin'? No. Well, I did. I laid to cheer the eyes of any man alive. Spread out before ya like a big mirror. I've been ridin' for days. So you nailed down and drank it? Well, I aimed to, but I didn't. Well, Jim, how was the matter? Well, honey, it was brackish assault. Oh, water? Bit the throat out of me before I'd swallowed a palm full. Well, well. Oh, but that wasn't the best part. I stretched out on that water. You made down? Yep. Hands come back over my head. Stretched out a little length on that water and slept like a baby. Oh, mine? You sure be a liar. Careful tender foot. No man's gonna stand in front of me and say he can lie down in the water and sleep without drownin'. No man can do a thing like that. I did. You're a liar. Maybe his gun hand is. Hey! I got him! Come on, you! Get out of here and stay out. You know what's healthy for ya. Come on, get out of here. Get out of here! Oh, well. They didn't waste much time and effort escortin' him, did they? I got what was comin' to him. Who was the main escort for him? Oh, Tom Fitzpatrick! Well, he's real thorough, Tom is. Oh, Fitzpatrick! Yeah, Bridger! Come on over and sit down. I kinda take you a man who cottons up to imagination. You believe I saw Salt Lake so heavy I couldn't sink in it, don't you? Well, I'm not gonna say I know you didn't see it until I can prove it. Tom. I saw it all right. She sat down on the other side of the big hills, an inland lake chock full of salt. There was birds standin' on it. You float a rock out onto it, and that stayed on top, too. Why, I grabbed out hands full of salt. Well, I sure would like to see that. Well, you can, Tom. If you come with me. Jim Bridger exaggerated a little, as was his habit, but he had seen a body of water such as he described. Today we know that wonder in Utah is Great Salt Lake. Nine out of every ten men who heard Jim described the wonders of this inland body of water, smiled and forgot what he said. Just as they had smiled and forgotten hundreds of other things Jim Bridger had told them. Tom Fitzpatrick was not one of these people. He was not certain he believed Jim Bridger, but he was not able to prove Jim was wrong. The two became firm friends. They packed up their horses and started out together. Sometime later we find them looking at some beaver traps. Yeah, not much luck today, Jim. No, beavers is cute. Right when we just about trapped out these parts, Tom. They've sent signals we're here. They're smart. Yeah, beavers are smart, all right. Look over there by the stream. Trees, dead, canals, houses with underwater entrances. Tom, I don't figure men folks could do jobs like that. Why, those scuttle little devils know enough to stick their tongues into a trap and spring it and get off scot-free. I heard that. Yeah, it's true. You hear that? Mr. Beaver slapping his tail against the water, telling us where we get off. He ain't gonna have soup made out of him. He's going right on where in his pelt, even if the fine gentleman in London would like to have it for a half. Yeah. Yeah, wait a minute now. Take a look at this last trap. Well, I'm praying it ain't empty like the rest of them. Yeah, it is though. They're learning, Tom. That's what they're doing. We folks got to learn, too. We ain't as smart as beavers, Tom. You know, I met a queer kind of tenderfoot back in St. Louis once. How he went on. Talked about us being in the westward course of empire. Said we was breaking trails to the greatest country the world had ever known. If there'd be statues raised to us someday. Yeah, statues, huh? Yeah. That's what he said. But if there's any statue raised, it ought to be for the beavers. Yeah, it wasn't making us travel west. Well, we'll keep going further. Sure. This place trapped out. Si, do you want to stretch out and rest on that salt lake, don't you? Yeah. And there's another spot I ain't let you feast your eyes on. You didn't know I was holding something back, did you? I ain't surprised. You will be. Of course, I ain't put my hand on the book and testify into the truth of this story, mind you. But there's a saying that a fellow called Coder was in these parts, so maybe about 20 years back. Coder? Yeah. Of course you have. Well, Coder was out here. I'd like to note him. There was a sort of fellowship between us. Well, he was riding along just about where we'd be now. Yeah. And all at once he rained up and stuck his nose in the air and sniffed. Redskins. Couldn't miss him. Coder leaned forward on his pony and sure enough, there was a mess of braves swinging up toward him. They started shooting arrows at him. I wouldn't want to find myself in a mix-up like that. Then redskins can shoot. Ah, I didn't bother Tom Coder none. Coder's horses hide hooks and yelled. Then he started. He rid plum clear from all but one engine. But that critter hung on. So Coder polished him up. Great. Yeah, then his troubles began. While he was fighting the brave, the rest of the pack come up piling along. They was all but sitting in Coder's lap before he knew it. What'd you do? Well, there was a stream right alongside him and he picked up an idea as quick as a flag. Here, zip off come his boots. He run into the water with the stones cutting his feet every step. But he spotted some beaver houses in the distance. Then he left for Coder. He dives into the water, reaches around down there until he found the bottom entrance to one of the houses and up he comes in the airspace under that mound. Safe, huh? He stayed there with the beavers backed off in the sides, eyeing him doubtful like until the redskins figured he was dead and off they rode. Then he comes out and heads for a trading post. He rode on his horse? Of course he did. Well, I'd have thought the engines would have took his pony. Well, they usually do. But Coder's pony had absorbed some of his master's idea and hid behind an anthill. Yeah? Yeah. You know, Tom, it don't pay to be too particular about detail sometimes. Now you take as if we were... Hold still, Tom. What is it? Down there in the flat. Redskins. They're wearing war pay too. Cross their fingers from here. They've seen us. Go run. Stay right here. 50 of them, each one of us. They'd have us filled with airs before we started and open cut like this. I'll do the plover. They've stopped. Yeah, they're close all right. Wouldn't have known that call. Well, I'm just riding tortoise. Put down your gun, Tom. Paul, brother! I hate to believe he was my brother. You wait. You stay here, Tom. White brother, come to you. You bring pipe for peace? Yes. Yeah, look. I throw down my gun. We make very big peace talks. Not enemy. He's friend. Why, Red Fox, you old devil. Red Fox, fine friend. Big friend. I haven't seen you since you showed me that lake full of salt. What are you doing here? Game move, so we move. Tom! When come, Red Fox, glad. He show big friend plenty new things. He show great land with great spirit. Red Fox, glad he find you. All right, Red Fox. Let's be going. Oh. Red Fox was a crowed cheese. There was a great feast that evening, and Jim Bridger and Tom Fitzpatrick sat by the biggest fire close to the headbridge. The Indians liked Jim, even though they could not understand all his stories. The next day, Jim, Tom and Red Fox again head west on the sightseeing expedition. That's a nice pony, Red Fox. Mustang. Yeah. Got good legs. You want them? Shucks, no. Caught into his markings, that's all. Ever see a prettier looking sample of horse flesh, Tom? He's a beauty. Yeah, right. Have two of his shanks. Handled himself like you knew what it's all about, too. Get them from white man. Give them back to white man. You. Yeah. Yeah, then they keep your own legs around him. A man don't give away a pony like that. At least wise, I wouldn't. Hold on a minute. What was that, a head there? Great spirit makes very great wonder. Tom, did you see it? Get a water, shooting out of the ground, 20 feet in the air. Oh, you were the only little one. Now you watch. There, where Red Fox points. Something's getting ready to happen, all right. Listen to it. Jim. What you gonna do? I don't know, Tom, but it's certainly... Jim, that water's fountain at least 100 feet. Great up. It ain't real. It can't be, Tom. Come, we go. Great or wonder ahead. Great spirit makes gifts to good white man. Greater wonders ahead. I don't care, believe it. I don't even believe what I've seen already. Two months later, Peter, the man who had mocked Jim Bridger, rode into Ford Fargo, threw his horse's bridle over a check post, and strode into the saloon. He was a different person from the man who had looked up from the deck of cards and laughed at Jim Bridger. He was sober-faced, terribly serious. I need a drink. Quick. You ain't come back to tell us about some new country you've discovered since you've been gone from here, have you, Tenderfoot? I've seen plenty, and I'm sure glad to be back. What's that? I've seen things that... well, things I didn't like. I hate to think about them even. Let's come over you anyway. Yeah, Tenderfoot. What you been doing? Tell us about it. Seeing. Watching a wagon train of men, women, and children wiped out as slick as you'd clean off the table there. No. Hey, where was that? The one pretty to look at. I saw Jim Bridger, too. You did? Where? Where was that? He was setting up on a ridge. Him and Tom Fitzpatrick. Tom, too. Yep. I heard Bridger give a yell like a fiend and ride down to them engines. I wouldn't dare do what he done. Well, you ain't Jim Bridger. That's right. He ain't. Here. Have one on me, Peter. It looks like he'd use it. Did he, Jim, come back? No. Tough luck. Hey, Sam, give us some music. Jim Bridger wouldn't want us to sit around crying about it. That's a thing. He didn't come back, huh? No. Well, that's our rotten break. Why, he ain't Jim. You think you're going to walk away with yourself? Well, not so long as I can use it, ma'am. Top hair gets mighty comfortable cold nights unarranged. Hello, eh? Hello there, Jim. Come on, Tom. Yep, yep. Yeah, me and Tom sort of graze in the same spot. Well, tell us where you've been. Yeah, Jim, what you been doing? Oh, I've been discovering new wonders. Wood as hard as a rock, for instance. That's right. I saw it. Whole trees. Sure. You were standing alongside of me, Tom. You bet. Plants and ferns and things looking like flowers, but they was rocks. Plum froze hard. That dog nodded his place to have a road in it. Oh, yeah. And that ain't all that Red Fox showed us. We didn't need to build any fire, did we, Jim? No, sir. No, sir. I caught a trout in one pool, and as soon as I hooked it, I threw it over into a pool full of steam and hot water and took it out cooked. They were done to a turn. All right. Thank you. I seen it with my own eyes, ma'am. Red Fox told us the guards made that place. Well, no man ever done it. That's easy. It don't seem like it can be. Reckon it is, though. What? Well, yeah. I called you a liar the last time I saw you here. Yeah. That's all you did, stranger. I ain't doing it now. The things you're saying don't sound like they could be real. If you say you saw them, you saw them. There ain't anyone aching to start an argument on that score, Peter. Kind of reckoned that, wouldn't he? Jim Bridger had found someone who believed his stories, and it acted like a tonic. He touched up his discoveries and made some really bang-up ethical, tall stories out of them. His reputation and his tales brought him into demand as a guide. In 1854, the Irish nobleman of George Gore came to the United States. He traveled west, and he engaged Jim Bridger to act as his guide. One night, the party rests on the edge of what is now Yellowstone Park. Sir George and Jim Bridger are in the former's tent. Tom Fitzpatrick, Jim's inseparable companion, and an Irish servant, sit by the campfire. It is a broth of a night. Yeah, we make that kind out here. Did the pity some of it couldn't be moved to Ireland? Then it would be perfect. You have plenty of great sights in this new country of yours. But, uh, Goan's a bit stiff. And that Bridger of yours? The stories he tells. You think Jim's lying? Oh, no, no, I wouldn't say that. But he do stretch the tooth some. He has shown us some strange sights, but by a fish in a pool, a pool inside of a cone of rock that sticks up out of a cold lake where you just caught the fish. Even a good Irishman must stop at something. Well, you find that part true. Ireland life fishing? Here he comes with Sir George. I'll be going away. Well, Jim, where is this great sight? It's near the edge of the camp, George. Won't it be a step to get there? It'll be worth it. Is there good hunting here? Good. George, the biggest elk I've ever seen less than half a mile from here. Oh. He was standing in the moonlight just like that tree over there. His antlers was full grown and something to look at. Well, I drew a bead on him and I shot. He never saw his move. What? Yep. I sighted again. I was more careful this time. But I missed him again. That was more than I could stand. So I started to run. Headed right for that elk and before I could stop, I run smack into glass cliff. The elk was standing on the further side of it. No wonder I missed him. Well, the hunt is fine out here. A glass cliff? You mean, glassical lens? Yep. Only it's clearer than most lenses. The elk was about half a mile away. Well, I'll believe the glass cliff after some of the things you've shown me. But I wish it moved the elk at Pifal closer. Wait a minute, George. Stop here. Step just a little bit this way. Huh? That's enough. Now look. What a picture. Liquid lace patterns against the background that has a hundred colors in it. I've seen a waterfall at night before. But I never hope to see anything like that. The moon light against it. Well, I said I'd show you something. Something? Well, it's worth the whole trip. It's fairyland in reality. The cavalcade of America presented by Dupont moves on. Gradually more and more people came to believe Jim Bridger's stories. The Yellowstone was thoroughly explored by expeditions in 1869, 70 and 71. These expeditions proved that many of Bridger's fables were based on facts. But this wonderful territory and our other great national parks waited years before citizens of the United States really discovered them. The man whose efforts made these parks accessible to the public was Stephen Ting Mather. Early in the 20th century, we joined him standing on a peak in the Yellowstone with him as a friend whom we shall call William Baker. What a spectacle, Steve. Geysers, vivid canyons, lava fields. Volcanoes poured out more than a thousand years ago. A hundred mysteries no man could believe unless he'd seen them. It's like a miracle, Steve. It most certainly is. There are more and greater geysers here in Yellowstone than all the world put together, but how many people know that? Too few, Bill. Why do our people go to Europe when we have glorious things like this right at home to show them? They probably don't know such things exist. Then someone should tell them. Someone should tell the whole world what wonders we have here. They certainly should. Steve, that's our job. Have we turned too soft to tackle it? No, Bill, we haven't. You know, there should be a plan to link all of these great parks under one head. Protect them and administer them as the greatest national recreational and educational resources anywhere in the nation. Now you're talking, Steve. There should be lodges and camps for summer vacations, native animals, game in its natural habitat, train guides, rangers to tell about it. That's a ticket. It isn't a job for one man. It's a national duty. It needs money, and it needs a strong leader, a man who can't be pushed down. And I know the one man who can put the job over. It's you, Steve. You think so? I do. Well, it's a dream I've had for a long time. And under the spell of this place, I think I can do it. I know you can. Well, Bill, at least I'm going to try. Stephen Ting Mather assumed the office of Director of National Parks in 1916. Thanks to him and other men caught his enthusiasm, millions of Americans have discovered, as thousands of new ones will this coming summer, that in the national parks, our frontier still lives. It is almost as though the joyous spirit of Yim Bridger still roamed the west, carrying his stories to people, beckoning them on to new wonders in the cavalcade of America. You've heard much on these programs about research, and until now, we've primarily discussed chemical research as carried on in chemical laboratories. This evening, we're going to talk about a different kind, a research project that has for its laboratory, America's Fields and Forests, her lakes and streams, in fact, all outdoors. Nature blessed our country with marvelous wildlife resources, big and small game, fish and wild, foul of many kinds. But because of thoughtlessness and lack of care, our wildlife is diminishing so rapidly that public-spirited people throughout the nation have become alarmed. Recently, a group of business and professional leaders formed an organization called the American Wildlife Institute to undertake a nationwide program of action. In cooperation with the United States Biological Survey and the group of universities, the institute is conducting a five-year program of research and demonstrations to protect and restore wildlife and to preserve its natural habitat. Biologists and other experts working with colleges in all parts of the country are studying the food supply, breeding habits, diseases, and natural enemies of wildlife. Demonstrations are given to show farmers, landowners, agricultural agents, and game commissioners how to put conservation methods, measures, and methods into effect. Many business firms are supporting this work, and those that serve the sports notificationists in any way of course have a direct interest in wildlife restoration. But this program goes far beyond any single business, for it aims not only to restore fish and game, but to promote the growth of wild plants and flowers, control water levels, and prevent contamination of streams, rivers, and lakes. Among the industrial concerns contributing to this work are the DuPont Company and its associate, the Remington Arms Company. Thousands of individuals and local fish and game clubs also are supporting this work. Any project designed to protect and restore America's natural resources, including its wildlife, means a great deal to everyone. DuPont is glad to be counted among those supporting such work, for it is indeed a praiseworthy contribution to better living. The life of Stephen Gerard, little-known episode in the life of one of America's great philanthropists and merchants, will be the subject of our broadcast when next week, at this same time, DuPont again presents the Caval Cave America. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.