AN ALBINO GENTIAN

A few weeks ago, while hiking along Mazama Ridge in search of plant specimens for the Park Herberium, a very interesting clump of Gentian was found. Now this flower is one of the latest to bloom in the sub-alpine meadows that surround the "Mountain" and was quite common all about. In fact we already had several excellent specimens of Gentian in our collection but another was taken from this clump for some of the flowers, instead of being the customary deep blue, were white -- albinos. These were growing in the same clump as others which were normal in color and, apparently, were alike except for their odd shade. And so that is the reason why this clump of Gentian contributed to our herberium.

We have several records of albino Indian Paintbrush, whose usual color is red; of species of Mimulus which are ordinarily yellow and of other flowers which did not posses their ordinary color.

JUST BETWEEN US

You who have visited Mt. Rainier National Park no doubt have seen our museum. It can hardly be called that at present -- yet all things must have a beginning, and the small building which houses the few exhibits is the nucleus of what will, someday, be a worth while and representative collection of everything relative to the Park -- its natural and human history.

From time to time interested people have loaned, or presented, the Nature Guide Dept. with articles, or books, suitable for reference or for exhibition; things that were definitely connected with the Park in some manner. And so this is written for you who are in a position to help us in building up this work here.

Do you know of any "old timers" who could give us some information relative to the early history of this region? We are at present engaged in the compilation of a "Manual of Information" that will contain, in encyclopedic arrangement, all facts relating to the scientific or historical features of "The Mountain". The recollection of "Old Timers" in this regard is particularly valuable. We are also anxious to accumulate photos of every person connected with the history of the Park -- particularly in the early days -- for there is much of romance in these early characters. Photos of Lieut. Kautz, who made the first heroic attempt to scale "The Mountain"; General Hazard Stevens and P. B. Van Trump, who are credited with the first successful ascent, and their Indian guide, Sluiskin; Dr. Fraser Tolmie, the first white man to penetrate the region now known as Mt. Rainier Nat'l Park; James Longmire, who established the first permanent settlement in the region at the town that now bears his name; Prof. O. P. Allen, one of the early botanists, and collector of the "Allan Herberium" now in the Naturalist's office; Lieut. Eugene Ricksecker of the Army Engineers who is responsible, in a large measure, for the present Nisqually Highway; Capt. George Vancouver of the English Navy; Major Ingraham; Samual Franklin Emmons and many others -- a good many of whom still visit the Park -- are among those which we would like to have for the Museum. Perhaps you who are interested in this region and in the building up of a permanent, visual record of this Park's many interesting features can help us.

It is chiefly through the interest of the public that such a project as the Mt. Rainier National Park Museum can be developed to the utmost.