The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1853-01-28
From the Santa Fe Gazette.
Oios Cali ni,i .l'lll 80.


Ojos Cali ui,i tlllav lsftr+.
Should the Pacific Railroad ever be COM
pleted, running thro' New Mexico, Las Vegas
is destined, we ihink to be al a future day,
lbe Saratoga OF the West, il not of the Union.
The ojos caientes, or hot springs, ere si;ua-
ted about six miles above the village, upon
the Vegas Creek, pretty little stream Of
pure water that flows from the mountains
through the valley. We found to our sur
prise, not one or two springs, as we had sup
posed. but some six or eight in number. all
within the space of perhaps a half acre Of
ground: The springs are OF of'liferent te nper-
ature, but all of them TOO hot for bathing
without previous cooling process. as we
rather 'sorely' convinced ourself Nor is the
same spring always of the same temperature.
On one day one spring will be the hottest and
the next sohie other From one of the springs
minute bubbles Of gas are continually ascen-
ding innumerabe multitudes, and around
lhe margin we found chick and spongy in
crustation, tough almost as India-rGbbsF, and
apparsntiy eha9xsfl With the same tiefiialf
AT one Of the springs the lavenderas wash
erwomenl Of the Ieighborhood have formed
a small reservoir for wsshing, where we found
some of them buisily employed. Nsturs.
seems to have fitted this place up for their
special accommodation. The water FROM
the springs being what is termed "soft," and
of boiling Temperature, nothing further is
needed but. to throw in their clothes and
commence operation forthwith, the 'suds"
running off continually from the basin, the
water is kept all the time clean by The fresh
supply from the spring. When the securing
process is completed. within few feet Of
them is the creek, with its plentiful supply
of clean, cold water for ringing. The pro.
cess is completed BY hanging the clothes up
on the bushes for drying.
We found one of the springs of so high
temperature that we could hold our hand in
the water but for about one second. This
spfing we think would have cooked an egge
in few minutes, but as we had none with
us we could not tell egg8-acIly. But what
was most incredible TO US, until we had tried
the experiment, was, that we could drink the
water fresh from the fountain, without any
uneasy sensation. The taste we fonnd TO be
very similar TO that of water in which eggs
have been ''poached" or boiltd without the
shell on.
Having satisfied our curiosity by surve
and examination of all. we returned TO the
bath.bouse, which, at present, is buta rude,
open log cabin, with two apartments, in each
of which is rude bathing trough, supplied
from one Of the springs. Having filed one
of the troughs about two-t thirds full from the
spring, we carried some six or eight bucket
| fulIs Of cold water from the creek 10 lacili-
tate the cooling process. We then waited
some twenty minutes, until, as we thought
i. had sufficiently cooled to be pretty comfor.
table; when we plunged in, neck and heels
We. have heard OF the blowing Of porpuse;
and the Hounderihg of alligators, but tht
whole aquatic and am mphibious familieswtulC
hate scamperpd in establishment TO have seeI
our floundering to get out of that Scrdpe, (a'
1t had well-nigh been literally,) whistlint
like locomotive and scarlet as boiled lob
ster. But determined not TO be balked, ant
desiring TO tuke The bathe at the highest poss
ible temperature we could bear, we repeated
the process again and again, at short intervals
until we felt all aglow, when we wrap.
ped oursell in blanket, and sat down tC
await the final issue.
Soon the perspiration was breaking forth
anu counting lis beads in the greatest pro
fusion all over us. We fell. first delicious
languor, then an overpoweriDg all-overish'
ness, and lastly, re-juvenating elasticity o
body and spirit. Ifsuch were the influences
on healthy man, we thought, who can cal
cuate the benefits 10 an invalidP
Rude as are the accommodations at thesI
springs, their medical virtues have been suffi
GENTLY tested to prove them of a high order
in some Of the most stubborn cases. tWheI
The facilities of transportation to and from
the St1tes shall be made what they ought Y
be, a trip 10 the Las Vegas Springs, from an.
part of the Union, we are satisfied will be O
immensely more benefit 10 ihvSlids of ever.
kind, than hundred trips TO the sum.
South. ..,
Tue purity of the atmosphere, the wild AM
picturesque scenery around these springs, AM
the invigorating exercise Of rambling over tn
mountains or riding over the wide extended
plains, all will contribute greatly TO enhance
The value of these spfings, and make tehm. a
some futute day the Bethesdas of the nation