Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-19
A Msmphian In Indiana-West Baden
fpriu0s-p polftics. ate.

tnis othte, anu an uone' worn, Ia
tigued and homesick. can truly say;
"Home II Is where the day-star sprinss.
And whore the evening sun reposes;
Wherever tho eagle spreads his WINGS.
From Northern pines TO Southern roses"
As several Memphians have visited
these springs, and as they present SO
many objects of attraction, it might not
prove uninteresting to pen few lines Of
them and the present visitors.
They are located ten miles from Paoli,
Orange county, Indiana, and twenty
miles from Orleans, where you are taken
charge Of by the very accommodating
"Braxton hack line" and conducted to
the springs in few hours, for the small
sum Of 81 rs.
The buildings at the springs are situ.
ated on q beautiful knoll, amid lovely
sylvan grove, girded by picturesque and
romantic mountain scenery, with an in
vigorating and refreshing ambrosial at
mosphere, waited from natures flower
garden far away among hills and dales
Nature did much for this place; for
surely man could not imagine, nor sculp.
tor design, more lovely spot for the
invalid or pleasure-seeker. The crystal
streams spouting from their subterranean
beds are six ia number, composed Of
white and black sulphur, iron, magnesia,
oxide of mercury, etc., the last Of which,
it is said, acts powerfully upon the liver.
The main building is commodious and
airy, has one continuous piazzs, eight
hundred feet in length, and rooms cspa-
BILE Of accommodating two hundred and
fifty persons. The dining rosm is well
arranged, and can seat one hundred and
fifty persons at once. The ball room is
very large, and is we'll ventilated by
windows on either side, with food of
health-inspiring atmosphere pouring in
at all times. A store, grocery, postofiice,
ten pin alley, billiard rooms, are all con-
nected with the house.
Mr.. Hugh Wilkins, the proprietor, with
his son.in-law at the desk, are pleasant
and accommodating gentlemen, sparing
no pains to make their patrons comfort
able. Mrs. Wilkins, who appears to boss
a good deal herself, is always on hand to
attend and supply the wants of her female
friends. The tables are spread with the
very best the country affords, well cooked,
and served with unsparing hands. There
are now two hundred and twenty-five
visitors here, and were / to form con-
cusion in regard to their health, based
upon the amount they eat, | would
say that they are not sick to hurt.
They eat, drink, sing, dance, hop,
skip, and play, roll ten.pins, play
cards, billiards, and Jenny Lind, laugh,
and enjoy themselves hugely. They
come here for pleasure and amusement,
and are not disappointed. The visitors
are refined, educated and intelligent and
each one vieing with the other in kind
ness and sociality. A majority of those
now here are from Louisville, Kentucky,
and jolly set they are, too. A Mem
phian receives marked attention, his
ears being frequently greeted with such
sounds as, "poor fellow, he looks like
downtrodden rebel" "Pll bethe's dis
franehised," wonder if he loves Brown
low? p and hundreds of questions are pro-
pounded by the beautiful and fair, whose
very presence adds halo of glory all
around.
The soft, enchanting and silvery tones
of lovely female voices, blended with the
sweet intonations of the piano, come
rolling in floods of angelic music, as if
emanating from fairy queens of other
climes. Basking under the resplendent
smiles of lovely women, enjoying their
brilliant wit, feasting upon their beauty,
gazing upon sparkling eyes of heavenly
glances, in Imagination poor, erring
man is waited on pinions of love to
realms of eternal bliss, only to be aroused
by the sounds of sweet clarion voices,
that dip away down into the secret
archives of his heart.
Here beauty flashes out from beneath
arched brows and lofty heads, it revels
amid pearly teeth of smiling beauties,
and is wasted in fair girlhood, not yet in |
their teens
Beauty sparkles in the wit of older
heads, is laughed in joy from many
hearts, and is tripped in grandeur on the
light fantastic toe. Here, beauty is CHS
eled in woman's lovely features, is
sprinkled on gorgeous gems that deck
the ballroom, and fitteth out, leaving
poor, enraptured man to exclaim,
"Life is so oft like dream,
know not where am."
We had an exciting political match
game of ten pins, during my stay, and it
was my good fortune to be chosen on the
Seymour side, in company with Mrs.
Deally and Miss Hettie Gilmore, seven
On each side. AS the rolling game ad-
vanced the excitement ran high, and at
each ten.strike cheers and clapping
Of hands were freely INDUCED in, but
when the victory was announced for
Seymour, ringing and pealing shouts
we're heard reverberating far away among
he forests shady bowers Health,
nirth and happiness are here indicated
,y merry peals of laughter from dewy
morn till night has drawn his sable
mantle over all and silence reigns su-
)reme.
A splendid band discourses soulsiir
ing music in the ballroom Immediately
Ifier tea, and the room is filled with
lazzling beauty, tripping the fantastic
oe !" till the waning hours of night bid
hem close their dropping eyes. Louis
lille, Kentucky, is represented by some
f the prettiest little children here ever
sw, and to gaze upon thirty or forty
title innooents dressed in grandeur, all
IN the door at one time, dancing and ,
is q sight truly worthy the ad-
niration OF gazing hundreds.
Democracy is largely in the ascend
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