The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-07-14
A LETTER FROa THE SPRINGS.
The celebrated DIR. BeWles, POilti.
caIIy, Morally, Personally and ne"
llgIOuSlJ.
French LICK SPRINGS,
10 1000


fertile valleys. The Doctors fame Is
not confined to this County of Orange,
but extends to every part of Indiana.
It will be remembered that he is one
of the few Hoosiers who attained
celebrity in the Mexican War, though
in different sense from our fellow
citizen, General Joseph Lane. His
Z" services in the late war of rebel
lion are fresh in the memory OF our
readers, whereby he added deeper
and blacker stain to Indiana's war
record.
The sensation or event of recent
date of this quiet, secluded commu-
nifty has been the suit brought
against the Doctor by his wife for di-
vorce and alimony, which, as has
already been announced, resulted IN
a Judgment in her favor and a decree
for twenty-five thousand dol
lars alimony. 1t is related, as proven
upon the trial, that when the
Doctor was arrested on the charge of
high treason, and on trial for his life,
that his wife was unremitting In her
attentions to him, and that she lett
nothing undone to engage able counsel
and procure the attendance Of his
witnesses. And that after his
conviction, through her personal
entreaties and her prompting of lnhu-
entail persons, she succeeded In pro
curing a commutation OF the punish
ment to oimprisonment And that, af-
Ter having saved her husband from
the deserved death of traitor, with
the faithfulness of a devoted wife. she
gave herself no rest until she had pro-
cured his release from his penitentia-
~ cell and his complete restoration
TO freedom and his family. 1t was
proven upon the trial, that In these,
| her unWearied services In his behalf,
| she had spent between two and three
| thousand dollars, all of the property
received from her mother estate, the
! Doctor having supplied her with moth
| ing even for her own support. 1t
/ further appeared upon the trial, that
after the release of the doughty mill
| tary doctor, from his culprit cell,
on his return home. he not only
/ abandoned his wife and refused
/ to provide for her maintainence, but
| established in his own house regu
/ lar harem OF disrcputable characters
| With these facts before them, jury
of his own neighbors dissolved the
| marriage ties which bound her to so
base a husband, and adjudged that
he should pay her the sum OF thirty
FIVE thousand dollars out OF his estate.
| The second stage In this legal pro-
ceedings has just been enacted here
to-day. By virtue Of the writ of ex-
ecution issued upon the judgment,
the Sheriff of the county levied upon
the French Lick Springs and forty
three acres OF land where they are
| situated as the most valuable
and salable Of the Doctors posses
sions. and to-day the appra sers
selected have fixed their sworn ap-
praisement Of its cash value at the
good round sum Of one hundred thou
saad dollars From this our readers
can form some idea OF the estimate
placed upon the medicinal virtues of
these waters. The value of the i'm
provements on the tract will not eX-
ceed six or eight thousand dollars,
and the land for agricultural purposes
would be sold al very high price for
one thousand dollars; and besides, 1t
Is now encountered with lease which
will not expire for eleven years; so
that the cash value of this vilainOus
but heal lth- giving compound of water,
minerals and gases, as fixed by the
sworn appraisement of to-day may
be approximately arrived at. The
sale is to take place at an
early day in August, and il
remains to be seen whether a pur-
4 - n
tor insists that 1t IS a very low ap
praisement-thath he has more thar
once refused an offer of one hundred
z thousand dollars for the Springs
! although it Is stated that be PROVED
on the trial that they were net worth
= more than twenty-five thousand dol
! lars.
The Doctor is an odd looking per
/; sonagc, as he appeared to day to loci
l after his interests atthe appraisement
: 1t Is said that he is seventy TWO year
, Of age, aud yet he has an erect per
: son, and walks with a stout, if no
elastic step. He is tall an
: we'll built, with features an
L aud expression indicative of though
and a rcsoiuie will. As he appeared tC
day In his Hoosier farmer costume
heavy brogans, checked In, ey pants
= coarse linen coat, and his silver flow
/ ing locks, surmounted with a tai
Z white wool beaver hat. much abov
. the average highth, ard which. bor
u | evidence OF having come down to I
q from a former generation" ne woul
y certainly attract attention I'D Dem'
u cratic State Convention, or Counc
/ of the Sons of Liberty. He is fond {
2, talking. and is withal a good take
u and as he sat under the shade of Il
"a magnificent elm trees on the hillsiC
u adjoining the Springs, he gatbert
- around him an attentive company {
= auditors. He needed but an Occ:
y sional question by way of sugges
ing a topic, as be discussed wit
=. much show of steady and learl
~ ed observation the medicinal qualiti,
ay of the various springs, the generi
i subject of health and disease in tn
1y latitude of the West and the prime
re ples governing them, and many inte
u esfing reminis cenccs of the earii
+ davs of Southern Indiana. de
ry evidently a man who has thoug
W. much, especially upon subjects CO
IS nected with his profession and grown
ce out Of his long experience as a praetl
ot ing physical and Is questionable
ct man Of no mean ability. But
ne would have been better for him al
lu for the credit of the State if he b;
u eschewed politics and military aspi
ss ations and given his undivided atte
ton to the healing art.
er From what [ have written, it M
a. readily be inferred that the Doctor
III not most exemplary man, morall
In the private walks of life.
is an +" Cd Side Bapti
~ in his religious professions, one
en- that sect known as Hard Shells