Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-19
NashviiIians Of Hot Springs.

To the Editor of the Union and Americas:
HoT SPRINGS, ARK, June ll.-On Sat
urday evening, the LIST inst, a select party
of three, consisting Of Col. j. H. s., Master
Louis B. New, and your correspondent,
left Nashville on the northwestern bound
train in search of health and recreation
Leaving the cares of business behind US,
we directed our course westward. arrived
at Memphis on Sunday afternoon, having
made the unprecedented run of POI miles
in p hours and 50 minutes Stopping with
mine host of the OveFton HOUGe, we were
quickly provided with a substantial repast
Of pork and beans, when we called in requi-
sition one of those airy and beautiful cab
riolets oE Uaicl The Memphians are justly
proud, and took il at a glance the
dimensions of the city, whose fair
proportions the writer had not looked
upon since 1913. Memphis is beginning
to show signs of casting off her swaddling
clothes by assuming the gay attire worn by
her elder and faireF sister, the City OF
Rocks. On Monday morning at o'cl Jck,
we had crossed the Mississippi river and
SET cur feet on terra trna in the roman
tic little village Of HOpefeld, Ark. After
an hours delay, the signal was given, all
aboard, and away we went on stItS through
she swamps at sleepy gait for forty miles.
The road led us through wilderness of
swamp lands, thickly studded with large
trees and bushey underground, and in the
main inundated with water until you
reach the st. Francis river, after which, at
intervals, signs of human habitation were
occasionally to be met with. We crossed the
St. Francis, White, Cash and Arkansas
rivers during the day, all Of which were
greatly swollen by the recent heavy rains
of this section, and arrived at Little Rock
at S P. NJ, making two days out from home.
The Rock is pretty little city of say TWEEN
ty thousand inhabitants, situated on the
west bank of the Arkansas river, and is
rapidly craving in commercial Importance.
1t is, as you are aware, the capital city Of
the State, and has very superior hotel &C
commodations, chief among which may be
classed the Metropolitan, upon the Euro
pesa rlan. By four sharp A. NJ, of the
third day VIZ we're off by private convey
ance, reaching tie MsSSc2 Of our pilgrim
age by 9 p. NJ, having ISTS2sssdd
distance of fifty-six miles over the worst
of country roads, with but one Change
of horses. Stopping :. the Hot Springs
House, which, By the way, is the most
cOmmSdLGus aud best appointed hotq IN
the valley, We were warmly welcomed by
that prince of good fellows and pop Ilar
landlord, Harry Stitt, formerly OF basR-
vile. How changed the scenes are here
since LO, the Poor Indian, led the gallant
explorer, De Soto, up the sinuous winnings
Of the O14chita 10 view the waters Ct life
which we're TO be g healing to the nations
that came after him. Indeed, these fifty
six springs bursting forth from the EloQn
tain, with their never ceasing aow of four
hundred gallons of water per minute, rang
ing in temperature from 120 degrees to $50
degrees T. H, is wonderful. he could
have had but a faint conception of the busy
throngs of human beings EhQ come and go
by every stage-from the Governor OF
powerful neighboring State, down to the
iazaropi who battle in the pools made in
the recesses Of the rocks. More anon, .
B. He.