Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-03-06
ARKANSAS.
Hor SPRINGS, Feb. 18th, 1878.


MEssRs. ED1roEs: Thinking few
lines from this out-of-the-way place
might be of interest to your readers, l
take the liberty of sending you as cor
rect a description of the place as my
limited talent will admit.
The town of Hot Springs is situated
in beautiful valley about fifty-five
miles west of Little Rock. The valley
is from twenty-five to one hundred
yards wide, and about aquarter of
mile in length, with a mountain of
considerable altitude on either side.
The springs, some fifty or sixty in
number, and of various degrees of heat
some of them hot enough to scald a
hog, q mean to make 4 good scald for
cleaning) come out of the mountain on
the eastern side of the valley, and are
conveyed by pipes and troughs TO the
bath-houses and hotels. The bath
houses, five in number, are built at the
foot of the mountain over the creek.
There are five large hotels in the town,
and private boarding houses innumer-
able. There are eight dry goods stores,
two drug stores, and grocery stores,
etc., in proportion. Population, some
thing more than thousand. The
houses are pretty thick for nearly mile
from the main valley in several small
valleys, wherever there is room for
building.
The country is very mountainous
for miles around-nothing but noun
tains for 1 do not know how far. Mr..
Harrison Virgins and l were on the
mountain on the west side of the val
ley few days ago, and could see four
ranges of mountains TO the northwest, |
and to the southeast it is gradual rise |
for miles. 1t is said to be very noun
famous from here to the western line of |
the State. The country is very thinly |
settled in those mountains; in many |
places, not thick enough to "raise a
school," The people almost universal
ly live in log houses, built of pine logs,
hewed four or five inches thin, and no
window glass in their houses. They
open the door to let in light in summer
time, and when it gets too cold to leave
the door open, (which seldom happens
in this country they put pine knot
on the fire, which makes light suf-
liciently bright for almost any purpose.
In travelling hundred miles through
this country, one will not see single
except in the towns.
Some of their dwellings, however, have
other conveniences sufficient to satisfy
my person not too fastidious. Some of
he best buildings may be described as
A Atwo-story building with four rooms,
wo up stairs, and two down stairs, with
in open hall between them and "gal- {
cry" in front, built of the material de-
cribed above and no windows of course.
some of them are lodges
"Of ample size,
But strange of structure and devise;"
while some are smaller in size, but all
re strange of structure" etc. ..-ll
Riding up to one of those peculiar /
tructures one night not long ago, !
sked if could "get to stay all night" I
L reckon was the reply. They are i
ot, however, always so hospitable. On
ne occasion ''no sir" was the response !
hat came from the sturdy mountaineer. !
How far is it to the next house?" i
aid L. s'Four miles, - was the response,
nd weary equestrian was compelled
D wend his way onward.
But l will say no more about this |
oor country, lest 1 make bad i'm
ression of Arkansas. The excellent [
mber of southwestern Arkansas, and
mineral wealth that many expect will
e some day discovered, may yet be the
ource of immense wealth. Game of
arious kinds is abundant in the noun
lins.
The buildings in the town of Hot
prings are mostly on the cheap style,
rom the fact the residents have not a
lear title to the land. The cures effect
here are truly wonderful. The wa
,rs are said to be especially beneficial L
l all forms of rheumatism, gout, scrof-
la, skin diseases, and nervous affections
f every character;" but persons who
ave come here with consumption or
cart disease have never been bene-
tied. gt ARKANsAw TRAVELLER.