The New York herald., 1874-08-20
Decline Of the Old Dominion
Watering Place.
LACK -. OF VISITORS.
Bad Management and Dilapidated
Dwellings, and Hotels.
LS1VE NEG ROE S.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, Greenprierl
CnuutY w Va AumlSt IG 1874.


i ls to the pockets OF the proprietors OF the
springs 1t must be admitted that the present sea-
son is a dead failure IN every respect. The season
has low reached its climax, and instead OF an i'm.
mense throng OF visitors the rush 1t Is cailed the
crowd does not number over half the average OF
what IL has been IN previous years since the war
1t this very period. This great falling of Is, IN
part, attributable to q variety OF causes among
which the effects OF the panic, short crops and
foods in the south: but the main cause, am as
sured, is owing to the bad management, miserable
and indifferent fare at this the
the great centre OF the springs region. AS pop
ular summer resort the White sulphur STANDS sec
ond to no other on the Continent; but, untortu-
nately, it is so controlled by It's own
ers-a joint stock company-that it is
last losing its great prestige, and WILL
II not solo, be summed IN the future by visitors in
search OF pleasure, comfort, health amusement.
The present pr0prletors can scarcely be blamed
for this state OF AFFAIRS as they lease the place from
year to year. liable 30 be dspossessed OF 1T at any
moment, and therefore unwilling to incur the risk
OF making any Improvements Imagine an estab
lIshment capable or accommodating two thousand
visitors, as large an ordinary country town con
verted into
under the control Of one exclusive management.
best of reasons. In the first place, the majority of
the cottages dilapidated. rotten eaky, mouldy,
damp, and very unhealthy TO live in; the main ho-
tel Is little better, and the furniture in all OF them
Is Of the most beggarly filthy and miserable descrip-
tion ever seen at any place ofpublc entertainment
not excepting a cross roads tavern In Eastern
Tennessee. As q sample, the cottage in which I
am located on Alabama ..row,m Is built on the de-
clivity OF mountain From the very back door,
the cottage being laid fiat the earth. the ascent
this noun tain is very precipitous, almost at
angle Of forty-ive degrees; so that when 1t rams
(pours it does nere) little rivulets tumble down
the mountain sides and empty themselves in the
basement of the cottages, resulting in dampness
and mould and productive OF pneumonia.
TIRE FURNITURE
consists OF narrow, rickety, creaky bedstead
with neither head nor foot board. but the re-
mainder OF the woodworg, being well lnhab
tied with chiRches, oedbugs as they are more
commonly known. On this bedstead an old
cornshuck Mattress fun OF knotty bumps; straw
pillow, invariably damp sheets, and fiInsy coun-
terpane. What with the chinches the mouidy,
damp atmosphere, the Jagged mattress, moistened
sheets and hard straw pillow, If the average
visitor escapes without having the nightmare he
must be blessed with rare constitution. dirty
wash table, two old chairs three-legged table
for bureau, over which hangs looking glass
the latter giving your face extraordinary lonai-
tudinal proportions-and worn piece Of carpet,
SIX by three feet in extent, and you have fur.
nished room at the White Sulphur. II the cottages
are bad,
THE HOTEL IA INFINITELY WORSE.
1t is monster. ungainly and badly constructed
building nanked by two great piazzas and ira
versed by two long corridors or passages mp stairs
through the centre OF the house from end Co end
Two other stories are divided into sleeping rooms
the lower story Ia taken up with the ball room
dining room and parlor; the basement
IL filed by the office, billiard room, barber
shop, bar, Kitchen and water closet. The latter
two departments are so excessively filthy dirty
and there arises from them an odor so suggestive
of charnel house us TO be sicKening in the ex
treme. II man would preserve his appetite he
snould keep away from the vicinity OF these two
apartments. In many even OF the ladies' rooms
the hotel, am told, soda water and champagne
bottles serve for candiesticks, ior there Is no gas
and Oil Is not used on account OF the expense the
purchase OF lamps would inclr.
THE FARE
one gets is good enough If it were properly cooked
and served. but this is an mpOssibility where hun
dreds OF negro servants are empoyed, tainting, II
seems to me, everything tney come III
ta w gs to f he aas
associated IN your mind with the horrible smell
OF the Kitchen and Its vicinity, and then fare
while you remain at the white Sulphur Springs
one OF the features in the attendance among the
servants Is the chambermaids, all OF whom are
young and handsome mulattoes, clean, neat and
very tidy In their personal appearances; but I'M
derstand they are selected cnlehy from the bag
j, MOS OF Richmond and other cities. and are
brought here as an attraction to ply their voca-
ton indiscrrninately among the guests Thell
monthly wages average from So TO $40 only but II
! is said they carry away hundreds at the close o
| the season. All these causes result disastrously
not only 10 this place but also to al the springs N
| the mountains, Tor II people do not come 10 the
White sulphur springs they won't come AT all. be
their ultimate destination any OF the springs they
! please
the present season is composed almost entirely OF
Northern and Western people, the southerners
being III o woeiul minority. large number o
the latter VINO could arl0rd II, tired OF the noun
tains, are gone TO Long Branch, Saratoga, New
port Cape May rhis surulner, and as coDse-
queuce the season here Is awlully dull There has
not even been respectable BAH this season, and
tue usual display in the Sarooms as at At nght h Is
that the political gathering predicted by one OF
tile HERALD correspondents did not take place,
the politicians having sought more comfortable
place Of rendezvous on the osaer side Of the
Potomac
FIRE FrRE FIRE
The hour was four the grounds were enveloped
! in q thick fog, and as the afirighted visitors
started half dressed from their dormtories, 1t was
some time before they could discover where the
fire was. They were soon aware or tue exact
location however, Tor the flames burst forth IRON
stable IN the rear OF the gaming establishment
In such volume as TO threaten serious coniiagra
! ton. Great excitement followed, and such
scramble, running nither and thither. IN the vi
cinity OF the ire. Is rarely witnessed soon tnl
| jungle Of the veivet-iooted tiger caught, but tht
wary animal, with his companions. escaped, not
however, without giving vent TO several how
OF the d,rest import. From this the names
spread TO Mr.. Cadwells residence ana from
thence TO the cottages comprising Alabama row
The stable gaming house ana CaldweIl's Residence
were consumed and the flames were then gottel
control OF by unrO0fng several OF the ADJOINING
cottages. After that the fire was soon put out
with only the loss Just mentioned. CALDWELL
house was the only one having any pecuniar
value OF moment.
Until the White Sulphur Springs ia soid tx
present dilapidated buildings pulled down. severa
large hotels built and the water made common =
ALL IL win never again be q popular resort. tn
sooner the stockholders sell, too, the better 70
the property is daily and hourly deprecating 4
vauc.
THE BLACK TIDE OF THE SOUTH SETS T(
WARD THE CITIES.
| rRpd6pldss letter the Cincinnati commercial