Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-11-06

No v,
GRAF ORCHARD SPRINGS.

I ing visit to Crab Orchard Springs again
| found ourselves seated behind the team
which Lad so spiritedly brought us over from
WOodford county. We might have gone oy
| rail, but concluded that we would see
more of the country, and enjoy the tourney
better by travelling In a carriage A great
part of the beauty Of The landscape is lost TO
| the traveller by the rapid transit on the rail-
| way and congratulated myself that had
| the opportunity OF seeing 50 much or Ken
lucky in the agreeable and leisurely ma lner,
which the journey ia a private carriage has
| afforded.
Our drive was over a Well III IcliamizeI
road, with generally ascending grade and
| led through Stanford, the seat OF justics OF
! Lincoln county. The celebrated "Logan's
| Fort" built To protect the early settlers, was
! within one mile of this place. The popula-
ton OF Stanford scarcely reaches a tn 1usand.
| The houses are built chiefly on one long
street The court house and the seminary
building we're the largest structures in the
vill'ge The railroad 10 Lexington, the
| same that leads TO Lebanon and the central
| part OF the state, passes through this place.
| Just after leaving Stanford we crossed a
large branch OF Dix river, a stream made
memorable by the many Indian battles
| fought along its course. The main branch
| of this river lies to the east of our route as
| we proceed toward Crab Orchard. which is
situated In the eastern part OF Lincoln
county. The lands beyond Stanford are
| OF an inferior grade To those OF Boyle
and Mercer counties. The surface soil
is OF light clay, resting i'm many places
| upon slate rocks, broken into ravines, or rIs-
| ing into knObby hills. The pasture, how
ever. is generally good, and the crops fair.
In this county, q few miles from Stamford
| i saw field OF tobacco, the only one we
saw on our trip. After passing over q con-
siderable extent of rolling land, known as
Walnut Hills, we descended into a valley of
particularly fine pasture. A stream in this
valley had been greatly swollen q day or two
before by the heavy rains, and; Overlooking
lts bauks, had Hooded the bottom lands, car
rying lot only worm fence, but post and rail
and stone fences with il, and In places wash
ing away the bed Of the road, so that ii was
difficult TO pass. On southern declivity
forming the valley we came to large farm,
l believe 1t was owned by Mr.. Ousiey, and
was nearly all in pasture. A fine old man
sion stands near the road, and the place gives
every evidence OF good management and
prosperity. In a field on this farm, near the
road. was the finest herd Of short horn cattle
mat l had seen In Kentucky. except on the
farm OF Mr.. Alexander. This was probably
about seven miles f.om Crab Orchard. am
not acquainted with the origin of the name
Grab Orchard" but find IL used in Filson's
History OF Kentucky, published in 1851; but
supposed IL to originate from the fact that
the crab apple grows abundantly here.
The limestone, SO Characteristic of the
counties hitherto passed through, as far as
can be seen, Is entirely wanting in this part
OF the road. 1t Is probably overlaid by the
slaty shales and clay lands, which exist, as
known as the KNOBS" and which are prob
ably due to erasiOn. These knobs, should
say, from appearances. are similar In geolog-
lcal structure TO the strata of the Cumberland
mountains on the same level. Some of them
are isolated and wholly destitute of verdure.
Ihey rise from one to two hundred feet above
the plain, and their bold and rugged out
lines give 9. bald and striking feature to The
scenery.
THE UNIVERSAL SPRINGS OF KENTUCKY
Mineral springs are numerous and charac-
teristic of this region; the quality of the va
riOus waters depending upon the kind of rock
in which they are found. The village OF Crab
Orchard may be said TO be at. the foot of the
Cumberland mountains, and was founded
early In this century. IL has an elevation of
Loco feet above the level of the sea. Toe
springs here have long been widely known
and freQuented by kentuckians and resi-.
dents Of The southwest.
We arrived at the springs about seven
O'Clock In the evening. The buildings are
quite extensive, and form three sides of
hollow square. Two sides of this square are
offrame houses, two stories high, with a
porch to each story running the full length
of the structure. On the south end of the
square there has recently been erected an
elegant brick building four stories high and
suTmOuDted by graceful cupola, which in
the evenings is lighted with gas and can be
seen for many miles around the country
This part of the hotel has been arranged in
most complete manner, with all the mOdeTn
cOnveniences. The building is about three
hundred feet in length and eighty in width,
while the depth of the dining room, kitchen.
&C, which form an L to il, is nearly 300
feet, and about so In width. 1 cannot Goa
ceive of kitchen with more ample room or
more convenient arrangements than they
have here. 1t Is furnished with one OF the
largest and most complete ranges, at which
cooking can be done for seven hundred
guests. Nor can q finer dining room be
found than there is at Crab Orchard. There
are on the first floor OF the central building,
but In front, a splendid ball room at one
end. and a very large parlOr at the other.
The cellar runs the whole depth of the build
Ing, and for floor has the natural rock
Over this rock floor flows a small stream
the advantage OF a sprir house. Water is
pumped by an engine into reservoir upon
the rear building; which supplies the whole
establishment. The house and grounds are
lighted by gas made on the premises from
coal dug in the county. The building is sur
rounded by q large porch, whicn is the great
ming.
There are FIVE varieties of water. which are
known As the Grove Spring" the Brown
Spring." the "Field Spring." the i"Hoyari
sulphur Well" and the American EPSON
SPRING 1 might mention In passing, that
Crab Orchard or Epson salts are manufS3c-
tured TO some considerable extent in this vi
entity. The water from which IL Is formed
is found in a strata OF soft slate rock TIE
salts have now become an article of COM
merce.
Graf Orchard, by virtue of the pure air, the
elegant accommodations, and the quality of
the mineral waters, well deserves the patron
j
quite equal TO any of the mineral waters OF
the class in the United States. The Brown
spring Is very strong chal ybeate water,
with trace of magnesia.'
think persons likely to be benefited by
visit 10 mineral springs would not be disap-
pointed at Crab Orchard. The grounds are f,
well shaded. and the amusements are varied |
and numerous. In the evening the I'll room |
is Open and music is furnished by the band. |
From eight TO line O'Clock The childr rem have |
the floor to themselves. From Ene O'Clock
until eleven the ballroom is open to the /
guests generally. During the two evenings |
L remained at the springs the ballroom pre- |
sented most brilliant and attractive scene. |
The guests are under the charge of Gen. +.
II. Taylor, OF the Louisville Hotel, aud q |
most estimable and efficient gentleman he is |
Tor the position.
Having concluded our trip to Crab Orch |
ard, we started on Friday morning on our |
return to Woodford county, reaching Dan
vile about noon. By arrangement we were |
to spend the night At Colonel Grigsbys,
who invited q number Of the physicians of 1
Danville, and also Judge Durham and others |
to spend the evening. The entertainment, /
though unexpected to me, was delightful |
and profitable. It gave me an opportunity 1
DanviIle and the netghborhoOd than could
otherwise have done.
In the afternoon ! drove out to see DR.. |
jackson, and In the course OF the evening 1
Colonel Isaac Shelby and his wife drove over |
nom his county seat, Arcadia" once a part |