Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-07-17
LETTER FROM HOT SPRINGS.

pondence ffoiu Hot Springs. / COM
ply the more readily since your State
is well represented here every season.
and since there is constant inquiry
among your people about the place.
The character of our visitors change
with the season. In the Winter they
are from the Northern and Eastern
States. La the Summer they are from
the Southern and Western States.
Your State is we'll represented now,
not only in numbers, but also in quail
ty. | have had the pleasure of meet
ing many of your citizens and have
found them to be cultivated people.
Tennesseeans, however, are good deal
like Virginians when they are away
from home. in that they all belong to
the first families" and have plenty of
State pride. / sometimes claim to be
a Tennesseean myself, since it is the
native State of my father and my own
home for several years, and yourpeople
say at once, We'll. l thought you were
Tennesseean.' This love Of ones
native country is natural and legiti-
mate, of course. Bresthes there man
with soul so dead, who does not thus
love his own land. | found an
Indian visitor the other day who
thought he had the finest country il
the world no railroads, steamboats, or
telegraph wires, and yet he would not
exchange it for any country under the
sun. Well, sir, [ like Arkansas, but
it would not advance me in any re-
spect with your Tennesseeans any more
than with Eastern people to say that
| was an Arkansian. If they find you
possessed of any good qualities, they
are ready to say, Il know you are not
an Arkansian." 1t seems a great re-
lief to know tAat you hail from any
other quarter of the globe. The world
still looks incredulously on our pro-
gress and asks, Can any good thing
come out of Nazereth?p
Now, Mr.. Editor, the sooner your
people get clear of this prejudice against
Arkansas the better. 1t will certainly
be more magnanimous in you to ae-
knowledge her claims in the hour of
her adversely than in the hour of her
prosperity for the day is not far dis
tant when with her large bodies of
rich lands, her mineral resources and
other natural advantages she will be-
come great and prosperous State.
But about Hot Springs. You are
aware of the rapid progress of the
place. The population, it is said, has
doubled itselfin the last twelve months.
Buildings are springing up on every
hand. Almost every inch of ground
is being occupied in tie immediate
valley, and houses are being erected
on the surrounding hills, some of
which are so high as to deter the timid
from ever attempting to reach them.
Some of the buildings look as though
they had been caught up in the arms
ola whirlwind, dashed against the sides
of the mountains, and by chance left
sticking. Our papers are requesting
those who are building to inform them,
that they may publish to the world the
progress of the place. The growth has
been little remarkable in view of the
litigation that has been going on for
years over the Springs, and over sever
al hundred acres surrounding them.
This trouble it is thought will certain
ly be settled this Winter. How, it is
not known, but the general superstition
is, that the contest will be between
Gov. Rector, one of the claimants, and
the Government ITSELF When it is
settled and our branch railroad CON
nection with the Cairo & Fulton road
is completed, land it progresses rapid
ly towards completion), we expect to
have not only one of the largest and
most prosperous places in the State,
but one of the most beautiful and cele-
brated watering places in the world.
At present the number of visitors ex-
ceeds that of any former season. Not
withstanding the erection in the last
few months of the Arlington. an ele-
CANT and commodious hotel, entertain
ing about two hundred and fifty per-
sons, and innumerable smaller board
ing houses, the capacity for taking care
of visitors does not seem to be much
too large for those who are here. Such
a mixture of human beings one never
sees thrown together in so small COM
pass anywhere else but here. In a
group of men before hotel, at twilight,
you may see men of almost any nation
atty, men of every grade of society and
every profession of life. the millionaire
and the beggar, the men of robust
health and the helpless paralytic, the
purest saint on his way to heaven and
! the foulest sinner out of woe. One
is disguised and attracted, repulsed
and charmed with humanity almost in
the same moment. | pass a group
who are discussing the most loathsome
themes and using language that could
not be worse if borrowed from the
vocabulary of the kingdom of darkness
itself But on entering sick room
you find one visitor at the bedside of
another speaking words of sympathy,
giving material aid and perhaps pray
ing gracious God to rebuke disease
and restore to health. Parodoxical as
it may seem at first thought, you ar
convinced of the total depravity and
the dignity of humanity at the same
time.
But my pen is running 'ad libitum"
So seldom is it employed for the press
these days, that when started it is dis
posed TO run at the expense, perhaps,
of unity and brevity. But l close.
More anon.