Wilmington journal., 1876-01-14
VOL. 80.
ED,rosIA. CoxHE>poNDENcE.

EDITORIAL COKk ENPONDENCE
Hor SPRINGS, ARK, Dec. 26, 1875.
West of the great Mississippi an6
in the State of Arkansas, about sixt,
miles southwest of its capital city, OF
either side of a small, narrow stream
dividing a small, narrow valley, between
two low, long mountains, spurs of the
Ozark range, lies the ill-looking
struggling, ragged town from which
write. The town is called Hot Springs
town, the creek is called Hot Springs
creek, the valley is called Hot Springs
valley, the mountains are called Hot
Springs mountains and until recently
the county was called Hot Springs
county.
Perhaps within the whole State OF
Arkansas there is no place where a
sojOurner can see less of Arkansans and
their ways aud doings than in this
town of Hot Springs and for the rea-
son mainly, that the people here are
not Arkansans at aight, but Il mixed
population, gathered from all ecctions
OF the country who, coming first as
patients have been induced to remain
as citiZrns. The town has over 2, 700
inhabitants and is tho county seat OF
the new county of Garland, recent
ly established and nam"d in honor of
the present distinguished Governor of
the State. Until recently the place
WAS reached in public conveyance by
stage from Little Rock. Afterwards,
by the completion of tho ST. Louis,
Iron Mountain aud Southern Railway,
the staging was rodncPG to twenty five
miles, the distance from Malvern to
this place. Aud no7y, by the compile
tion of the Malvern and Hot Springs
Narrow GauSe Railway. tho staging
will IL a few days be done away with
altogether.
The town is nearly ell on one
street, about a mile long and follow
ing the creek. When IS Is stated that
the valley proper is only about six
hundred Eeet wide ut the lower en.i
and scarcely d hundred feet wide at
the upper end, it will be readily un-
derstOOd why the town has but one
street All that a very narrow one. at
each end OF the valley proper, how
ever, two or more other valleys or
roads branch Oft, on each of which
dwelling houses are TO be found on
every two or three acres for half
mile each way. The long. lOy noun
tains on either side of the town add
either 70 its beauty, health or
nor has Hot Springs Creek
any Of that bold dash and and impet-
uous rush usually associated with
N uptain streams. On the contrary,
it is an insignificant, sluggish and very
dirty little affair that seems rather an
sewer, and il fact it is
one.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
The first impressions made on WIS.,
ltOr here are not altogether favorable.
Ehe very many invGlida to be seen
make any thing but an attractive spec
.acle TO one unused to such sights.
10 the hotcl-keeper, however, aud the
boarding house keepers and TO the
doctors, 70 the merchants, bath house
men and indeed to all others resident
here and of a material turn OF mind,
an invalid is a welcon sight, in that
he is recognized representative of
value-not exactly specie nor yet
but yet money, or rather
worth for all that The cal
culatIun is to get ont OF the average
paying patient about two hundred
dollars while here.
Nearly all the bull lings here too
present very unsightly appearance
and give a stranger The impression
that the people who live in them must
be of peculiar tastes if not questiona-
bic habits. The character Of the
results from one of the most
serious obstacles Hot Springs has
ever bad to contend with in it's march
to wealth and population.
WHO OWNS HOT SPRINGS ?
Even the OK knoweth it's owner and
the ass knOweth it's mlster's crib, but
to whom Hot Springs belongs is one
of the things that no fellow can find
out. No one here knows to whom be-
longs the house he has built, or
the spot of rocky ground upon which
it stands. The Federal Government
claims the place, Ex-Governor Rector,
claims it. Mr.. John G, Hale claims it,
Major William Ii. Gaines claims it,
and the heirs of Don Juan Filhiol
claim it. Rector, Hale, and Gaines,
claim title from the United States.
The Filhiol heirs claim it under an al
legged Spanish grant, hearing date be-
fore the ce 'sion of the territory west
of the Mississippi to the United
States. The Federal Government
claims that the section (640 acree) mp
on which the Hot Springs are located
was by special act of Con-
gress reserved from entry and settle
ment before any legal title was per-
fected, and to this day the place in
common talk bears the name of 'The
The question has been
before Congress and before the Court
of Claims, from time to time for many
years, and is now before the Supreme
Court of the United States, and has
been set for hearing before that an
gust tribunal next month, but when it
Will be decided or how, no one knows
of course, The general impression is
that the claim Of the Federal Goveln
ment will be declared valid, possibly
however because the wish is father to
the thought, it being the general opiu-
ion th IT the Government will make
more favorable terms with the squat
ters than any private individual OF
course the improvements put upon lots
with such uncertain title would be OF
the rudest and most unsubstantial
kind The time will come however
when all this viii be changed, aud
when costly and substantial, and COM
Portable buildings will oe erected.
Now, the fact that hotel is plsstered
is thought worthy OF being advertised
far ana wide. The three claimants I'M
der the Federal Government are III
possession OF the valley ard have by
an amicable arrangement apportloned
It among themselves by certain known
metes and bounds, ea>;h drawing 10y
means Of pipes from the Springs uii
the mountaln side above the towu,
sacii Quantities OF wute. a. may be de-
sired, there being an abundance OF
water for all. This apportionment Is
mere temporaryiarrangement and with
out prejudice to the title Of either
claimant that is O PAL ty thereto, The