The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-07-11
A HaDpy Valley.
TIE VIRGINIA SPRINGS AND BATHS in MID
SUMNER.
Extract from private letter in the Boston Ad-
yertisar.

THE EN1RGlNiA SPRlNtS AMI BATHS IN MlD-
SUMNER.
from private Letter in the Boston Ad
Hot SPRINGS, BATH COUNTY, VA, e.
July /, 1877.
NY Dear Sir,-You ask me to tell you all
about our Journey and its results. Leaving
Washington at about A. NJ. by the Mid;
land, we passed the sad, historic battle
fields OF Manassas, Bristow, Cedar Noun.
tain, the glorious Virginia University at
Charlottesville, Monticello, with its grove
and sunken outlets, and then into the Val.
ley to Staunton, and about sunset landed at
Covington to fair quarters. AT next day
we took carriage for "The Hot"; lovely
day and fine, slow drive over very good
mountain roads up the Warm Spring Val.
lev, through smiling fields OF waving grain,
BY fine waterfall, and finally, though
tempted by" The Healing" pushed bravely
on to "The Hot" eighteen miles of drive,
almost worth the Journey from Boston to
take. go -' d..
Here we find the hotel in gap facing
west, and we are sure. of q sunset picture
framed by wooded hills. A plain, clean,
rough cottage Of four lower rooms receives
us, and its piazza now shelters me. Twenty
feet distant is another cottage, occupied by
distinguished T. +. ", and then another
by still more distinguished Confederate
general, then some six other cottages, with
room in hotel for 800 in all. Coming early
before the crowd, 5th OF June, we have
the first Of everything and a warm welcome
from our host, Captain August, who forgets
that we are Black Republicans and only re-
ceives us as guests and strangers, and
here we have been for nearly four weeks
enjoying ourselves. The air, the scenery,
the novelty OF cottage life without the cares
Of housekeeping or the nuisances Of hotel
life, the mountain roads, the scrambles up
Warm Spring mountain to its long, smooth,
park-like ridge, who shall describe in less
than volume?
But all pale before the baths. Such large
ness, such warmth such volumel The fur
mas OF St. Michaef}the geysers of California,
the hot bath rising through the icy waters
of Lake Tahoe, the little hot bathing tubs OF
Arkansas, all rise up 10 memory, but these
OF the Old Dominion are worth them all.
Imagine private baths 20 by 10, three feet
deep, fed by springs at the bottom and enli-
yencd by hot douche three feet high, all
at 1929 to HOO Fahrenheit, humping you in
manner which renders subsequent rubbing
almost needless, though Simon Peter to the
men and the two or three Marys to the
ladies administer the usual Turkish-bath
manipulations. The boiler baths, smaller and
hotter, suit some the two swimming baths.
thirty or forty feet in diameter, with clear
water bubbling up at 7So to $50, and some
other baths Of 1902 tempt different tastes.
For me, the spirit bath at 100 c., and, for
variety, the pleasure bath at $50! A sui
phur hot bath at about so is in preparation
for next year, and mud bath nearly COM
pleted. A mountain stream runs almost
through the hotel, and might alone make
the fortune Of hydropathic establishment.
The famous alum. water, besides magnesia
and sulphur, are always on tap on the pi-
azza for drinking, and ice and milk ad libi-
tusn which, with good beefsteaks, chops,
and bread and butter, ought to satisfy all
but epicurians. sl..I'.' !. .
III had time could give you screed OF
doctrine on agricultural politics. / will
only say that the fears OF my friends that q
black Republican coming here would need
an India-rubber neck and q ballproof jacket
are quite unfounded. The Valley is beauti-
fully cultivated. and the colored brethren
and sisters seem well occupied and fairly
paid. The tramp nuisance is unknown, and
black and white women and children wan
der about as fearlessly as they used. to do,
but, alas, cannot always do now, in the
ramp-haunted neighborhood OF Boston. I
only wish we had come in April, and could
dodge the fashionable season, and try 0cto-
Der and November here, when. the qnails
and deer can be shot at, and the trout in
these wild mountain streams fished for with
out too much fatigue. 3. I, So.
With the freedom from daily cares and
the utter absence OF black flies and mosqui-
toes, this place seems like Rassela's Happy
Valley. Numerous ether. springs besides
.sThe Hot" are in this valley, and thirty
miles distant are the famous White Sulphur
Springs, where one thousand five hundred
to two thousand guests sometimes congre-
gate, and where, in olden times, the politics
OF the nation were discussed and settled by
Mason and Hamlin and Governors Letcher
and Wise, and where now President Hayes
promises To come aud get acquainted with
his Virginia neighbors. Yours truly, 5s
s,s BLACK REPUBLICAN,.
4 Since August /, 1875, over $40, 900 peo-.
nile have moved into Texas. it ought TO
change the character Of the population
enough to have SOME effect upon State poll
tics.
western editor who has heard that:
Grant eats gith his knife, ndignantly asks
Il q man Is g expected to eat with bis fin:
gsrs.'s 81