Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-02
As Place of Resort in Hot Weather
Distinguished Visitors from All
Parts OF the UniOn-SOme for
Health, Others for Pleas
ure-An Interesting
Letter.


Hot SPRINGS, ARK May 27.-Somewhere
on my northwestern travels the fame of the
Arkansas Hot Springs reached me, and hay
ing few week s leisure, / came to see for my
self the miracles, and may add, at the same
time to drink of the water and battle in it,
so that I might happily get rid of the
wrinkles and crows-feet which my mirror re-
vealed. One dip l supposed would do it,
but it did not. To get up complexion even
at the Hot Springs Is a more arIuous task
than that. l am informed that one fair dam
sci has kept up the hot weather treatment for
more than six months. At the ''corn-hole,"
the other morning, one of the
bathers told me that it was only necessary
to put the feet in hot water, and all the ugli-
ness would be driven out of the top of the
head. In fact, there are nearly as many
different opinions as to the method of using
the water for all diseases treated, their effect
and the reason of the cure as there are people
at the Springs. But, when doctors disagree
and they disagree here-what can you expect
of non PROFESSIONAL? But there is one point
which seems to be an acknowledged and in
controvertible fact-the lame walk and the
diseased are made whole through the use of
these waters. Not day passes but 1 hear
OF some marvellous cures, not at second or
third hand. but from the patients themselves,
who pay their doctors bills, and bid goodbye
to this little valley with grateful hearts. The
weather Is very warm, and it seems superfiu-
GUS that five hundred thousand gallons of
hot water should flow from the springs daily;
but when Mother Nature undertakes to fur
nish modern improvements, she can be
depended upon. In spite of the weather, the
visitors habitually imbibe hot water, and
take their daily baths, varying in tempera-
ture from ninety-six to one hundred
degrees. The treatment is said to be excel
lent for people burdened with superabundant
fat, and cannot doubt it, for it seems as if
one might dissolve into steam, or, as the ia
nous Sydney Smith expressed it, they might
''take off their flesh and sit down In
their bones But there comes stealing
through my south window an accusing
breeze, which has brought with it the bal
samy odors of the pine trees, and | am told
this May afternoon. The hotels are still full
of people, and the town crowded. Visitors
from the north and east still linger, but most
of the arrivals are now registered from the
south. Among the distinguished guests re-
Gently at the Arlington were Ex Governor
Hendricks and his former aw-partner, o. B.
Hurd, of Indiana. They were very quiet VS.
Hendricks would have nothing to say on the
subject of the Presidential returns, but some
of his warm-hearted constituents down here
called him Vice President. Earlier in the
season Ex-Mlnister Washburne and family,
of Illinois, and his brother, Ex-Governor
Washburne, of Wisconsin, were here. Isaw
the governor, a few weeks ago, at st.
Paul, and interviewed him on the
subject of his war memories, as connected
with Memphis. He seemed to feel little
nervous about it, as 1t suggested his memo
rable flight in a scanty wardrobe. The
press was represented here during the winter,
among others, by Wilbur F. Story and wife,
of the Chicago Times, and also by Fletcher
Harper and wife, OF \ ew York. The Lelands
of Albany and Saratoga hotel fame, are now at
the Arlington. Mr.. and Mrs. Chas Leland are
a youthful couple, younger branch of the
Leland family, which has made American
hotels, from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
famous. Among the Tennesseans now in
town are Mrs; A. Pamplin, Miss Minnie
J. B. Morgan, Mrs. R. d. Jordan and child,
J. 81. Schafer, C. A. Curtis, wife and
daughter, of Memphis, and Thomas D. Fite
and d, Adams, of Nashville; and must not
forget Mrs. Puette, also of Nashville, who is,
by the way, the handsomest lady at the Ar
lington. T. B. White and ], W. White, of
fernando, Mississippi, are also among the
first as invalids, but the Invalids become
convalescent, and, besides, ara often accom-
panied by friends in good health. Then, too,
many come to see this place, and
thus, though it is sanitarlum,
It Is not without a subdued gaiety.
features of the winter. As the weather
waxed warm these merged into the Saturday
evening entertainment, which consists of
varied programme of music, readings, tab
leaux and charades. The amature talent is
of the very best, but good as it is, the little
society dramas enacted in the parlors, corri-
doris and on the piazzas are often better, for
"All the world is stage, and all the men
and women merely actors" Over the Satur-
day evening entertainments Mrs. DIR. Keller,
formerly of Memphis, presides. and betrays
a natural talent for generalship. DR.. Keller
has been a resident physician at the Springs
for a year past. Over the outside dramas
the wicked and winged god has charge,
doing fearful execution. Neither age, sex,
health nor sickness seem to be exempt. 1t
is said that Hot Springs accelerates the ac-
ton of the heart, ] believe it. And then
yhat the victims Of this disease apparently
sufferl Why, the physical pam of rheuma-
tism or neuralgia are as nothing to the men
tai agony, if the tone of the voice or glance
of the eye is an indication, and the doctors
tneyer was tAere place where the doctors SO
did congregate} don't prescribe, and hot water
is not a panacea. Just now horseback riding
is fayok q amusement. The mountain