The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-03-05

respondent In Regard 10 the
springs and Their Surround.
Hor SPRINGS, ARK, Feb. 81.
Editorial letter TO the IntslllssuOsr.>
Gen. Rely iS In receipt Of many in
Quiries from persOns a. Wheeling and
elsewhere throughout the country in re-
gard to the opportunities for business
here. He {. compelled to answer these
inquiries with the stereotyped remark
,ha. everything here Is Ia a transition
condition, and that whatever the future
NAV offer there are at present no induce.
msns for business, especially for mer-
ehaudisiDg. The business Of buying and
selling is full up here, as 1t 10 everywhere
else. As soon as the question OF preemp'
ton claims is settled, and after the gov
ernnent has laid of the reservation into
parks, avenues, streets, 60, 1t is more
than likely that new era will open up
in the history Of Hot Springs. II
the fame Of Ia waters continues and
Increases according to present sxpecsa'
tions, the place will become much more
importan. In the ne1tfsw years, and will,
In all probability, be city Of at least
ten thousand inhabitants. It claims to
have half that number now. It needs, as
sprelimipary to new departure, q Chi.
cayo tire-a conaagratiou that will sweep
from one end OF the narrow valley to the
other, and clean out the miserable wood
en- rooksries tina. now constitute the BUSH
ness portion OF the town. Once the val
ley IL thus swep. i. should be kept clear
Of such buildings in the future, and DO
occupied only with tirstclass bath.housss,
drug stores, doctors Offices and stores.
All the buildings save lighthouses should
be on the side opposite the Springs, and
should be- built upon such government
regulations and plans q, will maze them
oreditable to the Hot Springs Valley.
The day will come when these noun
tains will be occupied with fine hotels
and sani.ariuns. There Is all the differ.
cIce in the world between the air oil the
mountains and the valley. Below you
iihale all the vapors Of the SPRING, and
the damppess OF tho creek, while up on
the mountains you breath an atmos'
phere so light and inyigorating that you
seem to be in another sphere ofexis!ence,
For some invalids 1t is all important that
they should have the advantage Of this
mountain air. For. all cases Of nervous
debility and for persons with weak lungs
i. would be an Invaluable aid to the wa
ters. In fact everybody would be bsne'
fitted by spending their soiOurn here on
the mountains instead Of in this damp
valley.
When the claims OF the squatters on
the government laAd are settled there
will be many openings for enterprising
people. As the number Of visitors in.
creases the value OF building sites will
rise, and, as in the history Of other famous
watering places, in this country and In
the old world, fancy prices will be obtain
ed Tor choice sites. A great deal OF build
willbe done here In the next five years
When In the future l again visit the
Springs l hope to see at least one brick
building. 1t would be relief to see
something else than wooden house
Not q brick or stone building is to be
seen In all this region. Not but what
many Of the houses are comfortable
enough, although generally they are Of
the very rough add ready style, bu. it Ia
so dreary to see such temporary look
ing and hastily gotten up sort of an ON
Hi4m gathrtln.
one great draw back to the prosperity
otthls region is the fact that SO much OF
the money brought aud spent here by
visitors has to go North again for nearly
all the neccessaries OF life. For instance,
the beef, butter, aour, corn, potatoes
cabbage, and nearly all manner Of table
supplies, come here from 81. Louis. There
arc no gardens to supply the hotels
THERE'S no grass in the country whereon
to grsIs milch COWS or beef cattle. There
are two or three diaries out In the coun
try where tho stock Ia fed on cut feed
consisting Of baled hay and corn from the
North. Corn Is worth 10 cents per bushel
here, whereas in Illinois It Is now selling
for is cents. White bread is something
that the rural natives do not indulge in
They bake corn bread in skillet and
sesthe piece Of pork aud a mess Of
turnip tops (greens) In a pot, and thus
set up, a very substantial meal. Major
Tom Norton and myself happened In al
q cabin In one OF the mountain valleys
the other day, just at meal time, and such
was the bill Of fare that we saw In read,
ne,s to be served up. The Major, speak
ing from his experience in the army, ex-
pressed disposi.lon TO partake, but the
recollection that we could do little bet
ter than this at the darlington" at the
end Of our six mile walk, induced him to
fOrego the pleasures of appetite on this
occasion.
You may infer from my remarks that
this country il not desirable region tc
live in. "That depend'," as the French
say. It's desirable enough In some re-
spec,s a. present, and will be more desir.
able in the future. The climate Is desit'
able. The people are already making
garden, whe,o they have soil enough to
grow anything, and thus early We have
had new onions, radishes and salad on
the table. 1t Ia also healthy country
hersaboutl, and in that respect Is desira-
BILE. Some enterprlsins gardeners will
some day end way to iertiliEs the soil