The daily gazette., 1880-08-03
A WONDERFUL LAKE.
A TEXAS RESORT WHERE THE MOST CON-
FIRMED INVALIDs ARE HEALED-THE
MYSTERIES OF SOUR LAKE.

FAhmbD lNNALlDb Ahh
MYSTERIES OF SOUR LAKE.
Special Correspondence of Gazette.
LIBERTY, Hardin Co., Texas, July q.
Thirty miles from here is health re-
soft called "Sour Lake" You may have
heard of the place, for people all over
the United States visit it for health.
have known ladies and gentlemen who
have been under the treatment of the
best physicians, both of the United
States and Europe, and have visited all
the most noted health resorts in the
world, at last, when they had given up
al hope of getting we'll, come away
down here in the piney woods of Hardin
county, Texas, to "Sour Lake" springs,
and returned home restored to perfect
health. Very seldom 1t fails to cure ,and
hardly ever to benefit. l have met gen.
tlemen from New York, Boston and
Philadelphia there during the past two
years, and indeed from all the large Cit
les. Judge Downing, of New York, a
wealthy lawyer and very prominent
jurist of that State, had been bed-ridden
for years, and had visited the the lead.
Ing health resorts in Europe and the
United States. He had also received
medicine and attendance from the best
physicians on both sides of the Atlantic
without any relief whatever, and finally
Springs, Arkansas, to die. He heard of
this place from some railroad official,
and determined to try 1t. When he
reached here he could move neither arm,
foot, leg or hands; In short, he was per-
fectly helpless, and had to be carried
about on mattress. In less than three
months he was walking without cane
lie sent on to New York for all kinds OF
quors and eatables, and gave a large
sNN, hn Aax nn - I,A
something he said he had not done fol
years. / could mention many Others
who were in like helpless condition
and regaiDed health and strength at thl:
wonderful lake.
1 believe the lake and Its curative
properties were first discovered by some
Indians, though am not sure on this
point. 1t is situated in low, fat coun
Try, on the edge Of some timber. The
Lake proper is about two hundred yards
wide, and nearly circular. The great
peculiarly of the water is that in this
centre of the lake it is perfectly sour
while nearly surr ouuding this body d
sour water is a belt of fresh, sweet watel
extending over two-tbirds of its circum-
| ference. These two kinds of water, sc
different in character, do not mix, ant
| the line of demarcatiou is so perfect,
| defined, that you can with your fore ant
middle fingers dip into each water. TAX,
| a pan of water and pour into the centr,
| of the water some oil, and you have al
idea of Sour Lake, the oil representing
| the sour water.
| After the discovery of the lake, som,
persons made a careful examination o
the neighborhood, and on digging in tn,
| high ground around the lake, discovered
| dozen different kinds OF water. 1t wa
discovered that these waters all possess
ed medicinal properties, and accordingl,
wells were dug and walled up. Some o
these wells are very close together, bu
all contain water possessed of medicina
properties, and each oneis resorted to TO
particular complaint. 1 cannot tel
anything about the contents of thes
waters, as they have never been analy7
ed. The sour water of the lake Is noN
separated from the fresh by an embank
ment, and bath houses are built in til
sour water. In the lake, as In the wells
you can find different kinds of water
For instance, there is a sulphur batl
house built within hundred yards o
two others entirely different. The waite
is very buoyant, and delightful for wash
ing the skin, for which purpose IL is bet
ter than Turco-R RHssian bath, and doe
not require soap.
All over the lake you will see bubble
of gas. There are no snake, reptiles
spiders, bugs-in fact, there Is no Jivinl
thing in the lake. Last summer SOM
persons put blacksnake In the water a
night, but when he came to look for i
in the morning only very small portion
of the reptile was left. The water ha'
almost entirely eaten the snake, but i
has no effect upon the human skin.
have stayed in three hours and felt M
Inconvenience. The water pIrfies it
self in the gases that arise, l suppose
There seems TO be good deal of petro
leum about; at least, you can take SOM
of the mud on the low ground, dry II
and it will burn like oil. have on sew
eral occasions taken an oyster can
punched hole in the bottom stuck
down wards in some partially dry place
and set fire to 1t, when little gas je
would burn from the hole In the bottom
of the can.
The different formations are most won
derful, and hope the whole affair vii
be fully investigated and developed
There is fortune In it for the owner
ever it gets ont of the courts, where par
ties have been contesting for its posset
sion for more than twenty years. Fo
this reason very little has been done t
bring it into general notice. There ar
some rough buildings at the lake, bu
they are very uncomfortable, and man
persons bring tents and other campin
paraphernalla along with them, and sta
all summer. UNCLE PHILIP.