The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-04-01

Editors Exchange:

| will endeavor i'll my feeble way
to give you few items that | have
picked up in and around Hot Springs
since my sojourn here. The situation
of this place you very well know, So
it is unnecessary for me to describe it.
However, will say something descrip-
tive, as beginning. The city is sit
uated in "a narrow valley, varying III
width from so to 100 yards; run;
north and south; has considerable
creek running through it. The city
is about three miles long, and has q
population of five thousand, local
The east mountain gives US hot water,
while the west gives us cold water; SC
there is no difficulty in uniting the two
and getting any temperature you wish.
We have almost every kind of bust.
ness here, from the peanut stand to
the elegant dry goods store. Mer-
chants deal in first-class goods here,
and when you have been here long
enough to learn the ropes, you can
get good bargains. | was surprised to
see so many drug stores, twelve or
fourteen, all doing good business. l
supposed that the water was Sufficient
to cover the ground. We live and
learn. Most patients use medicine in
connection with the water. We have,
at present about two thousand visitors.
Some, of course, come for pleasure
that have no affiiction; ninety per
cent. are invalids. Persons who have
weak lungs, drppsy, diseased liver,
heart disease, had best keep away
from Hot Springs; it is certain death
for such to use the water. We have
two splendid hotels, the Arlington
and Avenue; at either of those places
you are well cared for, and only costs
you one hundred dollars per month.
We have any number of boaI ding
houses. Some of them number one
places to stop at; you can get nice &C.
commodations for thirty,fve dollars
per month. / would advise persons
coming here as strangers not to en-
ploy physician or engage board un-
til they have had time to look around
a little, as they would be liable to get
swindled out of their money by un-
principled quacks and hotel keepers.
There are some peculiarities about
the water that | will mention; by ex>
pertinent, you will see that cold water
will get hot and boil in less time than
the hot water taken from the spring,
when subjected to the same heat.
Again, you may take can of hot wa
ter, place it in cool place away from
the action of the sun, and it will go to
the Other extreme, get as cold as it
WAS hot. 1t is very pleasant to drink
when cold or hot, but very unpleasant
in the intermediate state; while hot
it contains considerable electricity,
which you discover on entering the
oath tub; when cold the virtue seems
to be gone. They give yeu 81 baths
for SIS. Some require $3.50 Each
bath house bathes iron rs to $50 per-
Sons a day, so you can see at once
that it is a good business. We have
other places to bathe, independent of
the bath house. We have what is
called the mud hole, corn hole, &c.
The mud hole is dug out on the side
of the mountain, (about cne hundred
feet from the bed of the creek) just
over one of the springs; it is about
fifteen feet square and three feet deep,
and has house built ever it. The
doctors say that this is the best place
10 bathe; you get the benefit of the
mud as well as the water. After FIVE
p. nj. the mud hole is free for the pau
pers; you oan see them Just before Eve
o'clock coming from all directions,
mopeing along, some on crutches,
some being assisted by companions;
they form circle around the hole,
pull of the rags and tumble in. Some
have to be pushed or dragged in; they
are not very niceabout it. Ihave seen
this hole so full that there was not
room enough for another man. Ne
grses and whites all in together
hard sight. The corn hole is a small
hole dug out of the side of the noun
tain, just above the mud hole. Hot
water boils up from the bottom. 1t is
about seven feet in diameter, and has
tent cloth over'it-al eat foot deep.
Ladies have the use of the corr hole
in the forenoon. gentlemen in the at
ternecn. 1t is generally crowded.
They get at the water in this way:
party of ladies or gentlemen, as the
case may I've. arrive at the corn hole,
form a circle around the water, pull
off their shoes and stockings, and sit
on the brink with their feet in the
water for abou! twenty minutes. This
is certainly the most social circle |
ever beheld. After you have soaked
your corns for . week, 20 minutes
each day, you go to the corn doctor,
whose office is at the tent door, always
at home. He examines your corns,
and if they are ripe. he pulls them
out with a pair of pinchers; you are
are all right then, when you pay the
doctor twenty-five cents for each corn
extracted. This corn doctor would
certainly make fortune if it did not