The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-03-13

cat lOlir thousand mere NJ present, all mere Tor
their health, but most OF them very healthy
looking lnvalids, and u terror to boarding
house keepers. The city Is well supplied with
hotels and boarding houses, where board can
be had for from IS to $50 per week. The an
nual number Of visitors to the springs is eS-
tmatcd at from $1,000 to 10000. The best
time for invalds to be here is between the last
of March and the first Of June although it is
said the summers are not excessively not, the
nights being always cool, and the winters are
quite comfortable the thermometer rarely
reaching zero. Before the war the springs
were more of Il summer resort the southern
planters coming here with their families and
servants, travelling long distances with their
private conveyanccs; but with the opening of
railroads, the character of It's visitors has
changed, and you now find persons here from
every state IN the Union.
There are about GO of these thermal springs
flowing from the Hot Springs Mountain, some
at its base while others are nearly one hundred
feet above, on the mountain side, some are on
the banks of the Hot Springs Creek aud few
bubble NJ in the bed of the creek and arc called
the Alum Spring and Arsenic Spring, which
does not contain arsenic, as its name would
indicate, although ladies frequent 1t often and
drink freely of its waters in hopes Of clearing
their compilations; Big Iron Spring, Maya
zine Spring aud Egg Spring so called because
theItest of boiling eggs has been frequently
made at this spring 1t being l5i degrees Fair
enhet, cooking an egg in 10 minutes.
All the hot water flows within "a space of
not more than eight acres, and the total flow
for "a hours exceeds 500000 gallons, sufficient
to furnish 10000 baths daily 1t is truly Won
dertul to see hot water flowing from the earth
at II temperature of from 81 to lj1 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Formerly these baths were taken in the
pools, such as the Rat Hole, Mud Hole, &c,
but now bath houses have been erected, with
all modern improvements, and only the Mud
Hole is left and the government has erected a
building over the pool, where baths are fur
nlshed at regular hours for males and females
at low price, and after ) o'clock in the eve
nng they are free for all those who are not
able to pay. Some very remarkable cures
have been made st this pool, persons having
been known to go to tins bath on crutches,
who, after bathing an hour or more, were able
to get out and walk to their hotel without as
sstancc.
Near this pool is the Corn Hole" where
persons can have their corns removed by hold.
ing their feet in water at a temperature off
about 100 degrees for half an hour.
There are certainly many remarkable cures
made by .hc use of these waters There are
at least two cases in the hotel where am stop
ping of persons who came here not more than
now able to walk without the use of crutches
The hot water is not unpleasant rs Il drink,
and person will soon become accustomed toI
it and like it, and 1t qucnchcs thirst as well as
cold water.
Hot Springs is an Arkansas City and YOU
can see, at almost any hour during the day,
some very curious rigs, such as a horse and an
OK hitched side by side, with mule IN the
lead, or a single OK hitchcd to Il cart. These
would be novelties in Ottawa, but about half
the teams you see here are got up IN this way
Silver has been discovered in the mountains,
30 miles west of here creating quite an excite
ment, and quite a number OF capitalists from
ST. Louis and the east have been here during
the past week.
Hot Springs or Arkansas diamonds are quite
plenty in the Ouachta river, about : miles
from here.
The season is quite advanced, the peach
trees are in blossom and people are making
gardens.
The st. LOUIS, Iron Mountain & Southern
Railroad, one of the best roads IN the SOUTH
runs from st. Louis through Malvern, "a miles
from here, where close connections are made
with the Hot Springs Railroad narrow guage
The Iron Mountain Road have Pullman Pal
ace Cars on all trains, and everything is done
to make passengers and invalids comfortable /
This is also tavorite route to New Orleans
and Texas, through cars running to New Or
leans, Dallas and Houston. O. W. Ruggles
the General Passenger Agent at St LOUIS, who
Is thorough railroad man and gentleman,
will cheerfully give any information that mayI
be desired, by addressing him as above
We found two Ottawa boys" on this line
Lee Walker. who is train master at Bismark |
Mo, and Geo. Tozer, who is agent at Newport,
Arkansas. From their appearance the coun-
try and railroad agree with them.
"Oh, mamma, don't allow me TO dance with
was the reponse OF the daugh-