Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-03-29
A Letter from the Hot gprinss

"A Letter from thc Hot Springs.
correspondence Of tho Alexandria Gszette.
HOT SPRlGs. ARK, March 24.-L9avipg
Jacksonville iu the lattcr part of February We
lr'c:ed our course toward tho celebrated Rot
SprIDts OF Arkansas, passing through North.
crn Florida. Scu!hcra Georgia. ard the CENTRAL
portion Of Alabama to Monte there, via:
Mobile to New Orlears Along the border oil
Alabama md louisiana tho railroad IS built 70.
many miles Oh trestlo Wolk through ders,
sWamps. affor6isg travellers @ beautiful aud
extensive view Of the Gulf of Mexico. Arriving
in New Orleans on dismal, rainy day, OBJ
serVatlon OF the Crescent City was limited TO q
lew OIL lts malo busloeSs s!Icots Gul lis grand
leVeo. Among its prominent hui;dirss il the
81. Chatlts Hotel, situated on the stree Ct the
same name, and S said to be lho foest 10 tho
South; also tho Custom HOUSE, L,uisilua Slate
Lottery building, ard humorous large aud
c)mmodious stores and warehouses, show that
the business interest of the city is built on q
hrm foundation. Consideiiog the sr:at djs.d
Vantages tho rlcc, hes Iabored under in wears
past; It's rccuperslon is crtaiDy remarkable,
which proves that tho city is p,culisrlg locatcd
Tor trade. aud stands st the head of tho list of
commercial ports, without rival. The tc,ne
along tho Leveo is oro not early forgotten:
thousands tt bales of cottcn aud countless tons
OF merchaodIsa sro piled awaiting shipment, or
belng hauled 10 its d s.inaton; masses of bu.
man beings arc moving to and fro, and thau.
SANDS OF laborerS arc actively employed loading
and unloading the great number ct steamers
aod vessels noorod to its banks. Taking pas.
lago somo evening on tho new ard elegantly
furnished steamer Chas. i. Chouteau, which
has tho honor Of landing the largest carro of
cotton, ucar Dluc huoGred ba!ts. nt New Or
leans, oil aoy steamer On tho Mississ;ppiI for
Memphis had hno and extensive view of all
the shipping in the port, which was immcuse-
compllsicg steamships and vessels Ct every
commercial nation on the globe. Tao trip up
the river Was very pleasant and destructive.
gislrE one hno opportunity to view The vari-
Cons sugar plautallOns ard factories ct L1uis-
lana aud the cIton fields OF Missi$sani anu
A'kausa'. At one OF the p.iaelral laoGinss
haViog 0rgo consignment Ct Gotten ssed.
5000 SACKS to rut un b.Gr:l, which yould
consume an hour, toak advantage ci
the ue!aY, and. N compauy With one Ct he
officers. toCk stroll through the plantation
IS lar as TIN "GOtton Gin, and 10 sad bcholG!
tho uEst otlEco that met cur view vas join
Ctloaman" 2ioning cotton, and from he man
DER 10 whic! il was hsudl:d they nppear.d
we'll fitted for that KIDD ct labor, La
conversation with several Planters, Gu
gagged 10 sugar aud cotton rsi.ipg, they said
II this exodus cjntilucd the planters along the
Mississippi iUteaded to introGrc. Chinese labor
on l.rgc scale; in fact, several parties were
airesny 10 communication a4d pccGtialiny far :
"a Ef Gt ~, l.
is Iu!ly osrGicd tut ly tho l.noare1s OF the
sugar and c,i'cH districts il wall De, without
doubt, tic wors. miSt3uun. ihGt C ul,i helsIl
the ScuIhtro negro, as thoy were we'll paid and
con!eGted uutil poIlica drnrgoeuCs Q2rcs:cd
amoDs :herl 10 cnic, them away frAu, their
sunny hcuIcs. The river was very hsh, snd
fesss werc cntcr'siucd OF 3 general overflow; at
s3vlc oflho !nDdu&s the leyers ha.; given Way
and cIiton ana vrnvi:iora vtro TRANSFORMED
sc7csl i'aofatnns 10 !lstbnats. After d, | cht.
'ul trip oi SIX days, tnn iovsr sirick. d" clLv
ct Memphis WIS EoEcAo5, sHl Is vacant
atorrs NJ d deserted GwGirgs. still hsar ,aaika
OF the plague. Aioas tic pIiauipel streets acd
iiVet lrGpt tur1esS vas V,ry &C i've, but Toth-
ing 10 comparison with Icrmrr years. Mem
phls, situated as sho ls on high aud command,
lng bluff, With rich and growing couatry
all arouod her. viii scon rcgaia her former
prosperity. and 5000 sarpass it, if the
germs Of yellow fever are ever thoroughly
eradlcated from her midst. Prccutipg tickets
for Hot Springs, Eo were soon whirIiug over the
Memphis and Little Rock Railroad through
forty miles OF water, the whole country stcnjpc
to be Inundated nearly as far cs Little Rock
changed o.fs for Malvern, aaG ct Malvern for
Hot Sprioes via Hot Springs Narrow Guagc,
or Diamond JOS" road as it is Familiarity
called. This road is owoed and controlled b1
Mr.: Joseph Reynolds of Chi,ago, botter know1
as Diamond JOS, aud bull! at o cost of four
hundred thousand dollars. The "narroW
guaeo,' has been 10 operation tbrco years and
previous to its construction visitors had te
stage" 1t over rough aud mountainous roeG
tor distance OF twenty niles. The town q
Hot SpIiugs 10 situated in the valley Of The
| same name; is mostly located on ono street
which is about mile long, following tho creek
| which is spauned by foot bridges at c,uyenien
distances. Since the decision Of the ownership
of these Springs, by the Supreme Court 10 fayo
OF the Government. improvements have mad
| rapid strides; sew hotels, large boarding houses
stores and excellent b,thiog houses have beer
lately erected, and particularly the bath house,
will compare favorabiy With suy similar
institutions CT the kind n The country
These springs issu, forth from tho western
slope of tho Heat Giving mountain La spur o
the Ozsrk mountaiDl at en- elevation of l40j
feet above the level of the sea. Tho Watel
from the spring flow into beautiful mountain
stream, twenty to thirty feet wide, end Cause
slight vapor to rise from lis surface. In tn
hottest springs an egg cau be cooked 10 ffeel
nlinutes. The hot water is conveyed through
| irnn mines :, tho bathing hnusea !, tho yolio
below. The wonderful cures performed by th
uso of thss, thermal waters ere almost in
credible, yet the numbcr Of persons who hay
been greatly beue6ued. or cured so into thou
SANDS, ard CAP be found in everS towr, city Az
hamlet 10 the U0ited States. These waters sr
con.idetcl specific fer rheumatism 10 all i.
forms, and dulilg scjourn hero OF four seek
thus far, the writer has seen invoera'o c,sss
apparently, cured, who came Oh clutches
hardly able to drag aloug, waking about th
l S.rnnia uikhnnt nrnsnh or aiick az if Ihau ha