Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1882-11-29
CARLSBAD.

1t Is believed that there exist under
Meath the sprudel rock on which Carls-
bad is built an immense reservoir of
boiling water from which these springs
find their way to the surface through
natural OF artificial outlets. They exist
in great numbers, but the large ana most
used incidentally rise through artificial
apertures several inches in diameter.
These are generally inclosed in hand
some building known as curhaus, and
form in some instances very pretty
though rather tumultuous fountains Of
boiling water. It is found necessary to
clean and enlarge these apertures
through which the water flows as often
rs once in three months, so rapidly is
Che encrustation formed by the minerals
IN solution deposited. Ii INSTRUCTED at
one outlet the waters force themselves
another passage to the surface, and
burst forth with great violence, serious
ly endangering the buildings in the
vicinity. It is said that at the time Of
the great Lisbon earthquake these
springs ceased to flow for three days, in
dicatlng some subtitle subterranean con-
nection; but since then they have never
failed III their duty. Unlike our hot
springs Of Arkansas, the water of which
is colorless, odorless and tasteless, and
in which analysis shows scarcely trace
of minerals, the Carlsbad springs are
supposed to owe their therapeutical
properties chiefly to solution Of salt,
sulphur and carbonate of soda. The
water IS not very disagreeable to either
taste or smell, and the quantity con-
suned by the German visitors is eoueled
hy 40 otter liquid unless it be beer.
s,l1lnvallds or not they are certainly no
Safeguards Ats5 o'clock in the morning
begins the work of the day. The early
pedestrian, whatever direction be may
take will encounter these indefatigable
health seekers, in ones, twos, threes, or
larger parties, sauntering along toward
some noted thermal spring in tho sub:
urbs Of the town, with convenient cafe
or beer garden. Every one is around
with china cup of regulation size sus-
pended from his neck by leather strap
and little pink paper bag whose over
crowded contents of roll or pretzel can't
be quite shut in. This is his breakfast
: frugal enough, but he takes a more
substantial one later Onto be washed
down with cup Of coffee or. zwei glass
lager after his morning constitutional
and aperlent dram. He carries it with
aim because it is cheaper than to order
it with his beer and-next to beer-he
loves. economy. Beer he must have.
Bread is desirable adjunct.
;Abont the same time in the morning O
less energetic or less capable crowd of
invalids assemble in the popular curhaus
Gnr f,n1r constitutional -,
spacious, elegantly fitted up building
with zine exterior colonnade A notice
<'onspicuously posted up near the en-
trance directs the promenaders to keep
to the right: and another warns them
to keep on moving. Thus it happens
that there is a continuous stream of
human beings passing up one side and
down the other, each one on his first
round stopping at the further end only
dong enough to get his cup filled at the
noisy boiling fountain, which there
bursting forth with great vehemence to
a..height OF two or three feet, falls back
into deep basin which is several feet in
diameter. At this basin girls are sta
toned, each one with two long poles to
one end of each of which perforated
tin cup is, ATTACHED, reminding one some-
what Of the appliances that are used in
some churches for ''tahng:up the colleo-
ton The water bibber'' deposits his
china cup in one of these receptacles, the
other is placed on it as a.cover, when it
s5sent to the fountain and brought back
full. Without this protective appliance
it would always come back empty owing
to the violent outflow of the water. It is
IN odd eight, to say the least-this i'm
meuse hall filled with people slowly and
solemn'y marching round and round,
each holding ;cup Of hot water in his
hand, from which he imbibes through a
bent glass tube; the band. in senior
cular side recess, playing vigorously all
the time. This monotonous sort Of en-
tertainment keeps up tilt about 9 o'clock,
when the mass Of, the people dispense to
other duties and pleasures, to renew tie
business of their lives later in the day.
All this music md drinking and enter
tainment is supposed to be gratuitous
but the ''visitors' tax and the emusic
tax which are imposed weekly on the
visitor, with the regular hotel bills, make
1t rather an expensive gratuity.