Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-22

INDIAN SPRING. GA, April 1S-EditOr Morn
ina Netss: Yesterday was an unprecedented
day in the annals Of Butts county. as it wit
messed the first entrance within its limits of
the iron monster that threads the great ar
teries of civilization and commerce. Upon the
temporary completion Of the bridge crossing
the stream forming the boundary line of Butts
and Monroe counties. the construction train of
the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Rail
road Isid the ties and rails Of the thirty second
mile of the Macon and Brunswick Railroad ex-
tension in the territory of Butts Your CORE.
spondent went from this point on Saturday
last distance OF eight miles to see the opera
tious Of the track-laying force, as he had heard
wonderful stories from the folk around here of
how they did it. He found ''the striped boys
and their train on the bank of the Ocmulgee
near the confines Of Monroe county. and the
manner in which the wood and the steel were
arranged on the rOadbed made one real
ize how nearly System may assimiate
human force to machine labor. The train
consisted of about dozen fiat cars. and ran
backwards. These cars were loaded with steel
rails ami croSsiies- On one side of the train
ran on an iuc.iaed plane what might be termed
a fat bottOmed gutter with rollers, over which
we're propelled by cOnvicts using an instru-
ment resembling a boat hook the ties to the
front. where thev we're lifted with clocklke
precision and regularity on the shoulders
OF ether convicts and placed where they
=h uld lie without being moved lengthways or
sidewise On the other side ran the gutter for
the rails that were lifted and laid and fastened
with the same system aud wonderful rapidity.
all Of which being done, the engine gave snOth
er puff and a new rail was covered in the rapid
course Of the construction company towards
Atlanta At some future time may be written
r1 IrNrrf.F will uwq 0F fha
bold aud picturesque beauty Of he line f this
railroad as il skirts along the banks of the Oc-
mulgee river mp TO point within very ew
miles OF this famous resort Suffice 1t
here to say that your correspondent hears
most glowing accounts that make him
very impatient to read from the pen of
one of your talented corps q fuli deScrip-
rion But the Indian Spring is being aroused
from its pOst-belium leth@gY, and Is girding
itself for its race in a new carer. such as it's
palIny DAYS before the war never knew. When
one reflects OF the wonderful crowds, for the
gstheFing OF which in the days OF the old
regime the little spring at this point made the
nucleus. he can but wonder that Ichaood could
so plainly have fixed his sign-manual upon the
walls Of the famous Indian Spring-IndIaE
Spring. that received its christening by the
whites while still hid among the hills that were
vet tn Inheritance and huntiog ground of the
savage; that WAS the Mecca OF health for the
pale faced child of civilization and the swarthy
son Of the forest, and that was politically
famed as being the point where the last yes
TO the whites by the red men, who turned their
faces and marched reluctantly towards the
settirg sun The Jealousy Of our State preserved
free this Jewel of spring in its granite setting
and for the rich and the poor Of her citizens
hlws this health giving water. The grounds of
the State reserve are fortunately in charge of
Drs. Byan and Whitehead. who viii handle the
waier and bring to the attention OF toe public
in a manner never heretofore attempted its
special excelleucies and virtues. and by the ap-
| naratus and conveniences that scientific know l.
l iaTor nd fuvnnffnu have annrnVpG will
mote and increase the benefits for which ma
ture has furnished such abundant and splendid
capital.
a special feature these gentlemen are intro
ducing is the hot water treatment, there being
now built on a plan of these geutlemen all the
apparatus for this purpose, this water being
made in their opinion, superior 20 Hot Springs
Ark Their bath houses are to be fitted up for
this season with imp -oved facilities for giving
Russian. Turkish. electric and plain mineral
baths under their special direction and treat
ment The work OF beautifylng the grounds
il progressing RAPIDLY The hotels are putting
on something more than their usual summer
fmprovem ents OF an inconseQuential aud tenn
porary character, but are substantially pre-
pairing to accommodate the thousands-and
say il without exagg ration-who are expected
to visit here this season. By the end of this week
the Indian Spring station viii be reached, and
by the middle of May it is thought that over
this railroad the grand rush OF visitors will be
inaugurated.
Rumors OF military encampments by the
companies or two or three interior cltleS-tne
spirit of activity here every day receiving
fresh impetus. and the great fame of this
water give augury Of q grand, glorious season
for a resort so long heretofore almost cut of
from the outside world by miserable roads
and shabby conveyances.
cannot close this letter without reference
to the wonderful resources of this town and
its vicinity in the inexhaustible granite that is
hid in the hills, and appears in the flashing
shoals of the streams. 1t is believed that
within radius of one mile may be quarried with
ease enough of the finest rock to build a large
CITY For example, there stands now here
beautiful stone residence on the crown of hill,
built entirely from the rock diSembOweled not
from the hill, but immediate from that point
OF the hill upon which the residence stands,
and the hin makes the premises for the house
Of beautiful terraced grounds in front and fine
garden in rear 1t is said thatft is nearly as
cheap to quarry this rock and build as to build
with orick delivered on the premises free OF all
cost, and certainly the stone structure Is fully
as durable and handsome as the brick
The fruit prospect in this section was never
better. the trees being as full OF the young
peach and apple as they can be, and all In
healthy state.
had the pleasure Of meeting Mrs. Mary r.
Banks. OF Griffin. who, under the nom de plume
OF Patsy Fse xeIlyn- " viii present to the public
by July 1sI bright Days Of the old Plantation
Time" book which, to judge from some of
the advance sheets read. will be fully as sue
cessful as Uncle Remus,' as its reproduction
OF the cid plantation negro character and
dialect, his love Of the marvellous and the cor
responding effect he produced on the mind of
the Southern child. are as faithfully portrayed.
NATALIs