Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-03-10

ra House, and, in fact, lie a wide.a.
wake thriving little town with
city airs, and fortunately, city
vices. The gamblers have things
pretty much their own way. Faro
banks, banko games, and every
species of gambling is boldly car
ried on here. If the Hot Springs
are rival OF Baden Baden as to the
efficacy Of its waters in the curing
of disease, it Is also a rival of Its
great vices. especially gambling.
One Is struck with the unusual
number of drug stores and doctors
offices. am told that there are
over dozen drug stores and from
fifty TO seventy doctors, the mum
bor varying at different times.
There are at all times OF the year
from 500 to $500. visitors here, the
number varying according to the
| season. This part of the popula-
ton Is Kaleidoscope, chang
ing coming and going like the rest
less waves of the ever-restless sea.
You make the acquaintance of a
man to-day and tomorrow he is
gone, and stranger arrives to
take his place
The bathing establishments are
large two story buildings of vari-
Gus styles of architecture, and look
more like large private residences
than anything else, and might
readily be mistaken for such by a
stranger, but for their location,
which, l believe ] have already
said, is at the foot of Hot Springs
Mountain fronting the creek.
As before remarked, nobody
knows how these waters are heat
ed. There are many theories on
the subject, the biologists differing
i'm opinion as to their origin like
the doctors who differ rs to their
use. All that is certain, is that
the water Is hot, aud possesses
marvellous medicinal qualities for
many ofthe ills that flesh Is heir to.
The first thing for an invalid to
do on arriving at the Hot Springs
is to go to physician who will
take him under treatment. He
will give you such medicines as
he may think you need, and di-
rections for bathing the time, the
temperature, kinds Of bath and
the duration. The temperature
runs from 96 deg. up to 10 deg,
and the time Of remaining in the
bath, from eight to fifteen min
utes. There are also douche and
vapor baths. In taking a vapor
bath you are placed in a tight box,
with only your head out, and kept
in a perspiratiOn until you think |
you will melt and run away, when
you are taken out and rubbed |
down by an attendant, pretty
much as they rub a race horse az
ter a gallop then you don your
clothing and after waiting aud
resting In the parlor a few min i
utes, until your temperature de
creases sufficiently to allow you to
go into the open air without risk
of taking cold.
The bath-houses, with one ex-
ceptiOn, are all pay establishments,
the Government restricting the
price OF bath 10 not exceeding |
thirty cents, and this ia the price |
generally charged. There is a
small bath-h0use on the side of the
mountain, which contains only a
swimming pool, and ia called the
Mud Hcfe," the waters of which |
are said to possess extraordinary
curative properties for certain
nameless diseases. The bathing
at the "Mud Hole" is free after six
o'clock In the afternoon to every
body, and 1t Is sight to be re-
membered to go there after six
O'Clock and witness the poor
wretches bathing ia this pool, fire..
quently so many in the pool to-
gether that they can scarcely turn
round.
Taken all in all, Hot Springs is
a remarkable place, and has a
bright future before it. Its resi-
dent population is rapidly increas-
ing and available property already
commands high figure.
The Arlington Is perhaps the
best Hotel in the State of Arkans.
as, and another Is to be built here
by Eastern capitalists, to cost sew
eral hundred thousand dollars, and
with capacity sufficient to accom-
m0date five hundred guests.
There is no coal used here, and
the gas is made entirely of pine
knots, and makes q very good
light. But / am stringing this
letter out to an unweildly lenghth
and / will close for the present.
l..
"Pug" writes US and asks If it was