The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-07-26
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM CLIFTON SPRINGS, N. Y


CLIFTON SPRINGS, N. Y, July %, 1884.
Editors Union After leaving the banks Of
Seneca Lake, or rather after passing Watkins,
there is marked difference in the appearance of
the country. The land is better naturally. The
farming is neater. The houses and outbuildings
present evidences of thrift and prosperous we'll
TODD farmers. Many handsome farm houses,
course of the road. The country roads themselves
show decided advance in civilization. They are
macademized, with large drains on each side.-
They are broad and capacious. To show the |
character of the soil, all that portion each side
of the mainly travelled part grows heavy with
blue grass or timothy hay, and in many places is
moved in others it is pastured by people tying
cattle by long rope along the sides. This is the
character of the country from Watkins to Clifton
Springs and its surroundings. Wheat, oats and
harley show q luxriant growth. Corn does not
appear to SO good advantage. They leave too
many stalks in hill-some places as many as
five, six, seven and eight. There is great deal
of good fruit grown through this section, too. 1t
is great apple country and it supplies the Bal
timore market largely with Greetings and Pippins
and excellent cider. The passing traveller would
intuitivey say this is well-cultiyated, thrifty,
prosperous country.
CLIFTON SPRINGS
is situated in Ontario county, Is miles west of
Geneva, Is miles east of Canandagua, the county
the New York Central and Hudson River Rail-
road. 1t contains about 1000 inhabitants. The
houses are mostly frame, two stories and painted
white with green window shutters. The side
walks are of three kinds-concrete, board and
gravel. 1t has fine railway station-consder-
ably better than the Maryland Central has at
Towsontown-a lodge of Masons, lodge Of An
cient Order United Workmen and three churches
Episcopal, Methodist and Catholic. The Epis-
copal is fine Gothic edifce; the other two are
less pretentious, though the Catholics are about
to build new one. Also an independent news
paper, the Ne,o Era, owned and published weekly
by Frank T. Browne, Esq, good Republican
and q genial gentleman. But the leading Oh;
of interest and around which everything els
wolves is
THE sANITARIUM,
owned and conducted by DR.. Henry Foster 1t is
an extensive ive-story building, containing 234
chambers, capacious and well stocked library,
a gcntemen's reading room, numerous bath rooms
and large chapel for worship. 1t is surrounded
BY park of 40 acres, located on both sides of the
main street OF the town, about the same quantity
of land on each side. The springs consist of two
kinds of water-fresh water and white sulphur
There is but one fresh water spring This con-
tains large share Of carbonic acid gas and is of
great utility in treating chronic diseases. There
four large sulphur springs-one on one side of
the main street and three on the other. They are
all very strong springs. The flow from any two
would run an ordinary grist mill. Everything
about these springs is white with sulphur, and the
bottom of the stream looks as if it might have
been whitewashcd, and the atmosphere for con-
siderable distance around is thoroughly impreg
mated with it. The following is analysis of the
white sulphur water, which is about the same MS
that of the White Sulphur Springs of Virginia :
Sulphate of lime, 1870; sulphate of magnesa,
412; sulphate of soda, 1874 carbonate of lime,
242; carbonate of magnesia, 1928; chloride of
sodium, 2.32; chloride of calcium, 1.02; chloride
of magnesia, 1.02.
Around and over the springs in front of the san
itarum is large pavilion, erected at considerable
expense by Mr.. Andrew Pierce, wealthy New
York merchant, who spends most of his time here.
The park consists principally of naples. the grass
being closely clipped by lawn mower and it is
we'll supplied with arbors, seats and hammocks.-
The institution is heated by steam and hot air
furnished by six large engines located about 300
yards away under hill. Four of these engines
are each 65-horse and the other two 80 horse
power each. Then there is another building ad
Joining the sanitarium in which is located an en-
CINE of 25.horse power, that is constantly forcing
cold hot air into the institution for the use of
the cold and hot air baths and for the purpose of
preserving the equilibrium of the temperature of
the institution. A large gymnasium is connected
with the institution, and professor to instruct in
the exercises is constantly employed. Seven
numerous patients, which run through all grades
Many do not appear to be sick at all, while other:
are confined to their rooms. The house is now
filled to its utmost limit and it uses in connection
with it two notes.-the Foster House, accommo
dating Is, and the Clifton House, accommodating
so persons.
DR.. Henry Foster located here about 35 years
ago, discovered the medicinal qualities of the
springs, founded and built up that institution and
has executed deed for the entire property tc
trustees to be used forever for its present purposes
The bathing arrangements are most admirable and
include the following: Sponge, pack, full, shallow,
rub Sheet falling dOuche pail dash, rising dopche
Turkish, flow, air, sulphur, sitz, vapor, electro
tbfyaaL archaeological, compound oxgssas bat,
! by physicians orders, stating when to be tai 81
temperature, tho length of time they are to last
| suited to the health and requirements of each
bather. A large tent with chairs graces the lawn
| for use for religious worship and Y. M. c. A.
meetings when the weather is pleasant. Be-
| sides rooming at the sanitarium and the two
hotels there are various boarding houses in the
town filled to their utmost capacity with folks who
visit the institution. It's records show that it is
patronized by persons from almost every State
and Territory in the Union.
DIR. Henry Foster has fine farm of 200 acres
about a mile from town, on which he is raising
pure Jersey and Holstein CATTLE 1 visited tn,
farm last Thursday and found it in a fine condr
ton. Along the road On DOtn slues are hB
and substantial stone fences. I saw on it tn,
best field of corn have seen north of the corn a;
the Shepard Asyum-a field ofexcellent oats ant
a mower cutting superb timothy, while two wa
CONS were loading it in and by the aid of a doubl'
harpoon fork sending it to the top of a barn tina
is model of convenience. Four large bini
under the barn arc for the reception of ensilage
Two are now filed with cut rye and two are for
corn to be taken from two fields now growing
Lawn icku hrou
ranged in stalls and fastened with stanchions, a
hall or entry running between the two rows of
stalls. Four men milk them while they eat their
feed-cut rye, bran and salt. They are milkee
at 4.3O a. m. and at $50 P. m. and the milk uset
for breakfast and supper at the sanitarium andb
mako buttor for the institution. This farm is
under the management of Mr.. A. S. Cotton,
very energetic, pushing man. As soon as he can
arrange it DR.. Foster intends to buy more land
and raise the beef and mutton for the institution
He also owns an orange plantation in Florida AMI
spends portion of every winter there. S. P. B.