Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-01-29
HOT spRlNGs,
It's Bath Houses.
HoT SPRINGS, ARK, January 81.
ED. South KENTUcKIAN: -

ED. South KENTUcKI4N -
Imagination carries us further than
our footsteps will ever reach while
coiled in this mortal tenement of
lcay. II watts us aloft amid the
myriads of celestial worlds, it draws
us through the pillows Of the mighty
deep, and into the uttermost recesscs
Of the earth, and its remotest bounds.
Our conceptions are so vivid that we
behold more in moments ideality
than we witness in lifetime's reali-
za,ion. What though astronomy
teaches us the science of the heavenly
bodies, and geography gives us de-
scriptioh of the world and its inhabi-
tants is this not visionary after all |!
and our hearts still ycarn for a reali-
zation Of those things never revealed
TO US, We live in u land where all
our dreams and fancics may possibly
be realized. Our great railroad fa-
cilities afford us easy access within
close proximity 10 many of the natu-
raj wonders that Omnipotence has
strewn our continent with. The
great Atlantic and Pacific which
bound our Continent on the East and
West, with their attractive summer
resorts, and their CULTS, bays, capes,
and inlets are easily reached. Our
vast lakes and forests of the north
and northwest are within easy reach
of us. We have everywhere around
us marvellous wonders such as Nam
II 9th Cave, Niagara and innumerl-
bic health-giving mineral springs, Of
which there are none more beneficial
and attractive than the ar-famel
hot SPRINGS OF Arkansas.
Located almost in the heart of this
continent, near the exact geographi-
cal center of the United States, they
are easily accessible TO every portion
of our own, as well as that of other
countries. Taking in the situation,
after you arrive on the "Diamond
Jo Reynold's' narrow gauge railroad,
You strike the northern extremity Of
Central Avenue which alone COM
prises the town. We read in Bibli-
cal history of q street called straight,
but the one you read of now might
well be called crooked. The valley
of the Ozark presents to the visitor a
rather romantic appearance with its
winding street about two miles long
running from north to south. Cours-
ing 10 the southwark on your left is
the east and on your right the west.
You will perceive that on the former
side are nearly oil the stores which
retail every commodity Of commerce.
from glass Of Mountain Valley
water at two cents up to steam en-
gine or doll baby. Confectionerics,
saloons, cigar and drug stores are ex-
tonsiyely represented, which gives to
The street a citiiled appearance. There
is still another feature noticeable
which tends to confirm its metropol
itan aspect namely; the several
signs of "Rooms for rent" doctors Of
fees aud club rooms. These are
placardcd on every outside entrance
from one end of the street to the 9TH
er. Changing TO the west side and
returning northward, casting your
eyes still TO the left your optics are
confronted by some fine hotel build
I'ings, such as the Arlington, Avenue
aud Waverly, with some few smaller
ones and private boarding houses
interspersed. Then come the bath
houses which are The most intercs-
ting of all the numerous artificial
curiosities of the place. They are
about dozen in number and they
extend in succession from the Ar
lington Hotel to the post office, dis.
tance Of about one quarter of a mile,
and are located at the foot of Hot
Springs mountain, where cometh
all the fountains of living waters.
There is even popularity in the
names of>,those bath houses which
we will now describe for your peru
sal. The principal ones are New
Rector, Big Iron, Ozark, Independ-
ent, Palace, Old Hale, Ought to be
Old Hell,) and Rammelsburg. These
names have different del'ivations.
The Rector after an old &mily living
here by that name; the Ozark after
the neighboring mountains; the Big
Iron after the spring it is built on;
and the Rammelberg after its owner,
Two of the three banks of the
place are next to the post Office, and
from these on to the depot are a few,
houses of the appearance of job
bing houses of heavy wares. such as
groceries, hardware, etc.
The Avenue hotel has its own
bath rooms, and most of its guests as
we'll as some outside parties patron
ize there, being considered amongst
the best, and having all the essen
tial appointments for the comfort and
convenience of its patrons. There is
hardly any difference in the proper
ties of the waters of any Of these bath
houses, as it is supposed all come
from the same source, and the Cow
epnlpent built some large brick res