Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-31
Price Two Cents

1VOO W. JULIUS
| ary to have wood Are in your room while
absent at the bath so that you can return to
warm room to recuperate and cool off in.
10 is claimed and doubtless Ia a fact that
the effects of bathing in these naturally hot
waters is not debilitating, as CRITICALLY hot
baths would be. This is evident from the
fact that people take the baths day after day
for three weeks or more at a time and grow
strong and well under them. The first week
on crutches, the second with cane, the third
with no support is not uncommonly the case.
While some make ID their residence for
months and derive great benefit, others stay
but short time and are disappointed. That
there is great curative power in the springs
and the treatment here is established beyond
question, as thousands who have been helped
and cured, especially in cases of rheumatism,
gout and diseases of the blood, stand ready
to testify. The government buildings for
the benefit of the army and navy sufferers
under construction here are making rapid
headway. Some of them will probably be
finished this summer. The public bath
house, which is free to all after o'clock, is
visited by many of the poor classes and spec
tators can have their curiosity satisfied by
looking on at suffering humanity, the many
ills that flesh is heir to being strikingly re-
vealed. There are two or three large pools
which all the bathers enter. If cleanliness
is next to godliness there is no
excuse for the people of Hot Springs
Yet one does not need to be very fastidious
If he looks twice before entering bath house
and several times before he goes second time.
People who travel many miles, though, do
not like to lose their time or opportunity for
deriving benefit from the water. The facts
are that while everything may be literally
clean there is nothing wholesome or inviting
about the places for ablution. There is very
little system and the conveniences for COM
fort are entirely inadequate. One of our
eastern Russian bath establishments is a
model of excellence and neatness in compari-
son.
The government regulates the prices, but
leases the baths to private parties. 1t should
see to 1t that the pockets of the spectators
are not crammed too full of riches at the
expense of the public's comfort and perhaps
themselves. It is estimated that two
millions and quarter are annually
left here by visitors, and it is not strange that
there are great many grab games going on.
The Arlington Hotel was built by private
spectators and sold to the government for
large sum. It was afterwards leased back to
the parties for ten years at the rate of 81 900
year. Parties are willing to pay 500, 900 q
year for the same privilege, it is said. 1t is
stated that between sixty and seventy thou
sand was made by the hotel last year. This
season it will probably do better. Twenty
dollars week is the rate for single persons,
and from the general conversation one would
say that the guests were not satisfied that
they were getting more than their moneys
worth.
The springs and their origin, their heat
and their deposits have long been the study of
scientists and still command much attention
from them. 1t is not yet determined how
they become heated, whether it is from SUBJ
terranean fires or from passing through diff
ferent mineral substances. One would think
from the great deposits of tufa along the
banks between and below the bath houses,
black as your hat and of a
hard, stony substance, through which hot
steaming streams are issuing in many places,
that the whole was of volcanic nature and
origin. This is very likely the case. The
whole geological structure of the country,
and that of the Hot Springs ridge in particu-
lar, fro N which the water issues, indicates
this. We are told that blast which took
place not long ago resulted in filling the val
ley with steam.
A question as to whether these springs
will continue indefinitely to bubble forth, or
whether the place may not collapse, or go
up unceremoniously. hinders some capitalists
from investing their money, otherwise there
would be no end of real estate speculation
t0re Some portions of the government reser-
vation are still for sale Receipts from
such will apply towards balancing the appro-
priations already made and to be made for
the perfectinR. of the system of giving the
public the benefiE OF these waters and making
the place comfortable and attractive to those
who are obliged to spend any length of time
in the town In time improvements will
have made such a march in this place that
one can take his baths without leaving his
apartments 1t will be great thing for in
valids if the water is ever brought into the
hotels. There are many here who have not
left their rooms for weeks and are not able to
get to the baths but are waiting for strength
iEx7 FnP Gunh md
others who are unable to amuse
themselves walking, or riding horseback,
which is very popular, bands of music assist
in driving care away. There are two or
three brass bands employed by the town to
keep music in the air the greater part of the
time and the guests of the numerous hotels
are serenaded every day. The town must
entertain its guests some way, for it is de-
pendent upon them. The only enterprise
that we know of here other than getting
money out of the visitors is the working of
the milestone quarries and the manufacture
of ice. There are two or more of the latter
institutions which turn out and find market
for many tons day. They much visited
bv the soiourners. An idea of how proper
ty is held here may be gained from the fact
that a section opposite the Arlington is held
at over 5000 foot, parties having refused to
sell at that price.
So far the springs discovered number
seventy-one Their temperature ranges
from SO to 157 degrees Fahrenheit and their
discharge per minute is 335 gallons or 482, 400
gallons per day. In the hottest spring eggs
can be cooked in fifteen minutes. Articles
hung in the vspor for few weeks become
coated with white mineral substance which
gets as hard es stone. Horseshoes, sponges
and other articles are left in the vapor rooms
by visitors and taken when coated as memen-
toes and souvenirs of the place. They form
quite curiosity.
The city has a population of between
seven and eight thousand, is supplied with
pretty theater, waterworks, horse cars, tele-
phones and even electric lights. There are
any quantity of cold springs within short
distances of this city. In fact Arkansas is a
region of countless mineral springs, of which
Hot Springs seem to be the center, and they
add tremendously to the wealth of the State,
some of them being valued at hundreds of
thousands of dollars. book could be
written about thei9speoial qualities.
Thurday evening last 1.-The Josephine,
fine new hotel, was destroyed by fire. While
it occasioned some alarm it afforded a break
in the dull routine of the evening. For want
of breeze, hardly breath of air was NOV
ing and the town was saved from wide
spread confagration.
The many readers of the JOURNAL and
COURIER have doubtless heard of "Hells
half acre" Well, they can see it if they will
come to Hot Springs. It is but few miles
distant and is about half an acre of land at
the foot of gorge filled with rocks, sulphur
showing on their surface and filling the air
with its fragrance.
One can not leave this place without feel
ing that he has in all his ablutiops left some
sins behind, and as for sinners he knows that
he has left a lot of them. Notwithstanding
that Hot Springs may be great place for
invalids, and we heartily recommend it, give =
us good old Connecticut with its 'trocks and
rills, its woods and tempted hills" its pas
lures green and cities clean. To them we
turn with joy. Those who want Arkansas
may have it. j. B. @.