Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-12-03
For THE HERALD.
The Arkansaw Traveller Reyiscl
VerSion.

The Arkansaw Traveller -Reyfscl
Version.
IL was in the wane OF the summer
when | went up from Texas to Ho
Springs. A little while before that the
Arkansas editorial association had mel
at that place. The mayor of the city
in welcoming the association, said it was
not strange the editors came there-al
sorts and conditions of people, ..from
the pimpled Dives to the sere-strickeu
Lazarus. came to those healing waters. .
Now, was not Lazarus by four OIL
i've dollars, nor a Dives by great deal
more than that. Twas neither pimpled
nor sofe-stricken. / did not come to
wash my liver of the sins OF several de-
cades. | came because down in Texas
printer lied to me and told me hew
many cases were waiting for printers a,
"The Springs" and how fat the takes
were there.
The traveller to Hot Springs by rail
leaves the Iron Mountain road at NAL
vern. queer little place in deep RAJ
vine, where you have 10 go up stairs to
get into the houses, or into the next
street-just as You do at Galena. NAL
vern has Two newspapers, one of them
edited by man known far and wide as
Jim Tom Story From Malvern a
narrow-gauge road runs up among the
hills to Hot Springs. When | went up
The little coaches were shining new from
the car shops, the red plush cushions yet
unsoiled by the boots of the much-tray-
eled st. Louis runner. the little.traveled
native, or the ''pimpled Dives The
scenery on the route reminded me lit
tie of the lower foothills in Colorado. but
the bills are not so rubbishy and the
pines look fresher and not so intensely
dreary.
Hot Springs is strange looking place.
With its 5000 inhabitants crowded into
a few great hotels and dwelling houses
with great deal of gingerbread work
on them, you have but to step outside
its narrow limits and you are in an I'M
inhabited solitude. 1t seems more like
a camp pitched in the midst of wilder
ness than a city. 1t is situated in a
deep, narrow valley-.very much like
the Beetown valley from the old furnace
down to Grant, but the steep hills are
covered with young pine trees and vines
and the cliffs are of sandstone. Besides
the gingerbread residences mentioned,
the city is made up of hotels, bath houses,
stores and doctors offices. The doctors
are not such popular class as their
great number might lead one 10 sup
pose. In various places are to be seen
placards warning the doctors OF, just as
hackmen and bus drivers are warned
out of certain parts of the depots in the
cities.
The place has three or four newspa-
pers, all dailies. There was the Horse
shoe, the Hornet, the Hornet Horseshoe
and | believe second Hornet or Horse
shoe was disputing the title with the
first. Tire nnrsesnoes were afwavs red
hot and the Hornets always singing.
Politics at the Springs was peculiar.
Parties and papers were divided, not on
the tariff or the currency, but on the
subject Of gamblers and doctors. Some
time later worked on the proceedings
of the Arkansas editorial association.
and set up the obituary pages of the two
members who had departed this life
during the previous year. Both died in
Hot Springs aud in their boots.
The waters are said 20 be good for
what ails you, whether it is one thing or
two. They have the orthodox mineral
water taste, flavor as of iron rust and
bad eggs.
The numerous hotels have various
rates TO SUIT the means OF the visitors.
At the caravansary where the printers
most did congregate the price was 81
day. Although the house had u dreary
up-stairs-and down-cellar air, the meals
and beds were good.
As | said before. the printer down in
Texas lied about the fat takes, and so
my stay at this health resort was short
1 didn't leave it as | came, by rail. A
great many people don't-owing to the
gamblers and doctors aforesaid. But
these gentlemen had nothing TO do with
my mode of exit. Between Benton and
ii 1t Springs the two railroads form V
with the point at Malvern The narrow
gauge leg is 25 miles long, fare cents
a mile. The other leg is 80 miles long.
but Jay Gould is more moderate and
charges only cents mile. Across the
top of this V the distance is 25 mies-a
moderate days walk for one who, for
three years, practiced pedestrianism in
Sherman's army. So | turned my trunk
over TO the tender mercies of the express
company, and with only change Of
clothes, plunged into the wilderness to
the eastward of the Springs. The val
leys in the vicinity of the city would
seem to offer fine locations for gardens
and dairies to supply the numerous ho-
tells, but saw nothing of the kind.
The region seemed to me to bear
abundant signs of being mineral one.
There were whole bills full of rotten
quart, such as is usually mineral bear
ing in the Rocky Mountain region. 1t
was well timbered, there being re-
markable mixture of pine and hardwood
large fine trees, fit for lumber. In
almost every valley was little stream
OF clear. pure water. In the very few
clearings | passed, although the soil
seemed so full of gravel and stony rub
bish as to be almost worthless, it bore
magnificent corn.
Then began to think about dinner,
but it was considerably after noon when
| came TO a house-a log cabin of the
classic Arkansas style, with coon skin
stretched on the door and three or four
hounds lying in front or '.snooping y
around in the rear The ..old man. and
boys were probably ont fishing or hunt.
ing, as there WAS no one in the house