The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-09-08
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPICAL
SOUTHERN HEALTH RESORT


It's characteristics in Former Times
Situation of the Springs-The
Hotel and Cottages.
Charles Dudley Warner gives in Hdr-
per's Magazine, the following entertain
ing description of the White Sulphur
Springs, the well-known Virginia health
resort:
The White Sulphur has been for the
better part of century, as everybody
knows, the typical Southern resort, the
rendezvous of all that was most char
acteristic in the society of the whole
South, the meeting place of its politi-
clans, the haunt of its bellies, the arena
of gayety, intrigue and fashion. If
tradition is to be believed, here in years
gone by were concocted the measures
that were subsequently deployed for the
Government of the country at Washing
ton, here historic matches were made,
here beauty had triumphs that were the
talk of a generation, here hearts were
broken at ball and mended in Lovers
Walk, ana here fortunes were nightly
lost and won. 1t must have been in its
material conditions a primitive place in
the days of its greatest fame. Visitors
came to it in their carriages and unwieldy
four-horse chariots, attended by troops
of servants, making slow but most en-
joyable pilgrimages over the mountain
roads, journeys that lasted week or a
fortnight, and were every day enlivened
by jovlal adventure. They came for the
season. Thep were all of one social order,
and needed no introduction; those from
Virginia were all related to each other,
and though life there was somewhat
in the nature of a picnic, it had its
very well defined and ceremonious code
of etiquette. In the memory of its old
habitues it was at once the freest and
the most aristocratic assembly in the
world. The hotel was small and its ar
rangements primitive; q good many of
the visitors had their own cottages, and
the rows of those cheap structures took
their names from their occupants. The
Southern Presidents, the Senators and
statesmen, the rich planters, lived in cot
tages which still have n historic interest
i n their memory. But cottage life was
never the exclusive affair that it is else
where; the society was one body, and the
hotel was the center
Time has greatly changed the White
Sulphur; doubtless in its physical aspect
it never was so beautiful and attractive
as it is to-day, but all the modern i'm
| provements have not destroyed the char
acter of the resort, which possesses a
great many of its primitive and old-time
peculiarities.
Briefly, the White is in an elevated and
charming mountain region, SO cool, in
fact, especially at night, that the
'season" is practically limited to July
and August, although am not sure but
quiet person, who likes invigorating
air, and has no daughters to marry off,
would find it equally attractive in Sep
tember and October, when the autumn
foliage is in its glory. In green roll
ing interval, planted with noble trees
and t1anled by moderate hills, stands the
vast white caravansary, having wide gal
leries and big pillars running round three
sides. The front and two sides are ele-
vated, tie galleries being reached by
flights of steps, and affording room un-
de-neath for the large billiard and
bar rooms. From the hotel the
ground slopes down to the
spring, which is surmounted by a
round canopy on white columns, and be-
low is an opening across the stream to
VIZ hUNS eANSh3 bhS anu
atine view of receding hills. Three sides
of this charming park are enclosed by the
cottages and cabins, which back against
the hills, and are more or less embowered
in trees Most of these cottages are built
In blocks and rows, some single rooms,
Others large enough to accommodate a
family, but all reached by flights of steps,
all with verandas, and most of them con
nected by galleries. Occasionally the
forest trees have been lett, and the gal.
leries built around them. Included in
the premises are two churches a gam
bling-house, couple of country stores,
and postoffice. There are none of the
shops common at watering places for the
sale of fancy articles, and, strange to say,
flowers are not systematically cultiva,
ted, and very few are ever to be had. The
hotel has vast dining room, besides the
minor eating-rooms for children and
nurses large ball room, and drawing.
room of imposing dimensions. Hotel
and cottages together, it is said, can lodge
fifteen hundred guests. The natural
beauty of the place is very great, and
fortunately there is not much smart and
fantastic architectu to interfere with it.