The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-05-03
Another Letter From ssUncle pe..y


Hor SPRINGS, ARK, April q, 'ss.
EDrToR News. HERALD tin my last
got as far as our safe arrival here, in good
health, 90 we have no chance to test the
curative properties Of the hot weather
for the very good reason that we have
no ailments to cure.
To describe the place 30 as to give any
one who has never been here anything
like an adequate idea Of the place would
be utterly impossible, as believe il has
no prototype, being like the Phenix, the
only one Of the kind. But whether IL
will be like that fabulous bird, rising
again from its own ashes, we will have
to leave time to determine. But the
sight of hot water gushing out of
mountain naturally suggests the idea of
fire and ashes, and the presumption is 1t
will have as good chance for that
miraculous reproduction as any other
town.
But seriously to describe this town
and surroundings as best I can am
told that the recorded plat of the town
contains 85 miles OF streets laid out along
the ravines between the mountains, 80
that very little Of the town can be seen
from any one point of view. They claim
settled population Of IA, 900, and at this
time there is said to be 5000 visitors
here, most of them invalids seeking re-.
lief from the waters. This hot water
feature is, in my opinion, the greatest
curiosity of the place, and may be seen
just now to very good advantage at a
place where workmen are digging into
the mountain to get room for another
bath house. They cut into the side Of
cave some ten feet long, in the bottom
of which is pool of clear water. had
no means of testing its temperature, but
in farmer phrase SIT is hot enough to
scold hog" or man either. This
pool is supplied by stream running out
OF the rock that would probably fill a
two-inch pipe. There are also several
smaller streams coming ont of the wall
of rock.
How this water is heated without any
visible sign of fire or smoke no one can
tell. Another strange feature of the
country I have noticed is that there is
no water in the neighborhood for miles
around that we of Hillsboro would call
cold well or spring water. have visited
a great many springs in different direc.
tions, from two to four miles around, and !
all of them are disagreeably warm to
drink.
The business of the town seems to be
all based on this hot water supply, and
the attraction that it affords for visitors,
from whose well-filled pocket. books the
town derives its revenue.
To speak of the surrounding country
from an agricultural standpoint, we'll it
is nothing. ! have not seen farm nor
any thing to make farm out of.
A few chickens and eggs and few
vegetables are brought here from the
surrounding country, but the bread and |
meat and horse and COW feed is nearly
all brought here from distance. Hay
is selling here at $50 per ton. cannot |
see any thing SO far as my observation |
goes to induce farmer to come here to |
settle, unless it should be the high
prices of produce. But then what good |
will high prices do him if he has moth.
ing to sell.
The ground is very hard to clear and |
is very poor and stony when it is cleared |
unless it is in the valleys along the
rivers, and there it is so unhealthy that
no white man can live there. They say
they can raise grass but have not seen
it. That the soil is not adapted to grass is
evident to any one with grain of agri.
cultural experience.
A man who had the nerve and back
bone to grub out the underbrush might
make living by raising sweet potatoes,
melons and peaches, but to raise grass
Or grain he had better set his stakes some
place else is the opinion OF