Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-28
MINERAL WELLS.
A Quiet Health Resort Without Fashion
and Moonlight Distractions.
Ascent of the Mountain and View of the
Village Spread Out BelOw-The Crazy
Well and How It Got Its Name.

A deliciously quiet and breezy spot is this
place of hea ling waters. No noise from the
outer world intrudes your retirement here. AL
! is serene and restful.
Although a contamination devoutly wished
for, and, no doubt, advantageous in all respects,
yet it seems almost a sacrilege to contemplate
the shrek of the locomotive among these quiet
hills; but 1 suppose it must sooner or later in
troduce its iron tread, bringing with it an air OF
the world and taking away much of the
quietude and repose so anxiously sought
railroad, let the tired and sick, in mind
and body, come to Mineral Wells for health, rest
and recreation. Board is cheap and house rent
is cheap, so the expense of living is a mere
trife, making 1t accessible to all.
Nature has not been lavish in her display OF
beauties here. The health dispensing waters
are not sugar coated with surrounding attI &C
lions, yet there are rugged novelties enough to
rest the eye after baths, books az 3 fancy work;
and Oh! delightful sensation, ther> is nothing to
hamper one. Those who come here leave fash
ion and fOrmality behind-a sensible thing to do,
for who observe the laws of health and recruit
the wasted energies while all done up in whale
| bone, frills and furbelows. With your blouse or
loose house dress, and your morning slippers,
you need not part all day long; and in the cool
of the evening you may don what you like, even
If that happens to be, as in my case, last sum-
mer's sateen or lawn, and visit your favorlte
well and walks with no fear of being ''cruShed'
by fine attire. And again, there are no balls,
moonlight distractions, and fashionable prone
nades, requiring all ones time and energy to
dress and show forth, and rob the
young of the beauty-sleep of early night.
Our summer domicil is a novel little white stone
cottage, nesting at the foot of a mountainette,
looking very picturesque with its deep window
recesses, fiat roof and Crumbling rock fence. 1t
needs only an old moat and draw bridge to make
a picture complete.
No matter if we do kill snakes and lizards in
the basement and find spiders of every species,
but most numerous of all, grandmother long-
legs, inhabitlng the place where dishes and cold
necessary
'summering OUT and therefore accepted with
resignation, or even hailed with pleasure, after
q fashion.
Our cottage is shared by an old lady and
her young daughter; also here for health
to mind baby Blanche and go out on ex-
plOring and pleasure expeditions. One evening
we undertook the ascent of our mountain
without sticks, and, oh, but twas jolly, slip
ping on the stones and grabbing at the tborny
bushes for support. We reached the top at last
and went into ecstasies over the wonderful
mOss-CCvered rocks. Standing on a projecting
ledge we mad a splendid view of the village in
miniature spread out below us, the distant hum
OF voices. the growing shadows and subdued
lights reminding one of a place in a dream.
There are quiet country roads where
one may walk drive for miles,
and, scarcely meet, living thing, save
low tinkling bell, or a family of muddy,
seek-looking pigs, fresh from their mineral
bath. To the south is broad stretch of the
finest farming country in the West. In every
other direction there is almost an unbroken semi
circle of blue mountain ridges. OF course need
say nothing of the wonderful medicinal waters,
as Texas is well acquainted with the analysis,
and no doubt holds many living testimonials of
its merits. 1t seems there is belt of
ground here inside of which, at any
spot successful well might be
bored. There are already several, the star
well, the bitter we'll. the crazy well, the iron
we'll the Austin well and the Gibson well.
happened to hear an old resident telling a Wis
itor how the crazy well came by its name. a
lady came here several years ago whose mind
was seriously impaired. She was spoken of as
1.-The crazy woman After remaining quite a
while her mind was completely restored, and
this we'll was given the credit-hence the name.
LULA BRUCE NJ.
Mineral Wells, TqH., July. %, 1889.