Daily Republican., 1889-09-24
HEALTH GIVING.
A SANlTARiuM PROJECTED
ON THE SHELLPoT.
The Water OF Mrs. wier's Spring to be
Analyzed-Wonderfu Cures Report
ed-The Water Carried Away by
the DarreI-Prof, Hunt's
Investigations.

20 great has become the fame of the
medicinal spriug on the country residence
OF Mrs. Thomas NJ. Wier, at Sliellpot,
that the project OF establishing sani.
tarium on the place is now earnestly con-
ndered. The water Is carried away almost
daily by the bottleful, key and barrel.
On Sunday last fully two hundred people
vlsited the spring and drank Its hea tn
giving waters aud carried away great
quantities more. The 1ar.er number of
these visitors came from Philadelphia
and places distant from WI miugton.
Some wonderful cures are reported from
drinking the condensed water from this
spring.
DR.. Butterfeli, who attributes his re-
covery from Bright's disease from drink.
ing this water, 10 enthusiastic In lis
praise. 1t will be remembered that be
heard OF this spring while he was residing
In Nebraska, aGd s.ndinR for the water
he drank 1t and now he looks upon him.
self as one snatched from tile grave. He
has been spending several weeks at Mre.
Wicr's beautiful aud romantic country
residence investigating the secret of the
health-giviDg qualities of the spring. In
his searches he has found deposit on
the place, but q considerable di ,tance
from the spring, of the wonderful Peru
root, famous In Indian annals as q eat
disease curative. The doctor had some
OF this root made into a powder, and
when taken with drink of water OF the
spring IL has performed some almost
miraculous cures. 1t Is thought not im-
probable that the spring owes Its cura-
tive qualities to the deposit of this Peru
root In the hill, from which its waters
trickle. 1t is also thought that one of
the ingredients OF the water Is the Jumper
root. but this will all shortly be known
definitely by scientific analysis which
will soon be made.
DR.. Butterfield has gone West at the
present time on business but expects
soon to return and pursue bis investiga-
tions into the secret of the health and
life giving qualities of this now cele-
brated spring.
A representative of the REPUBLICAN,
and a friend, the latter armed with q
large quart bottle for carrying away
some OF the water Of the spring, visited
the place yesterday afternoo =, where they
were introduced by Mrs. Wier to Prof
Adolphus Hunt, an English gentleman
OF high scientific attachments, who is
travelling In the interests Of sc ence.
Professor Hunt has been doing up the
Paris Exposition, and after having taken
from the top of the Eiffel tower, he, with
his wife, wended their way over to the
United States.
While in New York be heard of Mrs
Wler's spring, ana thinking he could do
nothing better In the interests of science
and also In the interests of humanity. he
j came on TO see the spriug, take in its sur
B roundings and investigate Its healing
Y qualities. Professor Hunt is firmly con-
y vinced that there Is wonderful future
) ior the spring, and is surprised that the
] romantic surroundings have not long ere
this peen used us great health resort,
even II there were no extra healing quail.
Ties In the waters of this spring. He
Intends to go Into critical analyzation
OF the water, and IL his expectations are
torne out, he does not see why q SANTA
RUM cannot be erected on the beautiful
amphitheatro of hills that surround the
spring that shall become as famous a
health resort as Saratoga or any OF the
Spa water resorts.
Professor Hunt is q young man, and
with his education and acquaintance
with science aud scientific men of means.
1t need not be surprising to the citizens
OF Wilmington to find in the near future |
great sanitarium and national health |
resort In their midst, almost while they |
were sleeping over 1t and not dreaming |
oil the great advantages they possess.
Professor Hunt ia loud in his praise of |
the natural beauty OF the country
aroud Wilmington, and thinks the peo-
pie do not know how highly favored they |
are: During DR.. Butterfieid's stay at the |
residence OF Mrs. Wier he discovered an |
other spring across on the other side of I
the Philadelphia Pike that had At one
Time been wa led up, but since had filled |
up aud had been lost sight OF. 1t may
nave heen ustd by the first residents OF |
| tbs little one-story house standing on top |
OF gently uDdulating hill, and which, 1t |
is sad, was built 2l0 years ago. This |
little old house has been weather.
boarded, and little do passers by think |
that within the logs and joists are there |
to be seen that were put there by the |
friendly aid of the Wawasest Indians.
Tradition has 1t that this was medi- |
cine resort of the Indians, and tubes that |
were poor and lank wondered why It was |
that those who inhabited the Shellpot
hills and ranged along the Shellpot creek /
We're so fat and healthy. At last pity /
was taken upon the tribes that were poor
anu lank, aud they were told that If they |
would drink the waters of that spring |
they would become fat. Possessing the |
spirit of Naaman, the great Syrian com |
mander who disdained to bathe in the
Matere OF Jordan at the command of |
Elisha. the prophet, these Indians for a
tine laughed at the idea, but finally
drank, and they, too, became as fat as
their neighbors. The praise of the spring
now comes from more Intelligent sources
than from the native Indians, and vet
there seems to be wonderful agreement
between the science OF the present and
the crude practices of the aborigines.
Should sanitarium be established on
MIS-. Wier's property, and the health
giving qualities of this famous spring be
established, 1t cannot fail to become one
OF the most popular resorts in the coun-
Try. Being only three quarters OF a mile
from Edgemoor station. q shorter dis
tance from the B. g. o. road and only a
half mile from the terminus of the electric
railroad 1t will be easy Of access, and the
romantic country along the shcilpot and
brandywiue creeks will afford grand
romantic roads for rides for the patients.
There is undoubtedly grand future
ahead OF this embryo sanitarinm upon
the shellpot.