Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-06
FOR PLEASURE AND HEALTH.
The Beautiful Warm Springs Valley and
Its Contents.

Az EXTENSIVE RAILROAD PROJECT TO BUY UP
THE SPRINGS AND MoDERSIZE THEM-rHE DIFF
FERExT BATHS AND HOW THEY ARE TAKEN
POPULAR BATHING SUITS FOR THE LADIES.
Correspondents Of The EVENING STAR.
WARM SULPHUR SPRINGS
BATH COUNTY, VIRGINIA,
July 5, 1889.
The pleasant valley Of the Warm Springs
mountain Is violently excited over a matter
that profoundly affects its future well being
and service in the world So general is the
agitation that prevails in the well-watered
region Of imposing mountain scenery that
every hot, warm, and tepid puddle is stirred
to its mineralized depths by the commotion
unduly animating these good people. A live
business project has crossed the notch and its
proposals have changed all the face of nature
in prospective for the residents of this region.
The period in its history has come that ushers
in its grand opportunity for assured brilliant
achievements. Places well as persons have
their crises. Will this occasion be or not be
wisely improved is the popular local conuI-
drum?
1t is three weeks since the capitalist made
his bi-annual descent upon this Smile -in-extent
medicated region Of his desire. His party con-
sists of ladies and men come to spy out the
beautiful land and to test the gastronomic pos
sibilities of the cuisines of the mountain hos
telries. The comprehensive proposition of this
amiable magnate. who halls from Cincinnati, is
to connect the valley with the world beyond the
Alleghenies by railroad, buy up the warm"
hot and healing" springs properties Gas
they are locally abbreviated) and develop the
therapeutical possibilities of the waters,
1T up the hotels with all the luxurious modern
appliances and then invite the world in to be
cured OF their ailments, delighted with the
prospects and strengthened and refreshed in
the mountain air. No more sailing to Europe
for her Carlsbad, Pfeffers, Wildbad, Plombieres
and other waters when this region is once
opened to the public. Not that, in all hkeli-
hood, people will be any more benefited or
more comfortable under the proposed new
regime than under the present arrangements,
but more people will be benefited because of
increased accommodations for an increased
number Of guests and the increased facilities of
travel that will bring the valley into the regu-
lar highway.
ONE OF THE PRIME CHARMS
of the place is its old-time style of life in many
ways, a style that is totally incompatible with
any other but stage coach travel. The ro-
mantle tourist can never superinduce the same
poetic decisions in place at which he arrives
in all the furry and hustle of a steam car that
he can evolve when he is set down pleasantly
bruised from a long wagon ride. Fashion-rid-
den people love to escape for season to the
simpler modes of life and surroundings. Be
sure that with the laying of the railroad here
the modern accessories OF the spas will soon
follow IN Its shining wake, and horse racing,
gambling, electric lights, summer opera
troupes. the professional elocutionist. and the
base ball games and the daily paper will soon
change this Eden quiet and retirement into the
pandemonium of everyday life elsewhere and
men will sigh for the good old sleepy time that
has departed from the mountain forever.
RAILROAD PROJECTS
As intimated above railroad projects are not
novelties to the people of the valley. Several
routes have been chosen and several SURVEYS
made in past years. and the tidy surveyors with
theodolites, field glasses, chains. poles, and all
the paraphernalia of a civil engineering outfit
are familiar figures hereabout. Rairoaders'
talk has been freely passed about. and the ma
uyes are posted in the technical advantages of
zig-zag, crooked. single-track roads over dou-
bic track, nickel-plated direct lines as laid
down by their respective partisans. They
know all about steep, low and easy grades and
terminal points, and the village blacksmith is
nigh authority upon the original cost of the
rolling stock and the yearly sustaining expense
thereof for the whole road. Heretofore these
quiet proprietOrs of conservative tastes have
given no encouragement to the railroad bust
ness. To all enthusiastic schemes they have
presented imperyious fronts of total
indifference They might build their
railroads If they chose, they did not want a rail-
road with Its excitements and blackguardism
They preferred to hive as they were" and so
on. The new company presents bold front
Like the Nevada miner with the italian count
and bis castle, they propose to buy the whole
property and run the entire valley on a grand
scale never dreamed about here. The landed
proprletors cannot decide to accept nor to re-
fuse so brilliant an offer in a day. So the pro-
moter has gone back to Cincinnati to give them
thirty days to think it over. and he has the sole
option OF the purchase for that space.
THE SPRINGS
of this eight-mile section of valley are yarious
in degrees of heat, as the names testify, the
hot" warm" and 'tepid" or healing" and
also in mineral properties. Each place is
full-fedged watering resort of many years
standing, and the nearest one to the railroad is
the warm, fifteen miles from Millboro' the
nearest railway station. The modes of bathing
at each place are also diverse. At the Warm
Springs the buildings are conveniently situated
IN the spacious grounds of the hotel that lie
upon the gentle slope of a secondary mountain
The mems bath is an octagon, 40 feet in diane
ter and l20 feet in circumference Attached to
the big plunge bath are douche and spout
baths, cold water, plunge and shower baths.
and an engine has been introduced that en-
aoles the attendant to give hot spout bath as
hot as l2O degrees F. The sirens retreat is a
circular bath, 80 feet in diameter and $50 in
circumference. The building is two stories
high and the yauted roof has a circular OMEN
lug, through winch the birds nv In and out, and
build on the rafters inside. Around the pool
runs narrow platform, and opening from it
are twenty dressing rooms and several private
baths. A tidy bath maid is In constant at
tendance.
AMONG THE MERNAIDs.
Bathing suits may be purchased here but
eae regulation costume is so simple that the
style is not adopted by all the bathers Flan-
mel Is entirely too weighty for the water The
suit furnished at the bath is made of cotton or
calico, and is a sleeveless, decolette trunk. very
scant In cut and having briefest legs No
hosiery Is ever worn. But all sorts of combi-
nation muslin underwear may be seen upon
bathers immersed in the opaline waters and
lace-trimmed things and night-dresses are
worn and the old-time low-necked floating che
mise Is much in vogue bathing-dress in the
warm sulphur spring. The water which is five
teet deep IN the POOLS clear and sparkling and
the temperature, So. is most luxurious The
bath Is taken in the living spring. and the gas
bubbles break against the skin as thew rise
with the spray from the earth curious
property OF the water is that all figures looked
at when under its surface show ridicu-
lousy fore-shortened like reflections
seem IN convex polished metal vessels.
so dense Is the water that the entire weight can
be supported upon the hands on the rope and
one can cross the pool without touching bot
tom with the feet Miss Hopkins daughter OF
the resident physician here performs some
wonderful aquatic feats She ia AN accom-,