Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-13
~ExcnLs1oR SPRINGS. NO.
The Most Delightful Resort in
the West,

The members of the Missouri
Press Association have visited
many watering places but never
have they visited a more delightful
spot than Excelsior Springs, where
they Spent a couple Of days last
week.
Excelsior Springs is a town of
1900 inhabitants, in Clay county,
on the main line ofthe Chicago, Mil
waukee & st. Paul Railway; distant
from Kansas City twenty-five miles.
1t has good hotels, numerous priv
ate clearinghouse with pleasant
rooms, the finest of schools, school
library of 1000 volumes and good
churches, nearly every denomina-
ton being represented. Excelsior
Springs has gained its present
population solely on the merits ofits
mineral springs, whose miraculous
cures have made them famous
throughout the United States. The
site ). which Excelsior Springs
u 1880, a wheat
field, and from that time sHii De-
cember, 1887, building material,
provisions and all supplies required
in the community, were hauled in
wagons over the worst of the coun-
try roads from railroad towns, ten,
twelve and fifteen miles distant; in
the same manner, nvalids and Wis
iters CAST year numbering over
5000 were brought to this place.
Despite these advantages and with
no advertising save testimony by
word of mouth from those who had
been benefited, the population in
creased beyond the widest expec-
tations of its friends. AS an evil
dence of what will be done this
season, we will state that on March
Is, 1888, ferty-two az buildings
were in course of erection.
This year the great Chicago, Mil
waukee & st. Paul Railway system
is at the door with its assurance of
low rates from all parts of the
United States, and the special feat
ure of almost hourly trains between
the Springs and Kansas City. The
Excelsior Springs Company Capital
$500, O00), has completed a magnifi-
cent hotel, "The Elms," of two
hundred rooms. 1t is located IN a
gentle slope that stretches from
the base of a range of beautiful
wooded hills down to the rapid
little river which soon hides itselfin
the cool shade of stately elms. 1t
has been the endeavor to build a
perfect sanitarlum, and nothing
that could add to comfort has been
omitted; incandescent electric
lights, call bells, fire alarm, and
steam heat in each room; passenger
elevator, spacious public rooms,
broad corridors; great roomy dining
rooms, 40 by 100 feet; verandas 16
feet wide around the entire struct-
ure and the whole richly and luxu-
riously furnished. More than
twenty acres of grounds surround
ing the hotel have been laid out in
terraces, walks and lawns, insuring
the invalid and seeker for rest, of
privacy and freedom from dust
and noise. The West Side of the
town, near the hotel, has been laid
out in generous style, with wide
streets and alleys, large lots, parks
and a perfect sewerage system that
discharges all waste into the river
a mile below. Encircling this
district is a drive so feet wide and
one mile and a quarter in cir
cumference. The hill-sides around
are dotted with cottages almost
hidden in the masses Of foliage;
broad avenues lead by easy grades
and graceful curves along the hills
to the very submits, making a
chain of drives and parks that for
varied beauty and picturesqueness
can nowhere be exeeIled. We
know OF no more deservedly popu-
lar resort anywhere in the west.
Had ~olo no,,hla Hornacc at