The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-06-11
The City of Healing Waters.
NOVEL SIGHTs-THE DONKEY CANAL
CADE-THE HORSEBACK PARTIES
DIAMONDS DIRT CHEAP. ETC.
Hot SPRINGS, ARK, !
June 8, 1890

VI wv hap ho'NA al" Su''o"S
sights to be seen on the streets of this
city the donkey cavalcade is not the
least amusing. Caparisoned in snowy
of saddle and bride, saddle
blanket of flaming red, with yard Of
broad blue ribbon about the neck and
a knot of crimson stuff around the tail,
these donKeys, lean and fat, patient
and humble-aud they are certainly
possessed in the extreme of both Of
those latter characteristics-mounted
by boys, and sometimes girls, appear
every evening, struggling along the
main street to the number of 40 and
so. Picturesque undoubtedly is their
appearance as one sees them from afar
1t is a procession that moves slowly,
too much so for some of the riders evil
IDENTIFY, as they lean backward and
vigorously thump the rear portions Of
the animal they bestride. And the
humble donkeys mind not these ap,
peals to their speed hnt keep on un-
disturbed at the funeral pace they in
variably adopt at the start.
The strolling photographer, so ubiq-
uitous, makes much of the grouping
effectively of these wild (7) riders and
steeds. lie will choose some spot, in
his opinion wildly beautiful, at the
base Of the mountain, or in some
lonely hollow, then he will marshal
bis cavalry in becoming array, caution
them every one to remain tranquil
doukeys and riders sand snap his
camera upon the scene he thus partly
The pictures which result are fire.
qnentlv sold at 35 cents EACH
Shrewd photographer! Vast in num-
Der are moneymaking ways.
More digultied than the above des-
scribed are the horse back parties
which have an outing daily. These
are aristocratic in style: tall hats and
sweeping habits for the ladies, riding
suits for the gentlemen, and splendid
looking, shining fast horses for all.
Chatter, clatter, down the long ave-
nue., which is q favorite thoroughfare,
where one can see and be seen, rushes
the gay, laughing party. Livery sta
bic charges and private hacks and car
riages are high, away up. You can't
rent horse for less than So or So for
an afternoon and evening, and car
rage hire is two dollars an honr. 1t
need hardly be said that the man of
limited resources never rides or drives.
There are numerous interesting pla-
ces in the vicinity of Hot Springs
where those who wish a days outing
may so and enjoy themselves at very
little expense. Hacks run to and fro
and the fore ranges from 25 cents to
81 for the round trip, according to
distance. Some of these pleasure re-
sorts, / understand are we'll worth 60
ing to see, Nature has been so prod
ical in various ways in identifying
their surroundings.
They rejoice in peculiar, high
sounding style of nomenclature, too,
snch as, Mountain Valley" "Hell's
Half Acre "The Thousand Dripping
Springs" and many others.
What a town this is for shops i
Shops in the most out of the way
uooks, together with booths and
fakirs' stands, crowd each other for
space at some points; elsewhere they
occur at irregular intervals and lend a
curious aspect to the whole.
The gentry who occupy the small
shops aud the glib fakirs who preside
over their roughly and hastily con-
structed counters, which are generally
dry goods boxes, the smoothest side
are all dealers in diamonds.
Yes, indeed, dealers in diamonds; and
yon can purchase from anyone of them
a very large diamond, to be sure, for
as little as IS cents.
Unfortunately, houeyer, owing to
something which the genuine jewel
possesses in its make up and which is
absent in this Hot Springs qualify (fol
these | write of are all found within q
twenty mile radius of Hot Springs) it
the latter, does not emit that CLEAN
and glitter which distinguishes "le era
byou," but looks rather Opaque and
dull; very much like a chunk of the
bottom of a broken beer-glass.