The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-04-11
FROM TO- SPRINGS.
Some Observations of a Tribune Man
Who is Spending a Few Days
at That Resort.
The Country Between st. Louis and
Hot Springs Csntrasted With
North Dakota.
A Beautiful Winter Resort That is
Particularly Popular With
Northwestern People.
A City of Hotels.
from Bismarck Tribune, 9th inst.

A City of Hotels.
From Bismarek Tribune, 9th inst.]
Hot SPRINGS, April Especial. IA
mistaken impression exists regarding the
Hot Springs-a prevailing idea that it is
the mecca for the halt, the crippled, the
invalid and impure only. This may have
been true of the Hot Springs of ten years
ago but it is not true of the Hot Springs OF
to-day. l never saw among a like num-
Der of gentlemen and ladies a larger per
centage of strong, vigorous and healthy
looking persons. While bathing is the
popular fad l do not suppose that over one
in ten of the $4,000 strangers here are really
in need OF these particular waters.
However, whether it be the waters or the
climate, or both, there is a something about
the surroundings that is enervating and
the person in former good health feels
benefits to a greater degree than he had
dreamed Of.
The Hot Springs has a delightful Spring
climate; the state of Arkansas has the Hot
Springs and that's all there is of it. The
country between st. Louis and Hot
Springs is Cod-forsaken, %uninviting and
desolate. II contrasted, as Ipassedthrough,
the condition of the North Dakota farmer
with these poor, ignorant wretches who
are eking out an existence down
here-and some portions of Mis-
souri, are but little better.
1t is an e%ightecn-hour ride from st. Louis
here and, with the exception of Little Rock
and one or two other cities, II does not
see a new shingle or a single sign of recent
improvement. The soil is red clay, gravel
and rock, and covered with timber
Swamps are numerous and in the level
country everywhere there is nothing but
mud anu water. The farmers, if they can
be called such, merely exist. Life, energy,
development, they know nothing about.
Ninety-nine out of a hundred of the houses
are small-about AXIS. built OH stills about
two feet from the ground to allow ventila.
ton and keep the building above thigh
water mark" Very few have uLapOu
brick chimneys. The Old-fashi0ned out
side chimney prevails everywhere. The
roads are unimprOved and barns, sheds,
bridges and houses, having once fallen
down or gone to decay by age, are never
repaired or replaced. The n~atives-except
the colored people, who seem to he more
energetic and in a more prosperous c0ndi-
ton than the whites-have a sallOW, sober.
uninte!Iigent appearance, and the women
and children are particularly scrawny, poor
ly clad and sickly-looking. All OF TINS sur
rounding a resort crowded with the elite of
the whole United States, in search OF
health, pleasure and rest. Passing through
these dismaiiswamps II comes suddenly
into a mountainous region up
irregular and curious shapes
the end of Joe Reynolds Diamond Joe,
deceased) railroad, formerly a narrow
gauge, but now standard. The road runs
uD the Ozark river into the Ozark range of
mountains and ends-in the gulch. The
surroundings and the city resemble a min
ing camp. Long streets running up ra.
vines-just wide enough for two rows of
buildings and a street-mountain streams
running in every direction and no cross
streets.
There are probably 10000 people perma-
nently located here and a great deal Of
building is going on. There are, however,
very few good residences. Unit! the last
two years the hotel accommodations were
limited, but now they are excellent. The
new hotels built last year. by Minneapolis
parties-the Eastman and the Park-are
first-class in every particular-the latter
tireproof. One has 800 and the other 400
rooms for guests-all elegantly furnished.
The spacious parlnrs, lObbies and recep-
ton rooms, with their myrlads OF electrlc
lights, are simply gorgeous. Nothing finer
in the country. Bands OF music playing
day and night and everything made as at
tractive as possible.
The season here is said to be backward.
although to a northern man it appears de-
cidedly forward. The peach trees are in
bloom, the grass is green, flowers blooming
foliage.
At one of the eating stations on the Min
neapolis & st. Louis road-which seems to
be a popular route from the west.
equailed only by the Burlington-1 met
Mi. Hood, formerly Of the Mandan mills.
He is now doing business in Iowa, but
| complains of the effect Of granger legisla
tion-its effect being to unsettle business
| and drive capital out of the state.
AS l have mentioned, the country from
st. Louis to Hot Springs is very desolate.
l met a MI. Dobbin of Minneapolis on the
train. He is a lawyer OF some prominence
there-and. by the way, an old acquaint-
ance of Editor Kellogg. he was in the wal
was then a resident of Illinois. He says
the only prayer of the members Of his reg
iment was that they would not die in Mis-
souri,. If they did, they wanted their re-
mains taken across the Mississippi river.
Many of the backwoOds Arkansans still
think they are living in the South. They
have no conception OF what has taken
place in the past few years.
One cannot turn around here without
meeting someone from the northwest
Auditor Bray and Editor Kellogg. have
been spending a few days at Potash-Sul-
phur springs, eight miles from here. Kee
has been living too high. or something, ano
his digestion is off. He says the waters q
potash.sulphur are bringing him out al
right. Bray is seeking rest and finds thu
quiet of the mountain side about right. He
goes out regularly each day TO hold com
muniOn with the robbins and bluebirds
and rest himself upon the messy, aowerl
bank of some spring, from whose health
giving lotions he partakes freely.
Secretary Flittie didn't like it here: HI
became lonesome and morOse and longet
for more noise and more excitement. HI
took a couple of baths and lost his appe
tite, and when a man who has lost his ap.
petite sits down to a table loaded with sucl
good things to eat-as at the Park-ant
can't eat, he's in awful misery. Flitti'
went to st. Louis Tuesday and will ren,ail
there a few days at the Southern. Arm
,trnnn fho ,uhoIocoIo 1lunOr man Of Crane