Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-04-10
Some Observations of a Tribune Man
Who is Spending a Few Days
at That Resort.
The Country Between st. Louis and
Hot Springs Contrasted With
North Dakota.
A Beautiful Winter Resort That is
Particularly Popular With
Northwestern People.
a CITY of Hotels.

lioT SPRINGS, April 2.-[Special. "A
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. | never saw among like num-
Der of gentlemen and ladies a larger per
centage of strong, vigorous and healthy
looking persons. While bathing is the
popular fad 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 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 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, uninvting and
desolate. FL contrasted, as Ipassed! Through,
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 eighteen-hour ride from st. Louis
here and, with the exception of Little Rock
and one or two other cities, one does not
see new shingle or single sign Of recent
TLn chi Sc Il .)o
and rock, and covered with timber
Swamps are numerous and in the level
country everywhere there is nothing but
mud ana water The farmers, if they can
be called such, merely exist. Life, energy,
development, they know nothing about.
Ninety nine out of hundred of the houses
are small-about 14X1S. built on stills about
two feet from the ground to allow ventila.
tion and keep the building above "hgh
water mark Very few have modern
brick chimneys. The old.fashioned 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
the colored people, who seem to be more
energetic and in more prosperous condi-
tiOn than the whiteS-have a Sallow, sober,
uninteligent 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 ismalisWamps one comes suddenly
into mountainous regiOn--an up
heaval OF vari-colored rocks OF
irregular and curious shapes
the end of Joe Reynolds Diamond Joe,
deceased) railroad. formerly narrow
up the Ozark river into the Ozark range of
mountains and ends-in the gulch The
surroundings and the city resemble 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 $4,000 people perma-
nently located here and great deal of
building is going on. There are, however,
very few good residences. Until the last
two years the hotel accommodations were
limited, but now they are excellent. The
new hotels built last year by Minneapolis
tirstclass in every particular-the latter
tireproof. One has 300 and the other 400
rooms for gueStS-all elegantly furnished.
The spacious parlnrs, lobbies and recep-
tlOn rooms, with their myrladS of electric
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 northern man it appears de-
cidedly forward. The peach trees are in
bloom, the grass is green, flowers blooming
outdoors and the trees nearly in full
foliage.
At one of the eating stations on the Min
neapols Il st. Louis road-which seems to
be popular route from the northwest.
equailed only by the Burlington-I met
MIR. Hood, formerly of the Mandan mills.
He is now doing business in Iowa, but
complains of the effect OF granger legisla.
tion-its effect beng to unsettle business
and drive capital out of the state.
AS have mentioned, the country from
st. Louis to Hot Springs is very desolate.
| met Mr.. 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 war
and campaigned through Missouri. He
was then resident of Illinois. He says
the only prayer of the members of his reg
iment was that they would not die in Mis-
souri,. II they did, they wanted their re-