Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-10-04
Eureka Health Resort.
A UNIQUE TOWN IN ARKANSAS.
THE LIKE OF WHICH Is NOT
FOUND IN THE UNITED
STATES.
Its Life-iiying Waters are PamOus the
World Oyer-The Missouri Editors
Entertained in u Hand. m
Mauner-CreScent Hotel
Always Popular.

At the close of the meeting of the
Missouri Press Association, at Leba-
non. Saturday, September 2nd, its
members, in accordance with previous
programme, boarded the Frisco train
for Eureka Springs, where we arrived
at IL O'Clock p. m. of the same day.
At the depot We were met by a large
delegation of citizens with a brass
band of sixteen pieces. Through the
courtesy of Mr.. J. W. Hall, of the Eu-
reka Springs Transfer Company, who
placed his carriages at our disposal,
we soon found ourselves ascending the
Crescent mountains, upon the summit
of which, on an elevation of 500 feet
above the depot, is situated the Cres-
cent Hotel. From the time We left
the depot until we reached the hotel
every revolution of u carriage
wheels lifted us higher and higher
and as we neared the summit the
lights from hundreds of windows in
the deep valley below and on the
sides of the opposite mountain pre-
sented q beautiful picture, which was
only surpassed by d sight that sud-
denly revealed itself as we made a
sudden turn in the road. What should
it be but a veritable "Castle in the
Air" with hundreds of lights gleam-
ing from five lines of windows mark
ing each story and extending along its
facade of 240 feet. Some II sudden
iy cried, ''TheCrescent. "TheCrescent'
while another exclaimed, There's a
light in the window for me-" which
soon proved literally true for all OF us.
Through the thoughtfulness of the
manager we were all assigned to our
rooms on the train by chief clerk
Cheseldein, who met US at Monet, so
upon arrival all we had to do was to
register and be shown to our rooms.
We will now put the members of the
Association to bed and give q brief
description of the Crescent Hotel.
It's architect was Isaac Taylor, of
st. Louis, who, by the way, was the
architect of the magnificent new
Planters House, lately erected and
opened there. The Crescent was
built by the Eureka Improvement
Company in 1886. at a cost, including
furniture and equipment, of $3.50, 900.
1t is 2i0 feet long, 100 feet deep and
five stories high and is built from
foundation to caves of q beautiful
white stone, taken from quarries lea
by; wide verandas three stories high,
extend along the east and west fronts.
The south veranda is tw~enty-four feet
wide, connecting with the roof of the
ten-pin alley, which is floored and on
the same level, although affording a
promenade of 124 feet in length.
The interior is as beautiful and at
tractive as the exterior. In the center
of the rotunda is an unique fireplace,
not built INTO the walls as is usual, but
standing out by itself with open space
all around it. Over the mantle piece
cut upon the face of a slab of native
red marble, is the following appro-
pirate inscription, composed by Gen1
Clayton:
Although upon a summer' day
You'll lightly turn from me away;
When autumn leaves are scattered wide
Youu often linger by my side;
But when the snow the earth doth cover
Then you will be my ardent lover.
The dining room is 40 feet wide by
100 feet long, all clear space without
columns, and al comfortably seat 800
guests. The rooms are largeand well
lighted, from the windows of which
beautiful views can be seen. The
hotel is of course supplied with an ele-
yator and all other modern improve
ments. The grounds cover an area of
about twenty acres and are artistical-
ly laid out. On the east front is a
broad terrace laid out in walks, flower
beds and croquet grounds. In front of
this terrace sloping eastward are six
acres of shaded park carpeted with a
iuxuriant growth of blue grass. On
the east of the ten-pin alley promen-
AIDE is an enclosed park containing
fifteen head of deer; on the west side
is u shaded park and tennis court. 1t
can be safely said that the Crescent
afforded q most agreeable surprise to
every member of the Association who
had not seen it before. Expecting to
find q wooden structure, such as ia
usually built at resorts, we fOund a
massive stone building more durable
and handsome than any we know of
between the Alleghenies and the Pa
cific coast; and we can %truthfully say
that its cuisine and all its appoint
ments are In keeping with the house
it Is first-class in every particular.
After breakfast Sunday morning by
courtesy of the citizens we visited
many places of interest, some in earri-
ages and others on horseback. The
writer was one of a cavalcade of sixty
ladies and gentlemen, who with Gen.
Clayton at their head as guide, sailed
forth on an exploring expedition. We
first rode through the part of the city
located upon the top of the mountain,
about a mile In extent, passing by the
Thatch Cottage, q small but very pop
ular hotel kept by Capt. Ut. Waddill.
On the way we passed many hand
some private cottages. At the southern
limits of the city we entered a deep
gorge which led to the Oil Spring, q
very romantic spot surrounded by
great overhanging rocks. At the bot
tom of this gorge we came to the val
ley of the West Iaatherwood creek
where is located the engine house and
reservoir of the City Water Works,
now in urse of construction. The
boiler aud engine house, q substantial
stone structure, is now under roof and
the immense dam of masonry sixteen
feet thick and thirty-three feet high
is about half done. The reservoir viii
cover about ten acres and will be fed
by a number of springs, whose water
will be pumped into an iron water
tower on the top of the mountain.
The entire system will cost 800, 600
and is to be completed by the LIST of
January next.
The city is also putting in a complete
system of sewerage, six miles of which
is already finished, the whole to be
done this year. Both water-works and
sewerage are paid for by taxation and
will belong to the city when finished.
The cost of these two enterprises, borne
by y population of less than 5000 peo-
pie during the hard times when other
cities have suspended their public
works, furnishes the best evidence OF
the prosperity OF Eureka Springs and
the enterprise of her citizens.
From the water-works we rode up q
deep gulch, thanked on each side by
steep mountains, beneath the almost
impenetrable shade OF great forest
trees, to the Arsenic spring. This
spring eunerges from q ave at the
foot OF 3 perpendicular, senlj-ircular
rock 500 feet high-a beautiful and
romantic spot. Then we commenced
the ascent OF the mountain and our