The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-08-04

ltS waters are oil crystal purity, and its
banks are lined with valuable farms in
the highest state OF improvement and
country residences unriyaled. Passing
upon and down its blue surface are
crafts OF every description known to the
commerce of the Great Lakes, the tom
mage being twenty times greater than
that Of the Hudson and surprising that
OF the entire Atlantic seaboard. Less
than an hour after embarking the party
found themselves going ashore at st.
Clair Springs and ascending the gentle
slope that leads to the broad verandas
OF the Oakland Hotel, three hundred
feet from the waters edge The boat
ride had slarpened appettes and but
little time was lost in sightseeing after
the DINING room doors We're thrown
open. The elegant dining room Mt the
Oakland seats 500 and it was pretty com
fortably filled. The management had
thoughtfully secured extra walters and
but very little delay was experienced
in waiting on the large company. The
dinner and supper was even better served
as of course the whole party were not all
on hand to be waited upon at once.
Taking it all in all, at no subsequent
stopping place on the trip or afterward
did the cXcursiOnists or association or
any part Of it receive the attention and
service, price considered, that Mess.
Clarke n RathbOne of the Oakland Hotel
gave them. The arrangements called
for breakfast, dinner, supper. and lodg
ing at Sl.00 each at this hotel. the rates
at which are $3.50 a day, but the party
was so much larger than expected that
the hotel. large as it is, could not accom-
modate them for lodging and conse-
quently they returned the same way they
came that night and slept in the Pull
mans. But all were satisfied to do so,
parting though they did with the Oak
land Hotel people and their charming
surroundings with regret. After three
such excellent meals for the paltry sum
of Sl0o it would have seemed like impo-
sition to have nights lodging thrown
| in.
The Oakland Hotel is an elegant struc-
ture 600 feet in length and compares
fayorably with the best OF similar hostel
rles either North or South. 1t was
built by W. S. Hopkins OF San Francisco
who Tor many years containinga Il grow
ing interest i'll the remarkable properties
of heihlneral waters from the Oakland
Spring. The postollce known as st. Clair
| Springs comprises the Oakland Hotel, its
hathhOnses, its cottages, villa, club
house, ETC., situated in the southern Inn
its of the city of st. Clair, Mich, on
the west bank of the st. Clair river, so
miles from Detroit and IL miles from
Port Huron. The hotel has every con-
venience which money can procure,
spacious and airy reception rooms and
parlors, finely furnished. a large concert
and ball room and broad yerandas TWEEN
ty feet wide that afford an uninternpt-
ed promenade one eigth Of mile in
length. The broad expanse of the beau
tiful river, a half mile in width, as it
glides past the Oakland and finds its
way south, presents an ever, changing
panorama of lake streamers, sailing YES
sells steamboats,, etc. of which the behoder
never tires. 10 our mind this is the one
feature OF the resort par excellence and
the one which makes it so attractive and
SO far superior to the average summer
resort. To kill ennui one can not only
fish, boat or battle, but boats stop every
hour or so on which trip can be made
up or down the river or to more distant
points on the Great Lakes. A very fine
orchestra OF six pieces is on hand ut the
hotel at all hours, and we will give it
the credit of being the best orchestra OF
any hotel wc visited while away. During
the day passed at the Oakland many of
the excursionists tripped the light fan
tastic--ts the saying is-to the harmonic
strains of this fine orchestra The water
from the springs at the Oakland is
known to commerce as Salutaris, and
the department for bGttling, packing
and shipping Salutaris water is one of
the interesting features of the place
Situated in the main corridor of the bath
house are two beautiful Salutaris fount-
aims, a one bubbling spring, the other a
syphon jet, at which Salutaris is drank
ad libitum by guests and 10y all who visit
the springs. Like all mineral waters It
has a queer taste, but the water even
when warm and in its natural state, has
a less Objectlonal taste than any we ever
drank. Most OF the party drank 1t with
a relish and others liked it so well that
, they took bottles Of it with them. We
regret to soy, however, that Tom Bishops
opinion of water, generally speaking
was not changed. The folk at the
springs say tue water is as healthful and
curative in its medical qualities as it is
good TO the taste. An illustrated pham-
plet Of this charming place can be hat
| at any time by addressing the Oakland
/ Hotel company, st. Clair Springs, Mich
The hotel is open all heycar around
. In the afternoon OF the day at st
| Clair, Commodore Mark Hopkins invited T;
I party of about twenty-or which Mrs.
t and the writer we're two of the farorct
( ones for ride Oh his elegant private
1 steam yacht Bonita, little floatint
: palace which cost the snug sum o
0 $4,000. The gentlemen were treate,
with The best the CnmOdore had in hi
3 locker. while the ladies were satisfied il
G viewing the beautiful little cabin aEt
| costly furnishings. A thirty-fve o
e forty mile ride was given tile party an,
one ana all thanked Comodore Ilopkin
/ personally for the pleasure lie had $
Q thougEtfully given them.
: The greatest submarine tunnel Oh I'll
y American continent is the internationa
: railroad tunnel under che st. Clair rive