Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-02-20
WORLD FAMOUS HOT SPRINGS.
This Renowned Resort as Seen by On:
Fcllow-Citizen, WIN. Matthews.

This Renowned Resort as Seen ~ oa'
Fcllow.Citizen, WIN. Matthews.
To the Editor Of q the Enterprise !
At daylight we struck the Indian Ter
ritory-the Chickasaw's portion. This
is fino country; nice rolling land will
creeks and timber enough for all use
with great fields of fall wheat, some o.
them of as much as 200 acres. The land
is fenced and the improvements about
like ours. There are ull the indications
that tho people are industrious and do.
inp we'll There is nothing to Suggest
that the citizens are anything but civil,
lied people, VIII ich thoy are.
At or near Fort Smith, q large town
wo entered the state of Arkansas. The
country looks to mo "Godforsaken.'
Hills and points Of bluffs are covered
with brush and timber with no level land
of any considerable area. There are Lit.
tie towns all the way, full OF Niggers and
anpnrently "poor whites. In the yicin-
ity OF these towns are patches OF one or
two acree of corn and an acre or less
nrincipally less) Of cotton. / was kept
Honrinr nil the way through the wilder.
ness as to what the people lived on, but
am still in the dark. A.,
We got to and left Little Rock in the
dark and day was just dawning when we
arrived at the renowned Hot Springs.
How large this place IS do not know
vet. NV doctor told me not to be climb
ing over the hills, and replied that he
need not worry. Tho main street is
good one with lots Of fine buildings.
One hotel contains TAO rooms but at
present, the blood-sucking season, there
are only about 100 guests. The rates
run all the way from 81 to $50 per week.
The baths are the mainstay and sole
support Of the place-a town with gas,
electric lights and street cars. The
spring is on government reservatlon
and Uncle Sam has expended lot OF
money on hospital for soldiers and
for other buildings. The governments
controls the use OF the. water, charging
Sl5 year for each tub in the bath hous-
es, about 20 houses averaging 70 TUBS
each.
These houses are ornamental on the
outside and most conveniently arranged
inside. The charges are from e6 to $40
1Or Il Ddtus huu 81 u WON loA ossooN~
ance-single baths more. When you go
in and buy a ticket the clerk hands you
a drawer like the safety deposit affairs in
which you put your valuables. He locks
Il and hands you key on rubber baud
to mt on your wrist. The next ordeal is
a trying one to modest man like the
writer. know blushed. You go into
a dressing room with perhaps 20 or 30
men in all stages Of nudity-some with
bath robes, some with towels wrapped
around them and others without even the
traditional fig leaf II presume the latter
do not grow here). Here you undress,
hanging your clothes up; then You go
into the bath room, perhaps 10Ox5O feet.
Tho floor is made OF tiles and the room is
divided in to compartments with bath
tub in each. In these are two faucets,
one with water at 145 degrees the nor
NAL temperature), the other with water
TINT has been cooled. The attendant
turns the water on and fills the tub, reg
ulating the,heat rs ordered, ard you lie
down, stay in us long rs You desire, then
call him and he rubs you dry and you go
ont into the corridor OF the bath house
and lie down on wicker lounge. There
You remain us long us You are sweating
20 minutes to an hour-are again
rubbed down and return to the dressing
room, sitting there till your skin is about
dry, then dress and go home.
The water in the baths is about 09 de-
grees (blood heat, the air in tho bath
house about 90 and in the dressing room
about 50. While undergoing the sweat
ing operation you drink four or five cups
Of water ut 145 degrees. There nre also
vapor, hot mir and shower baths. You
take any, or all il you wish.
There is a pool on the reservation in
which have heard, there are rs high as
500 people bathe each day, but you have
you are INDECENT.
Any infringement OF the rules laid
down by Uncle Sam is punishable by
shutting oil the water from that house,
and it is nearly impossible to get il again.
WIN. MATTHEWS.