The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-08-20
HEALTH-SEEKERS PARADISE.
DIR. Andrews Writes Entertainingiy
of Hot Springs, South Dakota.


DEAR SIR: 1t may possibly be of a
little interest to some Of your readers
who have never visited the Black
Hills country and especially the fam.
Gus health resort, Hot Springs, South
| Dakota, TO read through your paper
a letter from one who has made few
personal observations. My object in
coming to this place was two-fold:
first, that Mrs. Andrews health
might have the benefit Of the natural
hot medicated baths: and sec
ond, that l might make personal in.
vestigation of the merits of Hot
Springs, South Dakota, as a health
resort, it's waters, it's climate, etc.
In these dayswhen everyone travels
more or less the description Of a trip
by rail is of little general interest,
suffice to say h0wever, that the train
service on the Chicago, st. Psul, Min
neapolis & Omaha, and the Fremont,
Elkhorn & Missouri Valley r. R. is
| most excellent snd the railroad Off
Gals untiring in their efforts to make
travel easy and pleasant for their pas
sengerS. Ill
Hot Springs is situated in the south
ern part of theSBlack Hills. The sit
uation is most romantic, nestled as it
is in the deep canon of Fall river, and
On the hills rising in places almost
experimentation the river. The
town has population Of 200. Its al
titudeis 3,400 feet above the sea level.
and about 800 feet lower than Den
| YER, and almost 3, 900 feet higher than
Hot Springs, Arkansas. The atmOs.
phere is clear and bracing, the pre-
| vailing windsare from the northwest
and are laden with the healthful bal
samic odors from the pine forests ly.
ing in that direction.
Out of the 365 days about $50 are
clear. bright and sunny. The average
summer temperature is 62 degrees
fahrenheit, while the days are hot in
the sun. the nights are cool and pleas.
ant. With these climatic conditions
it is delightful, healthful place, in.
dependent of its pure and wholesome
natural indicated waters, but it is
this latter that has made Hot Springs
famous as health resort.
The most famous springs here are
the Minnekahta and the Catholicon'
The Minnekahta is the original
spring to which the savage tribes
brought their sick for many miles tC
have them healed in these waters
The moccasin shaped tub cut from the
solid rock can yet be seen. AS the
water flows from the ground in these
springs, it has temperature of 9t
degrees fahrenheit, which is but little
less than the temperature of the hui
man body, and so perfectly does ii
hold insolution, the different salts
which medicate it, that it is the
clearest water have ever seen. The
| WdDC1 III OOUl1 vi UllOSS SPllhSS oOUo as
an aperentand diuretic, and the short
time that l have been here have OBJ
| served the excellent effect that drink
ing these waters freely and bathing in
| them have upon certain forms of rheu-
matism, neuralgia and skin diseases
People that live here tell me that
the winters are mild with bright clear
sunshine, aud but very little snow:
that the creeks and rivers are open
| the entire winter, and when it does
snow the snow does not lie on the
ground more than two or three days.
| With all these conditions present,
viz: the altitude, the mountain air,
the dry open winters, the bright,
clear sunny days, the mineral springs,
unrivalled for the excellence of their
waters, there is every reason to be-
lieve that Hot Springs, South Dakota,
will, in the near future, outrival the
celebrated Hot Springs of Arkansas,
for here we have an altitude of 3,40O
feet against Arkansas 900 feet; here
almost an absence of cloud and rain,
as against the damp, chilly winters
and hot humid summers of Arkansas.
1 ought not to dismiss this subject
without mentioning what is familiar
ly known as the big plunge, to distin-
guish it from a smaller one of the
same kind. This is large basin Is
feet wide by 250 long, and from 3 to
feet deep. From the bottom of this
basin is continually bubbIing up the
warm mineral waters to the amount
of 100000 gallons daily, This is SC
pure and clear that the smallest peb-
bile can be seen with distinctness
from any part of the basin. In this
delightful warm pool of water scores
of health and pleasure-seekers battle,
swim and frolic about every day. The
baths here are restful and enjoyable.
In the neighborhood of Hot Springs
the scenery is beautiful and in many
places grand, and there are places OF
exceeding interest to the lovers OF
nature. Among these are Cascade,
| 49, ,,o;loo =. LITTLE bod lond