Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-12-03
A GOOD AUTHORITY.
Dr. a. r. Mckay. of Chicago, Tells What
He Thinks of Our Climate and
Mineral WMters.


Mineral Waters.
Lying in IL canyon, by a brook, which /,
s'slips and slides and CLEANS and glldes'
all the year, untrammeled by ice, ac-
companie,l by the croalSing of the frog
in january, is the principal portion OF
HoT SPRINGS, among the Black Hills of
South Dakota. Climbing the some
what precipitous but altogether pic
turesque sides of this canyon toa height
of perhaps one hundred feet, you find
upon either side Il plateau or table
land, extending back to the foot of the
hills, which on all sides rise to the
height of from 1000 to 200 feet. afford
ing the shelter from the storms and
billiards, which give the chilling inn
preston SO universal when Dakota is
mentioned in polite society. The
characteristics of the waters OF this
brook or river. as it is dignitied with
the name of Fall River, are what gives
to Hot Springs it's name and fame.
yelling out from mother earth i'll
many places for u distance OF some
four miles, are springs of varying size
and qualities, but all of Il temperature
sufficiently above that of ordinary
spring water to be designated as hot
springs, the temperature averaging
about "a degrees Fahr These springs
vary in mineral qualities, and accord
ing to the traditions of the Indians,
and the oldest inhabitants. just as
much in their curative virtues. t.vi-
dences are numerous that these waters
were held in highest esteem by the ma
tives long before the advent of the
white man. and during my visit quitea
band of Sioux came tore ejuvenate them
selves in "NIinnekahta" (the hot waters)
and replenish their .waupum" with
the white mans silver by parting with
precious SiouNvenirs. 1t is but little
over IL decade since the Black Hills
passed from the formal possession OF
the red man, yet within that short per-
iod the entire region has been trans
formed into civilized communities,
teeming with agricultural, manufac-
turing and mining life. while Hot
Springs has been transformed into Il
a veritable "Carlsbad of America,
where meet doctors. clergymen. rail-
road magnates, and people from every
walk in life and every state i'll the
union to drink and bathe in its waters
in search of health. That many re-
markable cures have been effected
there can be no question. In the days
of crude and unscientiiic means OF APP
plying the waters, there were SO many
invalids who bathed and were made
whole that the average citizen OF Hot
Springs tells the invalid who comes t.
try the virtues of the waters, that he
or she has only to drink and bathe to
recover health and strength. This un
bounded faith leads many visitors to i'll
dulge too freely, and without due pre-
caution in the baths and water, which
if properly regulated, wonld prove ben
eticial, but which. in excess, may prove
injurious.
Hot Springs, with its fine hotels. it:
great plunge bath. its numerous mod
ern bath houses, it's substantial publl'
and private buildings. it's electric
light. telephone and water systems. is
surprise to tourist or invalid, who has
imagined the Black Hills to be Only thu
home of the Indian. the miner and thu
cowboy. and entirely beyond the pale
of modern civilization.
For years; many invalicis have visited
Hot Springs annually. and the major
ity have gone away greatly benltited o
cured of the ailments for which the.
came. Now the place has assumed al
SO the air OF ii pleasure resort as well
many visiting it for 10 particular reas
on, hut to enjoy Il pleasant outing AM
recuperation.
CLIMATE.
Hot Springs is i'm South Dakota
This fact is sufficient to condemn it
climate in the minds of those who ca
only associate the name Dakota wit
extreme heat in summer and eNtrem
COIu III WINTER. NOW tIle luSU Ii VIA
but very few people who have not pei
sonally experienced the climate of ID;
kota, can do it Justice. put be who con
founds the climate of the Black Hill
with that of Dakota i'll general. lack
that specific information which onl
should be the basis of judgment upol
the climate of any place. Likewise h
who confounds the climate of Ho
Springs with that of the Black Hill
region in general, depending upon til
statistics of the weather service acc,l
mulated at Deadwood, where the sci
vice was located for many years, an
which are used as Il basis of report
contained in the Denison Charts an
other works on climatology, will obtai
but a crude idea of the real condition