Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-12-17
A GOOD AUTHORITY.
Dr. a. +. Mckay. of Chicago. Tells What
He Thinks of Our Climate and
Mineral Waters.
Lying in a canyon, by a brook, whicl

~
Lying in a canyon, by a brook, which
.'slips aud slides and CLEANS and glldes"
all the year, untrammeled by ice, at
companied by the croaking of the frog
in January, is the principal portion of
Hor 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 a plateau or table
land, extending back to the foot of the
hills, which on all sides rise to the
height of from 1000 to 1900 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 in
many places for IL distance of some
four miles. are springs of varying size
sufficiently above that of ordinary
spring water to be designated as hot
springs, the temperature averaging
about 81 degrees Fair. 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. Evil
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 to re juvenate them
selves in "Minnekahta' (the hot waters)
and replenish their "waupum' with
the white mans silver by parting with
precious SiouNvenirs. 1t is but little
over "A 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,
l uSCIllluS Mltu uSIlCuiOUiiIs Iulttittlls1C-
turing and mining life. while Hot
Springs has been transformed into Il
Il vcritahle "Carlsbad of America"
where meet doctors. %clersymen. rail
road masnates. and people from every
walk in life and every state in the
union to drink and battle in it's waters
in search of health. That many re-
malkable cures have bcen effected
there can lie no question. In the days
of crude and u%nscientiiic means of APP
plying the waters, there were so many
invalids who bathed and we're made
whcle,that the average citizen of Hot
Springs tells the invalid who comes to
try the virtues of the waters, that he
or she has only to drink and battle to
recover. health and strength. This UNI
bounded faith leads many visitors to in
dulge too freely, and without due pre-
caution in the baths and water. which.
if properly regulated. would prove ben
eticial, but which. in excess. may prove
injurious.
Hot Springs. with its fine hotels. its
great plunge bath. it's numerous mod
ern bath houses, it's substantial public
and private buildings. it's electric
light. telephone and water systems, is
Il surprise to tourist or invalid, who has
imagined the Black Hills to beonly the
home of the Indian, the miner and the
cowboy. and entirely beyond the pale
of modern civilization.
For years many invalids have visited
Hot Springs annually, and the major
ity have gone away greatly identified OF
cured of the ailments for which they
came. Now the place has assumed al.
so the air of a pleasure resort as we'll
many visiting it for no particular reas'
on, but to enjoy a pleasant outing and
recuperation.
CLIMATE,
Hot Springs is in South Dakota
This fact is sufficient to condemn its
climate in the minds of those who car
only associate the name Dakota with
extreme heat in summer and extreme
cold in winter. Now the fact is that
but very few people who have not per
sonally experienced the climate of Da
kota. can do it justice, but he who con
Pounds the climate of the Black Hills
, with.that of Dakota in general, lacks
that specific information which only
!, should be the basis of Judgment upor
the climate of any place. Likewise he
who confounds the climate of Ho1
Springs with that of the Black Hill.
region in general. depending upon the
statistics of the weather service accu
INFLATED at Deadwood, where the ser
vice was located for many years, ant
which are used as a basis of report!
J contained in the Denison Charts ant
! other works on climatology. will Obtain
but IL crude idea of the real condition
y ~ ~ l:,-A, ,.L:.l 80. "A II-I C-,:,-e