The evening times., 1899-10-06

lie yesterday, is one OF the most interest
ing documents received this year by The
Secretary of the Interior.
The superintendent, William ]. Little,
reviewing the conditions CT this most i'm
portaut Government reservation, says the
number of persons visiting Hot Springs Tor
health and pleasure during the year has
been by far the largest in the history of
the place The hotels and bathhouses have
done a large business, and those using the
baths have been greatly benefited.
Congress in 1882 set aside four sections
Of land embracing the hot waters and re-
served them for future disposal of the
United States. The hot waters attracted
considerable attention from the Indians,
even at an earlier period. The earliest
settlers set up separate claims to this land,
embi acing all the hot waters.
Ia 1881 ,Sese claims began 10 come
prominently before the courts, and from
that time on until they were finally de-
cided adversely by the Supreme Court OF
the United States they attracted national
attention. In the meantime considerable
population had settled on the original re-
sarvation, having acquired a shadow OF IT,
tie from the original claimants. Thls con-
dition brought about the necessity for the
act Of Congress March 8, 1877, authorizing
commissioners to survey and lay oat the
land in blocks, lots, streets, etc., AMI pass
upon The rights Of settlers 10 purchase
their claims at a price fixed by the Gov
ernment. Thus tracts and parcels OF lan1
were sold TO the claimants except 40 iots,
the title to which remained in the Govern
ment- BY the act Of Congress June 10,
1850. the mountainous districts OF the Hot
Springs reservation, known as Nolth
Mountain and West Mountain, together
with Hot Springs Mountain, were forever
reserved from sale and dedicated TO pub
lie use as parks to be known as the Per-
maneEt Reservation. These comprise
g11.13 acres.>
The hot springs, seventy three in num-
Der. issue from the side and base of Hot
Springs Mountain, the waters from each
being secured at the source and conveyed
I through pipes laid underground 10 the
lighthouses and reservoir. For the daily
supply of the bas shhouses 5SS,o0e gallons
are required. the supply for each tub he
: ing Loco gallons per day. Other no; water
under control is about 100000 gallons, ana
( is conveyed through pipes TO the impound-
ing reservoir. and discharged through il
into Hot Springs Creek. AT present the
daily supply of hot water under control IS
I $50. .O09 gallons. With careful management
] Superintendent Little says. l,oe0OO0 gal
4 Ions could be saved in twenty-four hours
with the increased attention directed
( to Hot Springs" says the superintendent,
! comes the demand for more speelhc in
/ formation. Especially is this noted IN the
1 enquiries for an authoritative analysis OF
the hot waters. quautitative analysis
made by Prof. f. II. Larkin, OF St Louis,
/ gives 5 II grains of mineral constituents
/ TO the gallon. The temperature OF the wa
| Ter analyzed was 145 degrees.
.'Out of the ninety-odd doctors practie-
! ing here, about une-haH openly employ
! drummeTs or other means not recognized
! by the medical profession for getting their
patients. They form fraternity win the
/ hundred or more drummers, whose busl-
ness il is 10 get every stranger they can
/ TO the doctor Rho will pay the most for
/ this service, regardless Of his qualifications
! or standing. Here they induce the sirang-
! er. if possible 10 pay for q months medical
/ treatment in advance, usually S25 10 $40,
which is divided with the drummer, and
! the stranger sent with him farther down
/ the line 10 the drug store and the bath
! house if they have one On their list, often
! with the advice from the doctor that the
waters at the lighthouse, where they pro-
/ pose TO sell him again, are better Tor his
particular complaint than any other 1t Is
owing to these reasons, which are perpetu-
ated by the drumming doctors and drum
! ers. that baIhhouse drumming obtains 10
any considerable extent in Hot Springs.
! Whenever the nefarious practices of the
drumming doctor can be eliminated, then
VIII the balance pass away.
The prices which the different bath
houses may charge for baths are subject
! TO approval and revision by the Secretary
1 of the Interior. and are in all cases regu-
/ lated by the class of bathing aecommoda-
/ tions each house is in position to furnish,
| the newer and better equipped houses of
course being allowed to charge higher
/ prices than those of less modern build and
! inferior equipment. The scale OF prices in
/ force at present are fixed prices, and may
not be deYiated from by any bathhouse.
/ The services of bathhouse attendants are
! intended TO cover all the necessities OF the
bath mercury Iaunderying bath robes, rub
! bling mercury, and handling helpless inya-
| lids They are allowed by the department
to charge for their services, as follows
! For a single bath, Is cents; one week. at
tendance Is cents and for a course of
twenty-one baths, $3.50. Extraordinary
service may be had by agreement with the
attendants themselves or the managers of
| the bathhouse.
~The free bathhouse is operated Under
| the provisions of the act of Congress ap-
proved December 16, 1878 which provides
that the superintendent shall supply suf-
ficient number OF free baths for the in
digent poor. The hard usages to which
this house has been put for the past sew
eral years has necessitated extensive re-
pairs, which have been made during the
| past year. The character of the persons
| furnished baths since my last report has
| been much the same as that previously
| described being as a rule the paupers and
very poor people from all over the United
| States, in many cases sent here by the
charity of the communities in which they
| lived. They come suffering from all man
| ner of diseases and without the means of
| procuring medical advice or medicines or
evef shelter after they arrive; but they
continue TO come and bathe in the hot wa
| tiers, and a large majority of them get
we'll ! have stated in my annual reports
| for the past several years that we either
cure or greatly benefit IS per cent of all
the persons to whom We furnish baths at
! the free bathhoase. / see no reason TO
change this estimate now unless it would
| be to increase il.
The whole number of baths given dur
| ing the year has been 147.713, the daily
average for the time during which the
house was open for bathing being 52S, di-
vided as follows: White men, 344; white
| women. 81; colored men, III; colorea
\ women, &C."
Addicks' Fire LOSSES
| WILMINGTON, Del, Oct. 6.-The large
| harm one of the largest in the Country m