Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1903-06-12
\ VISITORS VIEWS.
"A Vermonter Greatly Enjoyed Hot
Springs and Surroundings

the winter, and wrote an interesting
letter of his sojourn to the Nortl
Adams, Mass, Transcript, from whicl
we make the following extract:
"The next stop was at Hot Springs
South Dakota, which is great resor
for health and divorce seekers. stayet
there five weeks and found a most re
markable climate for region so ia
north. The mercury was below zero
few times, but is generally 30 to A
above in the winter. All around il
every direction it was very cold, bu
the warm springs (there are thousand
OF thcm) and the peculiar shape of tn,
mountains seem to affect the tempera
ture. The streets were dusty all durins
the month OF February. They have
tradition about the Indians comins
there to bathe, and show their origina
tub hewn out of the solid rock. If the
tub was in the cast should say it was
made of Portland cement, but as west
erners won't lie, their version must be
accepted.
"1he morning after arrived there
| went into the leading dry goods store
and who should come to wait on me
but Harry Phillips, who left North Ad
ans seven years ago. We we're both
glad to see each other. I was the first
person he had seen from home since
he went there. Mrs. Phillips is the
daughter of the venerable Elmer
Gleason of Stamford, vt. They have a
pleasant, happy home where they en-
tertained me several times and I can
testify that she learned to cook in
Vermont.
Representative Martin of that dis
trict hypnotized Judge Lawrence and
the result was that they got an appro-
priation of s53O,O0O to build national
sanitarium in Hot Springs which will
be the largest one in tho world. Mr..
Martin says he will finally get the
amount up to five million dollars.
There is also state sanitarium there
which has 300 inmates and they cam
not take amy more until some of them
die OF old age.
"l'he most sport here is i'm the plunge
bath. This is IL large vat. 10 by $50
feet. covered with a glass roof and
sides. The warm water is bubbling up
ali the time from a score of springs
in the bottom and is about 96 degrees
above zero. l took a. bath there when
the mercury was four degrees below
zero. y great many windows we're
open, but the steam from the water
kept the air warm.
"Two brooks run through this valley
side by side with the temperature re-
spectively o6 degrees and 40 degrees
Fahrenheit.
''The greatest attraction here is the
Wind Cave. l heard a Chicagoan say,
who had seen Mammoth Cave in Ken
tucky and Luray Cavern in Virginia,
that neither could compare with this.
1t is situated II miles from the city
and daily stage line runs to it. The
fare is Sl.OO, dinner AT the Cave so
cents and the guide 80 cents making
the cost of a visit $500. | was fortu-
nate in having Mcdonald as guide as
he is geologist who understands the
many different formations in the cave
and explains them carefully.
sit is called Wind Cave from the fact
that during q storm and for few
hours previous a strong wind blows
into the mouth of the cave. In pleas.
ant weather the wind blows outward.
Our geologist cannot account for this.
The wind is not felt a score of feet
from the mouth. The temperature in
the cave is 40 degrees at all seasons of
the year. 1t has been explored for 100
miles and no end in sight.
''Thus far they have discoyered d about
5000 rooms ranging from few feet
across to B acres. The cave is owned
by Uncle Sam and the last Congress
appropriated s25OO for betterments and
it is expected that in the near future
it will be lighted by electricity. Now
visitors must carry tallow dips. The
three principal routes taken by tourists
are the Bridal Tour requiring 3 hours,
the Fair Grounds four hours and the
'Pearly Gates six hours. The Bridal
Tour discarded as | took one 30 years
ago aud don't wish to repeat it. and
was not prepared for the Pearly Gates
so chose the Fair Grounds and spent
four hours underground in an enioy
able manner. The prevailing forma-
tions are the box work, pop corn, and
frost work. Stalagmites, stalactites
and crystals abound. Overhead in one
chamber we saw a multitude of snow
balls which look as though some school
boy had thrown them there. One
room is the PostofIice where visitors
deposit their cards in the box work.
The giants coffin is found in one room.