Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1903-08-21
ENJOYED HOT SPRINGS
An Editor and His Family Had Happy
Time Here and Urges Others to

An Editor and His Family Had IL Happy
Time Here and Urges Others to
The following excerpt is made from
a very interesting letter that Editor
Greene sent to his Charlton Herald
recently while himself and family we're
sojourning here:
Besides mining, stone quarrying, and
cattle raising, this section of the Hills
is noted for it's very fine climate and it's
wonderful healing springs. The scenery
around here is truly magnificent. A
world travelled Methodist bishop says
that Sylvan Lake, not far from here,
has the finest scenery for small place
that he ever saw in either hemisphere
And DIR. Hancher, now of Mt. Pleasant,
who formerly was president of the col
lege here, says he never saw finer sum
sets in Italy than they have here. The
streams are clear as crystal, the glades
are always cool, the rocky gulches and
canyons form a never ceasing panorama
to the traveller, and the air is pure and
sweet and fully as healthful as the
widely advertised air of Colorado.
There is no reason on earth why any
one should go to Colorado for his
health, if he can come here more easily.
This is very poorly advertised coun-
try, and is also comparatively new,
hence many people do not know of it
as the health resort that it is.
Our whole party is in fine health.
drinking good mountain water and
sleeping without danger of catching
cold. The town here is of course built
for the tourist. 1t is mostly hotels
and boarding houses, and all theil
rates are very reasonable. The town
was over doomed few years ago, and
is just now recovering from the set
back. There are dozens of bath houses
and almost every ailment is provided
for. The springs of mineral water run
free to everybody, the same as at Mani
tou, Colorado, and we all ''tank up
every day, though a healthier lot o
mortals would be hard to find
Our speciality is the plunge bath
where pool of warm water, fed by
springs. is enclosed in huge buildins
in which is every convenience for thu
lover of swimming. Two hours of pad
= ding in the water makes one feel lik,
a new man (or woman, depending OF
, the circumstances. All day and even
ing the pool is alive with happy mel
and women and boys and girls, ane
,. sometimes babies. The big pool il
4 about l25 feet long and perhaps 60 fee
9 wide, and the bottom is graded, rang
' ing from three feet deep at one end t,
eight feet at the other. There ar,
springboards. and ropes for timid one
to hold to, and at one en- d there is
l. "chute," for swimmers to slide dow
into the water. 1t is covered will
9 smooth copper, and is kept wet, so tina
; person can slide down in any posi-
y tion without any danger of "scorching
q or bruising his flesh. At the bottom
T. one strikes the water with grea
splash .at depth of about four feet
u and goes under for moment or skim
ST along the top, according to his abilit.
l. as swimmer. 1t is the most sport o
y all the swimming, and we keep it ho
u while we are at the pool.
During the first day or two W
- climbed hills and swan so vigorousl
. that we were exhausted and ready fo
y the ''day of rest," on Saturday night
:, One of our longest tramps has been
= trip through the famous Wind Cav,
= located about twelve miles north c
= here. The cave is undoubtedly tn
~ y most wonderful one in the Unite
few years ago, but this one far Sui
passes it in beauty. The plan of thi
cave is entirely different from al
y others. They we're formed by under
y, ground rivers, but this was formed b.
a powerful geyser, and hence the for
nations are entirely different. Th
~ passages and rooms are smaller, an
~ the travel is more down and up tina
. on the level, as in the others. Most G
- the beauties of Wind Cave are on th
= ceilings of the passage ways and room
. Delicately tinted net work, caused b
;, the geyser depositing thin coatings {
o mineral, is the predominating beaut
- of the Cave. There are eight distint
:, levels in the Cave, and they are col
-. - nected by stairways and steep passage
The lowest we visited is 43O feet belo
- sae the entrance, though the exploration
oo reach lower and much farther out tina
~ we went. There are over ninety mill
=. of explored passages in all, our tri
80 covering not more than five or 8
.. o. miles, which occupied us nearly thr'
hours.
IN Many people believe that the hill
"A all around here are honeycombed wi