Douglas Island news., 1904-04-20
Tenakee Springs.
TENAKEE SPRINGS, ALASKA,
 APRIL 12, 1904.
FRIEND HoPP:-

This place is about 90 miles south
 west from Douglas, but don't try to come in that direction if you intend coming here. We started by running away at first, but turned back after awhile, and sailed toward the place, and then turned again and after lot of turning and twisting we finally got
 here. We had very rough trip. l never could tell what end the boat was travelling on. After dinner (beg par don,) lunch I mean, l steered for my
 cabin, and lay down on the bed, bunk mean, and watched her roll, and roll she did. 1t was not so bad when we had the wind astern, but after awhile we got in the trough of the sea then we did get it. Ever see a ship in that way? First big wave hits her on the port side and she makes deep bow to star board, then she rolls to port and makes a deep bow to that side, and out of courtesy you bow with her. It puts you in mind for all the world of Al phonse and Gaston lowing to each other, and you lay on your bunk hold ing on to both sides until you get warm at the stomach and your mouth waters and, and the balance is too pain ful to speak of. You lie down again and try to forget the ship is rolling, which you do after you reach smooth water. However we got here late in the night and were all glad to get ashore.
 Tenakee is getting to be quite place. It has about D cabins, besides store and post office. It is real cheap place to live, you can rent a cabin for s or S6, and get your provisions as cheap here as in Douglas. For instance best flour S1.50 sack, potatoes 211@ cents Ib., eggs 8 cents dozen, ham, 16 to IS cents pound, and so on.
 Mir. Snyder keeps a good stock of everything on hand. Next year or rather this summer will see quite a number of improvements here. Among the first will be a good board walk along the whole street, which is about a quarter of mile long and lined with cabins on both sides.
 Mir. Snyder also has fine six room ed cottage which he intends to furnish in first class style, and rent only to such as want to pass week or two here without the trouble of cooking for themselves; restaurant will be run in connection.
 He also intends to enlarge the spring or probably dig another, as the whole place is alive with springs more or less hot. The present bathing facilities are not of the best. There is hole about eight feet long and two feet wide, with a cabin over it where people bathe.
 With large crowd of people here it is sometimes quite little trouble to get chance to go in. Ladies have a hard time; sometimes wait for two or three hours before getting chance to bathe. We only have one here now a Russian lady who came over on the last boat, her husband having been laid up here for some time. They also came from Douglas, but I don't know their name.
 The men get along better as they crowd into the spring in punches and all who can, jump into the spring. I have seen as many as seven in the spring at one time, all sitting in the water up to their chins, with their faces all turned up to the sky like so many leaves of a pond lily, only not so good looking. After you stay in as long as you can, which is about ten minutes, you get steaming hot, and start to dry yourself when a cold drop of water falls off the roof, and hits you in the small of the back and you use little profane language that I can't send through the mail. How ever, you come out all right in the end. But joking aside 1 have seen some great cures here and honestly speaking I don't think these springs can be beat anywhere for rheumatism or any kind of blood disease. Next summer things will be in better shape.
 The springs are situated on Chicrgof Island and are sheltered by the sur rounding mountains so that storms seldom find their way in. In the sum- mer the climate is very fine and game. of all kinds is plentiful. It is worth anyones time to pass a few weeks here