The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-06-28

took our train to French Lick, famous
summer resort where the entire party
were guests of Hon. Tom Taggart, over
Sunday at the magnificent French Lick
Springs Hotel. 1t is an ideal spot for
recuperation, located in beautiful
valleyiin southern Indiana, almost in
sight of the Kentucky line, and sur
rounded by ranges of hills and mount
aims. The fame of French Lick Springs
is older than the Oldest inhaditant, and
antedates the arrival of the first white
settler. According to Indian legends
the waters Of the springs were regarded
by the red mon as sovereign remedy
for most all ills to which flesh is heir,
and this was the Mecca to which they
carried their sick for hundreds of miles
by many winding trail through the
primeval woods. The name French Lick
is derived from two sources, one being
the fact that many of the early settlers
in this vicinity (who were contempora-
neous with those who founded "Old
Vincennes'O were of French birth or
extraction, and the other we'll verified
statement that almost down to period
within the memory of living men great
herds of deer and buffalo werc won't to
come out of the forests to click" these
salty waters. 1t is not summer resort
but an all-round- -the-year resort, being
open all the time. The hotel has ac-
commodations for over 700 guests, all
the sleeping apartments being outside
rooms. The hotel grounds comprise
over 600 acres of natural park which is
very picturesque and delight to the
artistic taste. A farm of over 200 acres
furnishes fruits and vegetables for the
hotel and the dairy products are from a
herd Of the finest blooded Jersey cattle
in the world. The hotel is owned and
managed by Thomas Taggart, who not
so many years ago was a newsboy in
indianapolis, then clerk in lunch
counter at the depot which he finally
bought, and then leased the dining
hotel business until he became rich. 1t
not less than $150,000 year. The hotel
is visited by many wealthy people wi o
source of income is the gambling houses
where games of all kinds are played fer
high stakes. While the editors we're
there the lid was on, although the
casinos were furnished with every con-
ceivable device for gambling both at
|
only mile away. The French Lick
Springs are of various kinds, the most
noted being the Pluto Spring, where the
water bubbles out clear and sparkling,
but with smell noticeable a block or
more away, and it tastes worse than it
smells. To us it very much resembled
the smell which gets one when setting
of eggs is thrown out which an Iowa hen
had tried and failed to hatch, and if
any difference is noticeable it is in
favor of the eggs. We merely tasted it
but many people drank it III large guam
titles and say they like it after getting
used to it, and that it is a cure-all for
many diseases. Other sulphur and iron
springs are near, while within a few
feet of the Pluto spring is clear cold
spring of as fine water as we ever tast-
ed. 1t cost MIR. Taggart several thous-
and dollars to entertain the editors for
rates are pretty high, but he did it in a
| royal manner and was voted the prince
of good fellows.
| After delightful rest at French Lick
our special train left over the Monon
road at 10 o'clock at night and whirled
along behind one of the Monon's new
passenger engines which are attracting
attention from mechanical experts and
railroad men on account of their seeming
adaptability for hauling heavy passen-
ger trains at very high speed and at
times we made over 7G miles an hour,
and at o'clock Monday morning we
had reached the Tippecanoe Battle
Ground, where we were served with a
ham and egg breakfast. This battlefield
is one of the historic spots of America,
and we stood on the exact spot where
Gen. Harrison's army camped on the
evening of November 6, 1911, and the
next day defeated the indians who had
been aroused by the Shawnee chief
Tecumseh and his brother The Prophet,
and several other tribes had united
with them in forming a confederacy,
British agents having excited the north
west indians to enmitv against the
Americans. Harrison's army consisted
of about $40 men, composed of $50 regu-
| lars, 600 volunteer militia from the
territory of Indiana and about 60 Ken
lucky volunteers. The attack was
made at 4 o'clock in the morning and
was not expected. The battle lasted
two hours and twenty minutes, and re-
suited in the indians being routed. The
American loss in the engagement was 81
killed and 151 wounded, of whom %
afterwards died of their wounds. The
loss to the indians was about the same
as that of the whites, and the number
of indians engaged was probably equal
to the number in Harrison's army. Few
greater or more beneficial results have
been had by the wage of battle than
were accomplished at the Battle OF
Tippecanoe. By it powerful indian
confederacy was broken and the tribes
comprising it scattered, never again to
be reunited. By it the greatest conti-
mental ally of the English was destroy
ed, and at time. when this ally was
looked to for the most effective work
By it the gateway to the great north
west was opened to the most turtle
region in all the United States, and it
seems strange that this battlefield Is
not marked. by a suitable monument
The ground was enclosed by an iron
fence bought by local association, who
keep up the grounds. After breakfast
we boarded trolley cars and went s
miles to Lafayette, where Purdue Uni.
versity was visited, and our train trans
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