Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-05-15
HEALING
WATERS OF
THE EARTH
A Picturesque Ride to
the bot Springs Of
Virginia.

At Covington, on the main line OF
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.
one is near the summit Of the Al
leghanies and embayed on every side
by mountains, says the New York
Post. II the traveller. undaunted by
the noise and smoke of the great man.
ufactories, alights there, he finds on
the other side of the track an en-
CINE attached to combination chair
car and smoker waiting to take him
to the famous Virginia Hot Springs.
north, twenty-five miles further into
the heart of the mountains.
The ride to the springs is pic
turesque. In about two miles one
leaves Jackson's River and the main
line of the Chesapeake and Ohio. and
comes upon Cedar Creek, brawling
stream that flows through an i'm
mense gorge to join the larger riv-
er. At first the valley is of some
width. and one sees the whitewashed.
clapboarded cabins of the mountain
GERS, with cattle and sheep grazing
nearby. But in three minutes the
scene changes. You are in a rock
bound glen. with only room for the
foaming torrent and the railroad, the
mountain wall so near that you might
stretch out your arm and touch 1t.
There is a mingled odor Of rock, fern
and MOSES, and the trickling water
Is pleasant to look upon. A few
moments more anil you come into an
other basin, and so 1t goes, with fire.
quent stops at mountain hamlets and
crossroads stores, the creek dwind-
ling in volume, until one is within
a mile or two of the springs.
Then the train turns sharply to the
left and begins to climb the bed of
an even smaller brook, known as Hot
Springs Branch, by a steep grade.
In ten minutes 1t stops at fine sta
ton, part Of long range of build
ings, devoted to shops, with a hotel
above. This is Hot Springs. 1t Is
like rubbing Aladdin's lamp with a
presto, change" Here are no noun
taineers' cabins and withered fields,
but green lawns covering a hollow
in the mountains, with a stream of
limpid water flowing through its low
est part and vapor rising from its
surface-the outflow of hot springs.
The hot springs are the chief at
traction and usually first engage the
attention of visitors. There are six
Of them within a stones throw of tae
hotel. bubbling up one after the 9TH
er in a little hollow on the east,
one flowing into the outlet of the
other until, combined, they form the
Hot Springs Branch before men,
toned.
Two and one-half miles south of the
Hot Springs are the healing springs.
with waters almost Identical in Their
NAL analysis to those of the famous
springs Of Ems and Schlagenbad
Five miles to the north are the Warm
Sulphur Springs, a charming sum-
mer resort connected with Hot
Springs by fine boulevard.
Another famous chain Of springs
are those of Arkansas. They are
forty-four In number and discharge
more than 100000 gallons Of water
every day, at a temperature of $50
degrees. These waters, as far back
as the beginning of the last century,
were found to possess healing powers.
They attracted the attention of Con-
gress, which finally took possession,
in 1892, and set them apart "as a
sanitarium for all time-dedicated to
the whole nation-to be forever free
from sale or alienation"
The governments reservation con-
sists of about 1000 acres. Four
mountains are its chief typographical
features. and in their valleys and
ravines have been built the houses
and business streets of the city. The
mountains are about 1,400 feet above
sea level, and 700 feet above Hot
Springs. Around and across their
sides the government has constructed
system of broad drives OF a total
length of fifteen miles, and has built
miles of footpaths, which lead more
directly to the submits.
Hot Springs, Ark, is a stopping
place for many travellers, who make
winter tour Of Mexico, which is be-
coming better known to Americans
every year. Mexico Is a country of
picturesque ruins, Of splendid build
ings, erected by the Spanish con-
querors, of structures that suggest the
spirit Of progress. The climate and
scenery are varied. Within a half
days journey one may find in Mexico
on mountain, table-land, or plain, al
most any desired temperature.