Times-promoter. (Hernando, DeSoto County, Miss.) 1898-1970, 1908-05-08
HOT SPRINGS LETTER
Maj. Dockery Describes World.Famous
Resort.

4 odW IloU Springs llVy -SiSHt Year,
ago. Then it was as nature made il
and the hands of man had not mo-
Tested it. The springs (there are said
to be weight Of them ran down
the mountain and formed large
creek. The only bathing room was a
cave dug in the rock in the side OF
the mountain, an outer-room to leave
your clothes in and a smaller one to
take the sweat bath in. The small
one was about six feet square and as
dark as Egypt. The hot vapor filed
the room and in a few, seconds you
were in profuse perspiration and
longer than three minutes was intol-
erable. There was one tavern, a
barn-like structure not dignifed with
the name hotel, and kept by Mrs.
Hunter, and a hundred yards from
the tavern was little grocery kept
by jolly old Dutchman. These are
the only houses remember near the
springs, but invalids went there in
wagons and camped near while taking
tie baths.
The hot springs, is to me a most
wonderful spot. There is an alum
spring, magnesia spring, a sulphur
and an iron spring, all patronized for
some specific trouble, and all these
springs near together and not far
from the main not spring boiling hot
and sending up volume of hot steam
like R. r. locomotive, and besides
others of varying temperature from
cold to hot.
/ .am reminded Of an anecdote /
heard when here long ago.
There is some magnetic rock few
miles from the springs. The power so
strong as to make knife tremble in.
your pocket. Tt was said that Ger
man family moving west stopped at
this rock for their dinaer, and while
the man and boys looked after the
horses the woman and girls prepared
the dinner. They set the dinner on
the provision box and when they put
the knives and forks on the box they
crawled off. The old lady thought it
was accidental and placed them on
again, when they jumped off again.
She was Bstonished and alarmed and
called her old man. "Hans, come
here quick" The old man came and
saw the antics of the knives and forks
and ordered John to drive quick
away, "dere vas witches dere." When
they got to the hot springs creek, the
water was clear and inviting, the old
man laid down to drink like horse,
and when he touched the hot water
he sprang up and excitedly ordered
John to drive quick along for "the
devil is not half mile away"
Scientists do not agree as to the
causes of the hot water, and Of course
can't explain it, but all the same / /
am indebted to the springs for re-
Iieving me of ague and fever. In my
ooyhood and young manhood we had
) more violent sort Of chill than now.
instead Of the cold and aching sensa-
ion as now, we had it in an earth
quake form, and otqers than yourself
Knew when it was on by the shaking
IF the bed and sometimes the room
tself.
had been living in the western
'art Of our county, for year ex-
,osed to deadly miasma generated by
arge bodies Of decaying timber--and
Trying ponds and other causes, and
vas undergoing the acclimating pro-
'ess by having agues every two or
hree days, and had lost confidence
n the efficacy of calomel and quiz
line, and concluded to take long
lorseback ride through the pine for
SITS. I took boat at Memphis with
ny horse, got off at Gains Landing
nd rode across the state to Texas,
hen returned by Hot Springs, where
stayed one night, taking vapor
ath in the evening and another in
he morning, then started home and
hen about two miles from the
Drings / became sick and have never
cen SO sick before nor since. My in
srnals were SO stirred and unsettled X
lat they have never been readjusted &
pom the same lines, and for fifty Z
ght years 4 have not had the slight
it symptom Of a chill.
This personal experience is given to
stify my gratitude to the hot
,rinns.