Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-04-15

4
which is pronounced and 10 me some
what disagreeab'e. II is called tn,
Rachel spring and its flow is piped t.
a large bath house on the grounds O
the same name II will also supply
the principal water used in the new
sanatorium when opened. It is
claimed the waters are Of the aka
line sulphur order. and possesses
great magical curative powers taken
internally as a medicine or for bath
ing. Separated from this spring by
only few feet is one about half as
large, the water of which is clear
and cold. Its flow is used to supply a
duck pond A few rods distant in an
other direction is a steam geyser that
is agitated more or less all the time
Out of it comes more steam than
water. 1t is level with the ground
In two places they have butt with
cement an irregular opening about a
foot in diameter. Every little while
the steam ondensing somewhat be
How into water seems to choke up the
opening till the pressure becomes too
great when IL water and steam is
thrown up two to ten feet above the
surface for a while. There are sew
eral cold water ponds containing goli
fish and aquatic plants and above all
some healthy, robust bull frogs which
towards evening were grinding their
teeth all same like they do over ON
the Kickapoo river swamps.
The next day l visited Ohinemuta.
In the Maori language it signifies
dwelling OF one of the young Gods
of evil 1t is a native Maori settle
ment which joins the city on the
northwest. 1t is on the lake shore
| at the mouth of a small stream.
Here are to be seen scores of springs
| of boiling hot water and the natives
do al! their cooking thereby and
| thereon, as well as their washing.
am informed that many of the citi-
zens bring their Christmas puddings
to be cooked there because it can be
done better. The ground is broken
and uneven, and the huts are small
and arranged with reference to CON
venience of springs. Hence there are
no regular streets, nothing but paths
winding around up and down,
The native Maori is not a negro;
| is of more or less sun-burnt color
depending on how much white blood
he has; is good natured and lazy; can
eat almost all the time for week at
stretch or subsist on one meal a
day-it all depends on the amount of
provisions he has. All the illustra-
males. as attractive in appearance,
bul from my observations they are
| homely as mud. To be sure there is
at this place a bunch of girls and
young women employed as guides to
tourists. who are really handsome
and attractive, but they are from one
! half to seven-eights white. In the
past it was the custom as soon as a
Maori woman is married to tattoo
her lower lip and chin but that GUS
|
makes them look hideous, though in
the case of some of the very old
chiefs who have their whole face
! tattooed, it does not look so bad.
| The young men are fine looking.
{ They are well built and dress in good
clothes and taste. Very many of the
Maori women are dressed in fine, rich
| cloth, but usually they the about five
! feet to FIVE feet four inches in height
and as large around as a beer barrel.
Many are in receipt of good incomes
! from the rent of their lands 10 white
| settlers and in cases own. all the land
on which thriving villages are built.
/ The trouble j. they own all things in
common am hey can't, or it is al
most impos ple 10 execute a title.
1 They are great on patronizing race
meetings and bet their money on
every race as long as they have any.
There is another settlement of
them two miles sou; n of town at the
foot of a high range of hills in and
around a gorge through which a
stream of water flows to the lake 1t
is connected with the city by a
straight, wide, level road that will be
a fine boulevard when they finish it..
/ This place is called Whakarewarewa
| (mebby you can pronounce it, |
cant) and means in English towards
the meeting point" Here are some of
The most wonderful sights in this
wonderful region in the way of gey-
| sers, mud volcanoes. and hot springs
of clear water and other the consis-
sistency of thin mush. On this af-
ternoon 1t was advertised the chief
Igeyser would be "soaped' again for
the first time in Z months and a
crowd of 900 to !. 500 people as
sembled to see the display, including
a multitude of photographers. This
process of "soaping' is merely throw
ing into the mouth Of the geyser two
or three pounds of common bar soap.
What action il has ] know not but
the effect is apparent after to 20
minutes. Then a great volume
of wa.er and steam is thrown
our to great height. This
a4ter1 oor. however. she failed to
act aud after waiting around for an
hour, we departed our several ways.
i am convinced j, did affect another