Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-18

do still tend toward the commercial
advancement of the city and section
as a center Of commerce, pleasant
place to live and good location for
business houses or industry is a well
known fact 1t is also well known
that coal abounds in large quantities
in this vicinity, that water power and
railroad transportation are convenient
for the industrial enterprise.
There is one gift nature bestowed
upon the city in the dim long ago, the
existence Of which is well known to
many of the older inhabitants, even If
st is almost forgotten by some, but is
little known to the present generation
or the resident of the city who has
come to Ottumwa within the past de-
cade 1t is that Ottumwa has mineral
springs, which for the curative powers
of their waters, were once known all
over the country and brought Ottum-
wa to be looked upon as the Carlsbad
of the west.
Many Attracted.
Indiana has its West Baden, Mis-
souri, its Excelsior Springs and num-
erous other states have resorts Of
prominence, but none of the well
known resorts attracted wider atten-
ton than the Ottumwa Mineral
Springs, after It's opening thirty years
ago Numerous persons from all parts
of the country were attracted here by
the wonderful curative powers of the
waters from these springs. At it's be-
ginning as health resort the wonder
full healing effects of the water at
tracted to it many from nearby and
gradually it's fame spread until it was
the best known sanitarium in this part
of the west.
It's history goes back thirty years
when in 1880 boring was made in
among the hills then east of the city,
but now known as the foot Of Vernon
street in the East End The land was
purchased by Loten E. Gray. father Of
John w Gray of this city. L. e. Gray
had operated health resort at Col
fax Springs for some time and decided
that the local waters were of greater
value as health giving liquid. MI.
Gray sold his holdings at Colfax after
an analysis of the water of the OF
tumwa mineral springs had been made
by chemists and proved them to con-
tain the elements that made it Of the
highest character for health-giving
the view Of making sanitarium on
the sight of the springs. On January
2, 1882, Mr.. Gray, with George God
frey purchased the land from E. Fl.
Stiles, well known attorney of
Ottumwa at that time. The following
year the hotel was built and some
100000 expended in erecting the re
sort that was to make this section of
the state famous. Together, Gray and
Godfrey operated the hotel successful.
1y until 1885.
Burned in 1892.
Godfrey left the firm in 1885, and
August /, 1888, Dr. E. K. Shelton was
taken into the sanitarium as the di
recting physician. April 4, 1889, the
springs and hotel were leased to Doc
tors E. J. and e. K Shelton, who oper
ated the resort with considerable sue
cess until during the summer of 1892
when the building took fire and owing
to its remoteness from fire protection
was burned to the ground. The first
boring led to more wells being bored
and the deepest was that of spring
No l, which reached point 1914 feet
below the surface Various chemica
properties we're found in the waters
and each boring revealed greater
quantity and better variety.
Will Exploit Springs.
The Commercial association has il
mind to bring out the possibilities
that lie inactive in the healthful prop
critics Of these waters and will make
an effort to have them turned to {
commercial value that will redount
to the credit of Ottumwa and max,
the city once more the health resor
that 1t formerly was. The value o
the waters Is not questioned and it il
. but a case Of valuable asset Of OF
tumwa lying dormant for want Of be
ing placed in its proper light to tn
investing public who might bring tn
springs to the position they justl.
hold as healthful watering place TO
the good of suffering humanity
Street Car ala Mule Power.
For years a street car service, ala
mule power that served as a connect
ing line with the old General HedricI
horse-car line was operated by L. f
Gray for the benefit OF his patron
and while the transportation wa
somewhat slower than the electrics Q
today. the service was thought exec
lent in its time. The electric cars sue
ceeded the horse cars and a bette
service reaches the site today, whic
Is still a point visited by many OF
tumwans in strolls about the city o.
summer days
How They Advertised.
A copy of the advertising pamphle
issued by the Ottumwa Miners
Springs Hotel, L. E. Gray, proprietor
is interesting, and tells, among othe
things, of the chemical properties .
the waters.
Large Hotel.
We have been unsparing in our eff
forts for the comfort of our guests
building a hotel containing eightytw
rooms at a cost of $25, 5000, says til
pamphlet. There are four flowing vel
furnishing the best mineral water
the United States. The deepest wei
which affords an abundant flow
mineral water, is in the rotunda, in I'll
center of the hotel. This water is high
lu charged with magnetism an