Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-05
LAKE WATER HEALS
Contains Wonderful Properties
for Many Diseases.
SOME CURES REMARKABLE
Body of Water Near Watrous, Can
ada. Bottled and Sold.
KNOWN BY INDIANS LONG AGO
Said to Have Been Used by Them
to Cure Rheumatism and Nu-
merous Other Ills.
KNOWN BY INDIANS LONG AGO
BY WILLIAM z. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

4OS miles west of Winnipeg. 1t lies in
depression Of the prairie in the shape of
crescent, surrounded by banks which rise
on an avera ge Of 100 feet above the water
and slope gradually back from the rim.
A portion of the south shore is We'll
wooded. a forest of spruces and poplars
running down almost to the edge Of the
water, which is encircled by a narrow lit
tie beach of fine gravel. The remainder
Of the shore is as bare as a billiard ball.
but the bluffs are not cut up into ravines
and gullies like those that inclose most
other lakes. Within the woods are sew
eral springs of pure. sweet water, two or
three of them within stones throw OF
the lake.
The analysis of the water of the lake
is almost precisely that of the Hunyadi
Janos springs, near Budapest, the only
difference being that Manitou lake con-
tains no bicarbonate of soda and the
Hunyadi springs contain no bicarbonate
OF magnesia. Practically the same pro-
portions of sulphates of magnesium so
dunn and calcium, chloride Of sodium,
oxide of iron and silica appear in both
analyses, while the specific gravity of the
Manitou is LOG and that of the Hunyadi
waters LOS.
There is also a striking similarity to
the waters of the Spudel spring. at Carls-
bad, although the proportions are quite
different. The analysis was made by DR..
Milton Hersey, professor Of chemistry at
McGill University Montreal.
The lake has a gravel bottom and is
ninety feet deep in places. There Is no
inlet or outlet, although it receives the
drainage Of a narrow basin. There are
unmistakable evidences of springs in the
bottom, from which the water rises with
such force as to create a decided current,
much colder than the body of the lake.
One Of the springs is SO powerful that it
will toss about a stone weighing four or
five pounds as if it were chip OF wood.
The altitude is 1900 feet above the Pa
cif1c ocean; the temperature of the water
averages IS degrees, and. although al
most as heavy as glycerin, it is white
and clear and perfectly colorless, and
the slightest wind that agitates 1t will
create fringe of foam-like soapsuds the
entire margin of the beach. This foam
can also be caused by beating the water
with an oar or a stick or even a towel,
and 1t will remain for hours floating
about on the surface in flakes as big as
barrel.
Bathers Easily Float.
Bathers can float without the slightest
effort Indeed, it is impossible for
human ching to sink below the surface
and every one who enters feels at first
curious sensation which has been COM
pared to strong bath of alcohol.
When taken internally 1t is strong
fects. A small bottling establishment
has been located upon the shore at which
the water is put UP, In three forms. The
first. to be used incidentally. is absolutely
pure, six ounces being the maximum
dose.
1t is also diluted so per cent with water
from the springs on the bank and car
donated for milder cathartic with pint
as the maximum dose. This form is
recommended by physicians to be used
regularly before breakfast for all kinds
Of internal diseases.
The third form is one part water to four
parts spring water carbonated and flavor
ed with lime juice, sarsaparilla, ginger
and vanilla a beverage.
The water is also reduced to salts by
primitive processes. generally ordinary
boiling In iron kettles After being boil
ed awhile an oily scum will form upon
the surface. which is SKINNED off and
used to make salve. which is very heal
ing for wounds and irritations of the
skin 1t is called Manitou oil salve and
is sold by the druggists along the line of
the Grand Trunk Pacific as far as Winni-
peg.
After the OIL is SKINNED Of the boiling
is continued for a while longer, and when
the water Is allowed to cool salts are pre-
cipitated to the bottom of the kettle in
the form of fine crystal. They are put
up in small Quantities by local druggists
and sold In Winnipeg and elsewhere. hav-
ing the same properties and being used
lot tne same dlliIcutS dS TIE spi uOci SALTS
Of Carlsbad
1t is a singular fact that this remark
able body of water is surrounded on all
sides by pure. sweet lakes. There are
hundreds Of them in the neighborhood
they cover about 10 per cent of the area
of this district; yet, SO far as tests have
been made, no other water in Saskatche-
wan contains medical qualities.
little village has gathered on the
shore OF the lake, about three miles from
the railway town of Watrous, and from
the early spring to late in the autumn
the beach is fringed with canvas tents
Thirty or forty comfortable cabins have
been built by citizens of Watrous, who
locate their families there for the summer
and go back and forth night and morn
ing in wagons or automobiles. There is
a bathhouse accommodating twenty OF
thirty people. a primitive massage estab-
lishment kept by colored man from
Detroit restaurant a bOathouSe and
one or two other buildings. all on a
primitive scale. Most of them belong to
an Irish-Canadian. who was smart enough
to locate a homestead on the bank in early
times and is still convinced that he has bo-
nanza- Nearly all Of the southern shore has
been taken up, but the northern bank is
still government land, and is allowed to
remain such because of its inaccessiblity
People might cross the lake in boats or
have the option Of driving around either
end, but thus far there is no road.