Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-10-01
BOLAR


he mineral springs here and deVekop
hem.
We were very much elated over
he prospect when the McGuffin prep
srty changed hands especially when
It was known that people of means
had gotten hold of it. A charter was
secured and a company incorporated
the privilege of building
hotels, public bath house, boule-
wards and otherwise developing the
but from some cause moth
ing has yet been done.
These public enterprises usually
come about unheralded and unknown
70 any except those directly interest
d in such enterprises. Yet a num-
Der of years have passed since the
Bolar Spring Improvement Company
has had control and still we wait for
any material improvement.
Nevertheless, as community every
body is delighted at the prospects of
a modern watering place or summer
resort, altho it is being developed by
private enterprise.
At public auction last November
the Williams lot embracing about 20
acres was secured by DR.. R. w. Bragg
of Alberta, Va. On June Sd last, the
Burnesia Lithia Bolar Spring en-
bracing q acres on which is located
the only known true thermal spring
in Highland county was also secured
at public auction by DR.. Bragg.
1t seems that DR.. Bragg's idea was,
provided these properties could be
purchased at their worth to improve
and occupy the Williams cottage and
lot as a summer home and develop
the mineral spring property.
On August the list DR.. Bragg arriV-
ed with his family by automobile and
occupied his cottage.
With him came two of the men
who have had charge Of extensive
building operations, the DR.. has been
carrying on at Alberta-names P. D.
Sadler and ", H. Lewis. -
His four horses and the pony
"Trixie," for Robert Waller, Jr., and
supplies came by train to Hot Springs
On account of the rain work was
not begun on the pool till Monday
morning, August %, when the pool
was laid off ~ yards from the min
eral spring 25x45 feet and to be dug
depth of about feet. Work was
begun by setting off by electricity,
four sticks of dynamite, after which
teams dragged out the loosened earth
by means of road scoops. This was
deposited where the ground needed
lleveling, thus killing tive birds with
one stone.
The DR.. employed from to 10
hands each day and used $50 sticks
of dynamite, finishing the excavation
Thursday 21st Sept. at noon.
One week of this time on account
of the having season teams could not
be cotton and the work was delayed
one week. -..
Stone was broken by hand and the
bottom of the pool was laid with bro
ken stone and tamped down close and
solid and a cement one-haf strength
poured over and leveled with the
trowel, the floor sloping to one corner
IA inches for the purpose of draining
the pool, at which point a six inch
drain pipe is placed. Next the forms
were made in sections, the outside
form SGT up first. This form sloped
in 4 inches from perpendicular: The
inside form was made more carefully
so as to give the inside walls smoot
surface.
This part of the form was set IL
inches from the outside form on the
floor and set perpendicular which
gave a wall IL inches thick at the
bottom and 5 inches at the top. This
form was filed with Q rush, care be-
ing taken however, to have the work
well done.
On Thursday, Aug. 16, at 3:15 p.
IN. R. @. Helms poured the first wheel
barrow load of cement into the. form
at the south west corner followed by
Kenton kineaid while others were
breaking rock, wheeling rock, mixing
cement tamping the walls, carrying
water etc.
BY a careful estimate on Friday IL
hours handling so tons of material
and most of this of course was han
died four times. p.
The concrete was all placed by
noon on Saturday and left till the
next Tuesday to net, The forms were
removed and coat Of esmeat YVES
carefully sprend over the floor and
sides and so the pool proper was
finished.
The inside dimensions being 25x45
feet and 6 TT. deep at the point OF
drainage which is IA inches lower
than the 11Dper Side-the bottOm /