Class. Book_— COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT '^^i-'^ W .V / i^^'^ V'/ , ^>N^ -% COPYRIGHT. WOODWARD & TIERNAN PRINTING COMPANY. ST. LOUIS. 1892. MOV 14 1^^'-^ it^ +lohel(J, (gahf^^, Re'^opt^ ILLUSTRATED NOV 14 1892 ^Gt^ PRESS OF THE WOODWARD & TIERNAN PRINTING CO., ST. LOUIS 1892 ,H 3 J3f MOW To (jBT To MOT 3 AND WHO TO SEE OR ADDRESS FOR FULL INFORMATION PRINCia, /JI^P)3N$3a ,N REGARD TO RATES, FTC From Omaha, Lincoln, St. Joseph, Atchison, Leavenworth and Kansas City. Mo. lac. R'y to St. Louis, Iron Mountain Route to Hot Springs without cliange ; or Mo. Pac. R'y to Cofieyville, Kan., and Wagoner Route, via l"t. Smith and Little Rock, to Hot Springs. C. E. STYLES, Passenger a id Ticket Agent. .Atchison, Kan. / J. H. LYON, Western Passenger Agent, J. N. JOERGER, Passr a d Tk t Agt LEAVENWORTH, Kan. ) 800 Main Street, KANSAS City, Mo. F. P. WADE, Passenger and Ticket Agent St. Joskph, .Mo. / E. S. JEWETT, Passengerand Ticket Agent, R. P. R. MILLAR. General Agent LINCOLN, Neb. ) 800 Main Street, Kansas City, Mo. T. F. GODFREY, Passenger and Ticket Agent. .OMAHA, Neb. ? BENTON QUICK, Passenger and Assistant Ticket Agent, G. E. DORRINGTON, Traveling Pass'r Agent. .OMAHA, Neb. { 1048 Union Avenue, Kansas City, Mo. From St. Louis, IVIemphis, Little Rock, Ft. Smith, Helena, and Texarkana. Iron Mountain Route, through to Hot Springs. W. H. MORTON, Passenger Ag't,Union Depot, St. Lodis, Mo. t H. D. WILSON, Passenger and Ticket Agt. Memphis, Tbnn. M. GRIFFIN, City Pass. Agt, cor.Bdwy.& Olive, St.Lodi8,Mo. ( H. F. BERKLEY, Pass'r and Ticket Ag't. Little Rock, Auk. From Salt Lake, Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Nevada, Carthage, Wichita, and All Points in Southwestern Missouri and Southern Kansas. Mo. Pac. R'y to Cotfeyville, and Wagoner Route, via Ft. Smitli and Little Rock, to Hot Springs. C. A. TRIPP, General Western Freight and Passenger .\gent, . S. V. DERRAH, Commercial Passenger Agent, 1662 Larimer St., Denver, Colo / 21 Morlan Bluck, Salt Lake City, Utah. E. E. nOFFMAN, Traveling Passenger Agent, Denver, Colo. C E. E. BLECKLEY, Passenger and Ticket Agent, WM. HOGG, Ticket Agent Poeblo, Colo. ( 224 E. Douglas Avenue, Wichita, Kan. From Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Quincy and the Northwest. Any direct line to St. Louis, and the Iron Mountain Route, St. Louis to Hot Springs, witliout change. JNO. E ENNIS, District Passenger and Land Agent 199 S. Clark Street, Chicago, III. H. D. AR VISTROXG, Traveling Passenger Agent Jackson, Mich. From New York. Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. Any direct line to St. Louis, and the Iron Mountain Route, St. Louis to Hot Springs, without change. W. E. HOYT.Gen'l Eas'n Pass'r Agt., 391, Brdwy, New York. / N. R. WARWICK, Dist.Pass. Agt., 131 Vine St., Cincinnati, O. J. P. McCANN, East'n Trav. Agt., .'591 Broadway, NEW Y'ORK. ) S. H. THO.NIPSON, Central Passenger Agent. G. K. DELAHANTY, New England Passenger Agent, ) l"** ^""''''-^ ^'- PITTSBURGH, Pa. W Washington St Boston Mass ) COKE ALEXANDER, District Passenger Agent, dW wastiingtou St., BOSTON, JIASS. I J Jackson Place, Inoian APOLIS, IND. From Richmond, Savannah, Atlanta, Charleston, Chattanooga, Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham and the Southeast. Any direct line to Memphis, and the Iron Mountain Route, Memphis to Hot Springs. A. A. G.\LL.VGHER, Southern Passenger Agent 103 Read House, CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. From Louisville, Evansville, Lexington and Frankfort. Any direct line to St. Louis or Memphis, and the Iron Mountain Route to Hot Springs, without change. BISSELL WILSON, South'n Trav. Agt., 336 W. Main St., Lodisville, Ky. | J. W. MASON, Passenger Agent Cairo, III. From Galveston, Houston, Velasco, Palestine, City of Mexico, Laredo, San Antonio, Austin and San Marcos. I. &<;. N. R. R. and T.^t P. R'y lo Te.\arkana, and the Iron Mountain Route, Tu-x.arkana to Hot Springs. J. C. LEWIS, Traveling Passenger Agent Austin, TEXAS. From San Francesco, Los Angeles and All Points in California, Arizona and New Mexico. So. Pac. to El Paso, T. et P. to Texarkana, and the I. :M. Route, Texarkana to Hot Springs. L. M. FLETCHER, G. P. C. Freight and Passenger Agent G30 Market Street, SAN FRANCISCO, C'AL. From Colorado City, Abilene, Ft. Worth, Sherman, Denison, Paris, Dallas, Terrell, Marshall and Jefferson. Texas & Pacilic to Te.xarkana, and the Iron Mountain Route to Hot Springs. From New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Alexandria, and All Points in Northern Louisiana. Texas & Pacific Railway to Texarkana, and the Iron Mountain Route to Hot Springs. J. C. LEWIS, Traveling Passenger Agent, Austin, Tex., or any Ticket Agent Texas & Pacific Railway. From Mobile, Meridian. Jackson, Vicksburg, and All Points in Mississippi and Alabama. Any direct Line to Arkansas City or Jlemphis, and the Iron Mountain Route to Hot Springs. A. A. GALLAGHER, Southern Passenger Agent, S jj ^ WILSON, Pass'r and Ticket .Vg t MEMPHIS, TRNN. 103 Read Home, Chattanooga, Tenn. ) J^i^ii]Jrrinti:publick,§obcitLj^i)^ ilUbe of j^mh,or mQi)hopoJi)^minc)e,iuill[incte depicted in^^pa^es ojthisbookeo locQiitie wherein allj^ Joule diforders, distempers, humours^Vapours, achf5,tumours,pQine5.tuiiii5es,ennm|e5 & juchlike ajjlictions mm; be cd^pellcd fromj^ bodie- &i)*ri^M Speedilie* U^feeekrr Q|ler fri\/olities Jueh os picturefquc [cenerie^ romQnIick romblinjs on hor^ebock oron [honks, his more, hunting o| i|^iuildebea[te,orbirde,or|ijh,clQncin5,eoc[uelrie^aIl fuch [ociol ripperie.iuilljinde here opportimitiei &[aeilitie5 for indul^iiy j^ i^htSome moodesgfoneiesb^^' Queans tajte-^j^ri^htmerrilie. S^bothe o| i)^afore|Qi J Jorte^ ^. condihons ofi)^ publiek mill finde in i|^ inns ofj^ ^ot^prin^$ ^h^enia ho^telrie, fuch commodious !od9in^s and luchjoode cheerejor^^ inner mon,^^ ij^^ue^ts ore fei^n to indulge in ij^ moffe extraVajonl laud^ ^ flatterie5--eJ^y ri^ht heartitie, Oiote.^^ artiste hcvJnj in his inscrutable maie^te (een [it to inScribe^f title ojy^booke in^^ ancient ftijlej^ compiler hath|ouncl itconfi^tent to write ^^ prrfoec accordin^lie. 6fhisconceSfiontothecon5ruitiesaccompliShed,henoiupropo|e5 to proceed in plaine tinited States --^^^ri^ht uiillin^lie- CONTENTS, PAGE. How to get to Hot Springs 2 Object of ye Picture Booke 3 The Trip to Hot Springs "i Tlie Hotels of Hot Springs 1"> The Hotel Eastman '^^ The Park Hotel -^ The New Arlington Hotel 3- Other Hotel Accommodations— Hotel Hay— Hotel Worrell— Pullman— Avenue Hotel— Plateau- New Waverly— Sumpter House— Hotel Jose- phine—Albion—Magnolia Villa — Taylor's — Haynes Villa 37 — 12 PAGE. The Springs and Their Properties 43 The Bath Houses 4.3 The City of Hot Springs 47 Happy Hollow 60 The Man on Horseback 64 Carriage Drives 6.5 Potash Sulphur Springs 6G Gillen's White Sulphur Spring 6S Mountain Valley Springs 7.3 The Ouachita River and its Inhabitants 74 Hot Springs in Legend and History 7."i Statistical Table SO ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE. Graphic Scenes from Hot Springs of the past 5 Tlie Old Way and the New ^ Malvern Station ^ Fir-st Glimpse of the Ouachita § Wood Hauling -with Oxen ^ Cove Creek '^^ Lawrence Station ^^ Scenery on the Hot Springs R. R 1- Glimpses of the Gulpha, Hot Springs R. R 13 Arrival of Train at Hot Springs 1^ The Hotel Eastman and Surroundings 16, 17 Children's Donkey Party l'^ Grand Promenade, Hotel Eastman 19 Rotunda and Ball Room, Hotel Eastman 20 Grand Parlor, Hotel Eastman 21 Dining Room, Hotel Eastman -2 Views from Eastman Tower 23 Park Hotel and Grounds '-5 Observatory, Park Hotel '-6 Grand Parlor and Staircase, Park Hotel 27 Grand Dining Room, Park Hotel -8 Dancing Hall and Pavilion, Park Hotel 29 Scenery near Park Hotel 30 Park Hotel Bath Rooms 31 The Old Arlington 33 The New Arlington 34 Views from the Cupola New Arlington Hotel 36 Hotel Hay 38 The Pullman 38 Hotel Worrell 38 Avenue Hotel 39 The Plateau 39 Waverly Hotel ■lO PAGE. Sumpter House 40 Magnolia Villa 41 The Albion 41 Taylor's, Park Ave 41 Haynes Villa 41 HotelJosephine 41 Hot Springs Mountain 43 Glimpse of Bath House Row, Gov't Reservation 43 View from Pro.spect ave 44 Bath Houses 46 Bird's-eye View of Hot Springs, 1891 47 Hot Springs Creek 48 Grand Opera House and Post OflBce 49 Hot Springs Business Blocks 50 Hot Springs Water Works 52 Hot Springs Churches 53 Government Buildings, Hot Springs 54 Hot Springs Residences 55-59 West Mountain from Happy Hollow 60 Happy Hollow from West Mountain 60 Scenes in Happy Hollow 61 Sketches on Hot Springs Mountain 62 Donkey Station, etc., Happy Hollow 63 Chalybeate Springs 64 Boulevard Drive, Hot Springs Creek 65 Potash-Sulphur Springs 67 White Sulphur Springs 69 Hell's Half Acre ^0 Scenes on the Gulpha "^1 Mountain Valley Springs "'^ Scenes on the Ouachita 75 Bull Bayou, Mountain Stream "6 Wheeler's Ford and Ferry "8 (Srapbic Scer^es — ^ fpom @— AAALVEF^N (2)TATI0M eJuncfion oj fhe Iron Mountian Route wi^h the Hot ^'^df^in&J) R-R- Jl^e Jrip to J^ot Sprii^f^s. JII{;RE is no question that the trip to Hot vSprings a decade ago was attended with a few inconveniences, especially after tlie traveler left Malvern and the railroad. The huge lum- bering stage coach was cramped, stuffv and shaky : the driver uncouth and profusely profane ; the streams to be forded fre- quent, frolicsome and deep: the mud likewise, except where the way was stony — and there it was hilariouslv frolicsome, you can be sure — the wild and woolly road agents, with regulation black masks and six-shooters, were ubiquitous, aggres- sive and acquisitive, and the journey such a twentv-five rugged, jostling, weary miles, that it delivered the venturesome passengers at the Springs in a condition of physical, mental and fre(juently of Rnancial collapse. If the gentle reader will turn back to page 5, he will find there I graphic portrayal of the wonderful transformation in the methods :>{ transportation through this region. The stage coach has given Aay to the Pullman palace car; the boisterous driver to the gen- lemanly conductor; the frolicsome ford to the Howe truss steel iridge ; the mud and the rocks to steel rails and stone ballast, and the black-masked road agent to the black-skinned sleeping car porter. How thoroughly enjoyable is this journey through Arkansas nowadavs! What luxury lurks in a Pullman car — that drawing-room of dreams by night, and jiarlor of panoramas by day! Every window is a frame for kaleidoscopic landscapes — here a cotton, there a corn field, livened by their duskv laborers; then a glimpse of some broad, majestic river, and again stretches of dense and sombre forests, void of the presence of man, fresh and fragrant in spring, cool and restful in sunnner, ilaming and magnificent in autunni, and relievetl of dreariness, even in winter, by the glorious greens of the hollv, pine and cedar. The train stops at Little Rock, the State capital, but the passengers are more interested in the sumptuous breakfast served at that desideratum of travelers, a really excellent railway eating house, which actually exists here. The meats, milk, eggs and butter are "out of sight," in a slangv, and soon in a literal sense, and away we go for the Springs. Malvern, the junction point of the Iron Mountain and Hot Springs railroads, is, now that a solid train is run between St. Louis and the Springs, reduced to the menial position of a way station ; so, without change of cars or transfer of baggage, the last stage of the trip is begun. The character of the landscape now begins to change ; the country becomes hilly ; the locomotive strikes heavy grades, and snorts and puffs and groans its way to the summits. Occasionally a limpid, hurrying, cascade-bedecked stream- let jumps from the hillside, bustles through a culvert, and scampers away into the thicket like a mischievous urchin. Suddenly some one exclaims, "There's the Ouachita!" (Say "Washytaw," please, not "Oochytaw," as if you had sat on a bent pin), and everyone rushes to one side of the car to catch a fleeting glimpse of a noble stream, as it sweeps majestically in a half circle around, and laving the feet of a lofty cliff We will go a fishing in the Ouachita later on, if you like, and , we will lie about our catch, also, I doubt not. A little further on a country road meanders in and out of the pines— the road of the stage coach, the fords, the mud, and the robbers, perhaps — and one sees, toiling patiently along, a yoke of sluggish oxen, slowly drag- ging their rude lumber-laden cart, and urged on by the "Gees" and "Haws" of the jeans - clothed native, and the prick of his galling goad. ©UACKllI^' The train darts by a little station ; one catches the words "Cove Creek," in black letters. We don't stop now, for the reason that the locomotives of the Hot Springs Railroad have risen to the dignity of coal burners. A couple of years ago they burned wood, and we stopped, and the train crew and passengers — every mother's son of them that could walk and work their arms — used to get out and help "wood up." The old visitor to Hot Springs misses this episode; he also misses the fragrance of the penetrating, pungent, tarry smoke that was wont to belch out with such billowy and blinding bountifulness — and rejoices thereat. I find it stated in a publication descriptive of Hot Springs, that "Cove Creek abounds in trout." and desire to inform the enthusiastic angler that '"trout" is, in Arkansas, a generic term, applied indiscriminately to any kind of fish caught in small streams, but in particular to the black bass. I doubt if there are any brook trout in Arkansas waters, except at Mammoth Springs. There are certainly none in Cove Creek. But. to return to our mutton — the railroad train. We will now proceed to labor up further steep grades, shoot around curves so sharp that the rear brakeman can almost shake hands with the engineer, rumble over bridges, until, presto 1 we find ourselves surrounded by mountains and realize that we are, at last, in the "Heart of the Ozarks" and nearing our destination. A short halt is made at Lawrence, some seven miles from Hot Springs, where a handsome station has been erected for the accommodation of visitors to Potash Sul- phur Springs — a resort one mile distant, of great virtue, which will be described further on. As we leave Lawrence, we catch frequent glimpses of the picturesque Gulpha, a charming rivulet, which, like its sister streamlets, shimmers and sparkles through many a mile of wooded glen, on its babbling, bounding course to the Ouachita. And now let us devote the few minutes remaining, before the brakeman cries, "All out for Hot Springs," to a brief historv of the wonderful little railroad over which we have journeyed for the past hour. One afternoon in February, 18^4. three gentlemen alighted at Malvern from an Iron Mountain train on their first visit to Plot Springs. They were "Diamond Jo." Reynolds, Col. L. D. Richardson and Capt. William Fleming. A complete can- vass of the town failed to discover anvone who would agi'ee to drive them to the Springs thatdav for anv amount of money, so thev were com- pelled to remain over night. Next morning a Jehu was found, who, after much bickering, agreed to convev the parties to their destination for six dollars each, pavable in advance. Pro- testing, but necessarilv agreeing Wood Hauiiner with Oxen. to this exorbitant charge, the trio mounted the rickety vehicle provided them and set forth. Six miles from Malvern, and twenty from Hot Springs the wagon broke down, and the driver announced that he would be com- pelled to return to Mal- \ ern for another one. Disgusted with their ill- lortune, and already weary of the horrible jolting and snail-like progress of those first six miles, it was proposed and agreed that they should finish the journey on foot, which they proceeded to do, reaching the Springs late that night, but, nevertheless, ahead of the dilatory driver, who, having gone back to Malvern and secured another vehicle, followed them, an hour or so later, with their baggage. It was during this long, tiresome walk that the Hot Springs Railroad project was conceived. "By George, Jo.," said Col. Richaj-dson, "there ought to be some better way of getting over here than walking, or riding in one of these infernal cow carts." "That's so," answered Diamond Jo. ; "say, Rich, let's build a railroad. If people w'ill come from all over the world to visit these Springs, and undergo such experiences as we have, there must be something in them, and a railroad would not only develop the place, but. I l)elieve. would pay hand- somely." The conversation, thus begun, was continued as thev plodded along, and. after reaching the Springs ami before going to bed that night, it was agreed that Col. Richardson should take the earliest opportunitv to confer with President Allen, of the Iron iSIoimtain Railroad, and obtain from him such information and co-operation as would enable them to get the project under way. This conference took place in St. Louis a short time afterwards. It was learned that the Iron Mountain held a charter for a standard gauge road, but, on account of the stringency of mone\ at that time, did not feel warranted in incurring the expense necessarv for con- struction. As Diamond Jo. was enthusiastic over the scheme, however, and. as financial panics had no effect on 1 his pocket-book, the latter difficulty was quickly overcome, and, a charter having been ob- tained from the Legislature, with the assistance of President Allen, ground was soon broken, and the autumn of the same year in which the three pedestrians plodded their weary way, saw a narrow gauge railroad in full operation from Malvern to Lawience. The original fare was ten cents per mile, or $3.50 from Malvern to the Springs, the distance then being twenty-five miles. This fare was subse- quently reduced to $2.00, then to $1.60, and, finally, to $1.10, the distance having been reduced to twenty-two miles by straightening curves. In October, 1SS9, the road was changed from narrow to standard gauge, and, in January, 1890, the first Pullman sleeping car ran through from St. Louis to Hot Springs. This service, with such additions and improvements as experience and increasing patronage have suggested, has continued to the present day. Col. L. D. Richardson, one of the original projec- tors, some years ago took the position of general manager, and later, upon the death of Mr. Reynolds, became also president of the road, which position he holds to-day. Lnder his administration, a large amount of money has been expended in betterments, the line has been relaid with heavy steel rail, steep grades modified, new bridges built, and other improvements made, until to-day the property is in first-class condition throughout. Branch railroads, as a general rule, are but sorry affairs, with poor roadbeds, de- crepit rails and rattle- trap rolling stock, to say nothing of the 12 usual freight train time, irregular running and utter lack of accommodation. The Hot Springs Railroad, however, is a bright and shining exception, and to the traveler there is nothing about the track, cars or the time, to indicate that he is not on a main line of some great system. Three passenger trains are run each way daily between Hot Springs and Malvern, c o n - necting with all Iron ^Mountain trains and mak- ing the Springs perfectly accessi- ble, without de- coupon tickets can be purchased and baggage checked through to any pomt in the United States, every facility for the convenience of travelers being provided. The Pacific Express Company oper- ates over this line and has an office at the Springs. Well, there goes the wliistle. and the passengers are collecting 13 their grips, wraps and umbrellas. The train stops at a tasty little brick station^ backed by a handsome park shaded with lofty forest trees, and we disembark. The entire population is here to meet us — for it is one of the features of the daily routine to go to the trains to welcome the coming and speed the parting guests. And what a cosmopolitan crowd it is! English, French, Germans, Spaniards,. Italians, Greeks, Turks, Russians, Arabs, Africans — natives mostly — Indians, Chi- nese — they are all here ; and of our own Americans, every State in the Union is represented. Yet it is a good-natured, jolly, jostling crowd withal, with a general air of bonhomie that is contagious and makes one feel quite at home at once. As one drives to his hotel from the station, he is vividly impressed with the remarkable contrasts visible on every side. Strong and vigorous men pass, with manly stride, their antipodes in invalid chairs or on crutches ; the meek oxen gaze in silent wonderment at the spanking team of thoroughbreds which prances by ; the stylishly dressed New Yorker or Londoner strolls along, side by side with the Ozark farmer in his ragged suit of gray jeans ; the very buildings share the general antithesis ; handsome four-story bricks look down on crude one-story wooden shanties, and colossal hotels overshadow ramshackle lodging houses. These are the features that make Hot Springs so unique, picturesque and inter- esting. A recent writer concludes his article on the Springs as follows : 'There is not an hour in the twenty -four that one entertained here to the full limit of his tastes, from a church fair to a cake walk, a milk- maid's convention to a Y. M. C. A. lecture, or a good sermon to a jack-pot or a prize fight. Hot Springs stands sui I'cneris. " cannot Jt?e j^otel8 of J^ot 5pi'i9<$s. IN selecting a hotel there are always several things to be considered before reaching a decision. One may be rich, and wish to surround himself with every luxury; or poor, but still desirous of all possible comfort; an invalid, in search of perfect quiet and careful attendance ; or in robust health, and on pleasure bent ; of strong social tendencies and looking for the companionship of Fashion's, devotees ; or of a retiring nature, seeking only for seclusion and rest. The patrons of Hot Springs number many of each of these classes, and many more whose tastes and requirements diverge still more. Nevertheless, this Arkansas resort is fully equal to the emergency. Its five hundred hotels and boarding houses are of all grades and suitable for all sorts and conditions of men. There is no place of the kind in the country — perhaps not in the world — where every one, no matter what his social, financial or physical condition may be, can find an abiding place perfectly adapted to his needs, so readily as at Hot Springs. To the wealthy seeker, after either health or recreation, he who is able and willing to pay for the best of everything, the Eastman, the Park and the New Arlington, offer accommodations not surpassed by any hotel in America. He can have rooms en suite, sumptuously furnished, with private bath; he is assured of an unexceptionable cuisine; he can surround himself with luxuries ad libitum. Those who do not care for such ultra-expensive lodgings, but who desire, nevertheless, the best possible living, will find in the same hostelries, accommodations exactly suiting their tastes. The large number of hotels of the middle class, excellent in appoint- ment and management, but not on so lavish a scale as the houses named, find their patronage largely among those who visit the Springs in search of health and do not feel warranted in going to any extraordinary expense. On this class also, the numerous smaller hotels, villas and private boarding houses draw largely, and the wide range of price, comfort and location is such that, as before intimated, any one can satisfy himself according to his resources. With a view of giving the intending visitor the best possible information, and thereby aiding him in determining the all-important question of how and where he shall live while at the Springs, and the approximate expense, the following pages are devoted to detailed descriptions of the various leading hotels, and to general details as to the smaller hotels and boarding houses. 15 The Hotel Ehstmhn. HE building of the Eastman was the beginning of the development of Hot Springs into an all-the-vear-round fashionable resort for rest and recreation. With its completion, the army of invalids constantly marching to this modern Mecca of health, found its ranks reinforced by robust representatives of the wealth and culture of the nation. There were to be seen gay groups of pedestrians and equestrians by day, and there were sounds of revelry by night. The hotel sprang up like another Aladdin's palace, but eight months elapsing from the beginning of the structure, in May, 1SS9, until it was ready for occupancy. It is an imposing five-story building, of colossal dimensions, covering several acres of ground, and crowned with lofty towers and observatories which overlook the Ouachita Valley and the peaks of the Ozarks for miles and miles. It is con- structed on two sides of a quadrangular park, decorated with trees, flowers and fountains, forming a delightful ap- proach. The hotel con- tains five hundred and tloTcL Easta\an twenty guest rooms, all large, well lighted and elegantly furnished and appointed. Each room may be considered a front one, as there are none but command delight- ful yiews of valley, mountain, stream or woodland. The main halls, tvyelve feet wide, extend through the center of the entire building, each forming a grand prome- nade six hundred and seventv-hve feet long. Children's Donkey Party. No fire is ever lighted in the house except in the magnificent fire-places in the parlors and office, and in the kitchen, which is positively fire-proof. The building is heated throughout by steam and lighted by electricity, both the incandescent and the arc systems being used. There are few resort hotels in the country that have made such bounteous provision for the comfort and con- venience of their guests as the Eastman. Besides the grand rotunda, 52 by 70 feet, and the grand parlor, there are a ladies' j^arlor, ladies' reading room, gentlemen's parlor and gentlemen's reading room, ladies' billiard room, card and reception rooms, and writing rooms galore. All are most sumptuously furnished and fitted with every necessary accessory. The bath house and its appointments are simply superb. It is located east of the hotel and across Cottage avenue, but a corridor built across this avenue connects the two buildings, 18 the coiridor heino; an extension of tlie second-stfirv hall. Hoth coiridor and hath house are heated bv steam, insiniui^- an equable temperature to the bathers en rcnite to and from their rooms. There are eiyht ])arlors and fortv bath rooms, the latter constructed eiitircK of brass And marble, and tin- bath tut)s lined with the most expensive Roman porcelain. The hot water is brouames, rolling and tumblins^^ on the grass, riding the obstinateU slow but per- sistent burros, laughing and screaming with delight, while their more sedate elders Grand Promenade. Hotel Eastman look on complacentlv as they promenade along the Inroad verandas or rest (piietlv in the iiuge but cosy rocking chairs. The observatorv tower is a popular addition to the Eastman, rising to an eleva- tion of nearlv two hundred feet, and revealing to the guest who scales its di/.z\ height a magniticent cvclorama of mountain and \ ale and forest streams, which well repays the exertion of the ascent. The daily routine at the Eastman is literally one conliinial round of pleasure. The hotel is blessed with a superb orchestra, which discourses sweet music morning. I'.t afternoon and night in the grand rotunda. So popular is this orches- tra that it is a regular ''°*""'^^ ^"^ ^^" ^°°'^' fad for the guests of other hotels to organize parties to visit the Eastman and listen to the concerts. At nine o'clock each night the music adjourns to the grand ball room and furnishes rythmic inspiration for an assemblage of merry dancers. A ger- man is given at least once a week, and square and round dances are in vogue on other nights. This, with card parties, theater parties, exploring trips among the mountains, horseback excursions in the country, and the other numerous amusements always suggested at pleasure resorts, make the life of the Eastman guests a truly happy one during their sojourn at the Springs. 20 Dining Roonn. The season at the Eastman usually runs from early in January until June ist, announcements as to the exact time of opening and closing being made in ample time each year. The present season of 1S93 is the third, and the large patronage, e\ en exceeding the capacity of the hotel, shows its great popularity. Its guests register from all quarters of the globe. The attendance at the Eastman is unexceptional. From the manager down to the bell boys, the sole and constant aim of each attache appears to be to insure the comfort and pleasure of the patrons — no easy task, when one thinks that they haye a population that would make a small city of itself, to look after and care for, to lodge, amuse and feed — and that reminds me. that any description of the Eastman omitting reference to the grand dining room and its splendid seryice would be playing Ham- let with Hamlet left out. The first impression, as one enters this stately and extensiye hall, is one of mingled wonder, bewilderment and admiration ; wonder at its colossal dimensions, bewilderment at the gorgeous spectacle afforded by the myriad lights and the gaily dressed multitude, and admiration of the beautiful and harmonious decorations. A thousand people may be seated here and served speedily and satisfactorily by the army of thoroughly trained waiters. The menu is not surpassed by any hotel in America. Thanks to the perfection of the refrigerator car system, the choicest meats, game and delicacies from all parts of the world can be and are seryed to guests here, as fresh and delicious as if on their native heath. There is never lack of variety, either in the food or its preparation, which shows the chefs to be masters of their art — the true art preservative. The Phrk Hotel. ^^ OU have noticed that handsome five-story brick, over yonder on Malvern 1'^ avenue? Well, that is the Park Hotel, and we are about to investigate it. Though but two blocks from the railway station, these two blocks are in the opposite direction from the noise and bustle of the business houses on Central avenue, and we find ourselves on a quiet, shaded street, not unlike that of a peaceful country village, but for the street cars which run to and from the main part of the city. We are nat- urally impressed with the architectural beauty of the hotel, with its pleasing promise of quiet comfort, and with its charming surroundings. Located on an eminence in a natural park of some ten acres, with grassy, flower-bedecked lawns, and lofty trees, it commands an unobstructed view on every side, of the picturesque Ouachita Valley and the encircling arms of its mountain lover — the Ozark range. This bright sunny afternoon the broad verandas are gay with guests, some promenading slowly to and fro ; others engaged in a go-as-you-please contest — six times around and back to the mile; still others in easy chairs, enjoying the warmth and geniality around them. A merry party of young people come out, mount their waiting horses and dash away for an excursion among the mountains. Inside, the same air of cheerfulness pre- vails. The rotunda is superb in its ornamentation, brilliantly lighted from all sides, and enlivened by the presence and conversation of a hundred people, who gather in jolly, chattering groups, or loll lazily in the huge rocking chairs, behind a paper or the latest novel, while, at short intervals, a fine orchestra drowns, with its melody, the euphonious hum of busy voices. \ Under the ciceronage of an affable young man, with silvery hair, a silvery tongue and a bunch of brassy keys, we are conducted through the hotel. We are told, as we start, that there are two hundred and seventy-five guest rooms, all front rooms, and all equally well furnished and fitted. We pass through a short hallway, near at hand, and are shown into the bath house — in a separate building, but so near that it is but fifty steps from the elevator to the baths. Forty rooms with marble walls, tiled floors and porcelain tubs, for the regulation Hot Springs baths ; separate rooms for Russian vapor, Turkish, needle, electric, and other cleansing and par- boiling devices; hot rooms, cooling rooms; if there is anything in the "next to Godliness" business that is not to be found in perfection in this three-story palace of purification, it has not yet become known in civilized communities. Next in order is the grand dining room — a model of elegance — extending the width of the entire building and the length of the main wing, with large windows occupying three sides and giving it that bright and cheerful appearance we have already noticed in the grand rotunda, and which, we will find before we get through, 24 — |Ak>/M^ (5)of^jiAyri<5 is characteristic of the entire house. We are next actually taken into that mystery of mys- teries in a hotel — the kitchen — which, like the baths, is located in a separate and perfectly tire-proof l)uilding — the only place about the hotel \yhere ' fire is ever permitted, except a ' glowing blacklog in the great fire- ■ place in the grand rotunda on occa- sional chilly evenings. The secrets of the great range, the warming tables, etc., are disclosed to us. but we are heedless in our admiration of the al)so- ute cleanliness on every hand. We can- not but think that any meal from this kitchen must be appetizing, and later we will try one, and find om^ pre- judgment correct. we stroll back le main buikl- again. glance at e ladies' ordi- UcUv. the writing .md card rooms, and t h e n \ come to the grand parlor, a noble apart- ment, w i t h ro\ al fm'nish- mgs, decora- ions and more indows. Then ere is a smaller or f(jr the ladies, •>(i wliich partakes of the saiiU" ma<4iiitk(.-iKi.- as thf lar'^tr. Tlifii come tlic ;j^ucst rooms. \\ e are shown one suite on each t1oor. and iiloat over tlie hanckomelv carved oak furniture, the ricli carpets and hangings, the cosy little closets and bath rooms, and the many other accessories, which have been provided for the delectation of the occupants. We finish the main buildinL;- w ith a trip. \ ia the elevator, to the grand observatory at the top of the building — an airv pa\ilion. ^55 bv 65 feet — walled with windows from which, apparently, the whole State of Arkansas can be seen, and containing chairs for a hundred jieople. What a grand lounging place for la/\- ]H'i)]~)le on a hi/\- f ^ 3]C /S)S before indicated, the visitor to Hot Springs is never at a loss to find a lodging J^ place suited alike to his tastes and his pocket-hook. Besides the three large hotels already described, and which are more especially patronized by the wealthier class of pleasure seekers and invalids, there are a dozen or more first-class hostelries at which lower rates prevail, and four or five hundred boarding houses. Of the hotels, among the best known are the Hotel Hay, the Pullman, the Avenue, the Waverly, the Hotel Worrell, the Josephine, the Humpter, the Plateau and the Grand. The more pretentious boarding houses assume names — ^the Albion, the Burling- ton, Tavlor's, Magnolia \"illa. Haynes Villa, for example. These houses are hand- somelv furnished, conveniently located, with pleasant surroundings, and are well patronized, as their excellent conduct deserves. Following the descending scale of prices, come the numerous lodging houses, whose only name is the invariable "elegantlv furnished rooms for rent, with board," and last come the furnished rooms, nearly every house in the city, even to the humblest cabin, having '-a vacant room" somewhere about the premises. There is no good reason why the food served at any of the boarding houses should not be nourishing and of agreeable variety, and it is a commendable fact that in this respect Hot Springs enjoys an enviable reputation. A branch establish- ment of the Armour Dressed Beef Company furnishes good fresh meats in abun- dance and at as low prices as prevail anywhere. The recent development of Arkansas as a successful small fruit region, places these palatable and necessary adjuncts to a good table within reach of all, while there are numerous vegetable farms about the city, which contribute their quota to the gastronomic entertainment of visitors. The milk and butler are unusually good, there being several dairies, equipped with fine Jersey cows. The fact that so many hotels and boarding houses of such diversified character exist and apparentlv flourish at Hot Springs, is in itself evidence, both of the enor- mous number of people who come hither in search of health, and also that no condition of wealth, or lack of the same, is a bar to the enjoyment of the beneficial effects resultant upon a use of the waters and baths. The water of the springs is thoroughlv democratic. Several of the most popular hotels and boarding houses are described in detail in the ensuing pages. Lack of space forbids special mention of all, but those named herein may be taken as fair examples of the rest. It is, perhaps, well to suggest that convenience to one's physician and to the bath house selected by the visitor is deserving of consideration in making a choice, as well as price to be paid and character of the accommodations. 37 Tl^c Hotel Hay, a cut of which is given herewith, has seventy-five guest rooms, with a capacity for i30 guests. Many of the rooms are en suite, making them desirable for families, and all are elegantly furnished and appointed with Brussels carpets, marble-topped mahogany and walnut chamber sets and ward- robes, the beds having curled hair mattresses on wire springs. The halls are spacious and well lighted, with high ceilings — each story being twelve feet high. The hotel is centrally lo- cated, within two blocks of Bath House Row, is heated by steam, has a passenger elevator is lighted both by gas and elec- P tricity. A fine spring of chalybeate "'^^ and magnesia water flows du-ectly into the hotel and has been found very efficacious in troubles of the stomach, bowels, liver, kidney and urinary organs. The rates are from $2.50 per day, or $11 per week, upwards, and the service is unexceptional in every respect. Hot Springs. The rooms are large, airy and well lighted and handsomely fur- nished throughout, and the table is fur- nished with the best the market affords. A cafe for ladies and gentlemen is one of the attractive features of this popular house. Tlie Hotel Worrell is also a finely ap- pointed family hotel of the highest rank, located but one block from the East- man and convenient to the depot, post- office and principal stores. Its patrons are of the best so- cial class, and they all speak in the most complimen- tai\ teims of the excellence of this popular house. Tl^^ PallH^ar^ is a fine brick structure located on Central avenue directly opposite the center of Bath House Row, and, for convenience of location, is not excelled at -- \\of^'^°\^ £i— ' 38 Yl^C c^VepOC Hotel is a large, ' equipped. The bath rooms are exclusive- handsome structure, located on Park ly for the use of guests and are in the hotel avenue near its junction witli Central avenue. The liouse has recentlv been building, with a private hallway from the elevator landing to the ladies' bath rooms. Bridges connect each floor with the mountain in tlie rear, affording easy egress in case of fire, and the stand pipes and fire hose, which can be operated in- stantlv, make the hotel absolutely safe. enlarged and improved throughout, audit is one of the best fur- ^ nished at '' >'? .«ar*p H v^^B^^H -'^1^ '^/^^^fiji^ i-'iiHH w^B^-' > i^^aSfj^^ff^j^^jj^j-^^^KKt tSn^mS^- '- ' fm^^fu^mSMiluiRinW^] wKk^^^!^'. . tH^^^^BH^^H^C^^HHI^MES?: J^HRNPRKV^rtM -" " iH^^KSklNUi^fiKm! ■■■K'.iVt ^■*i.^ 1 ^^ li^Si^HI^HlHH ^Hl^t^,^ .•'^V /^fr'.J^JJMiJ^^^^^^BH^It^^BH ^HI^B^^''*iiv&ffC£^ *'js -J^Jt^ ic^^«|plSl^H^^HIH^H BIBCT^ ''>^KJSMaB*/Tl ^ .^ ^^ '^9^M(MSF!^»^9n9H iflp t' y^l^^^i^d g.^^SST^^H Wmf^ V\^^KS^i!y^!^^'i^ zjj^j^Sm^^ t^^^^^^vc^-' \k^ " - ^■"' . A'-. ',^; '.-^^^ y^^"^ yj^. I ^'^ ■',')'" . 1. Major G. G. Latta's Residence. 2. Dr. E. C, Ellis' Residence. 3. Dr. Pollard's Residence. 4 Dr. Passnnore's Residence. 5. Entrance to Dr. Passmore's Res. and, being cured, have since made it their home, this percentage seems all the more remarkable. In connection with the great healing powers of the springs it is almost miraculous. The two go hand in hand, and it would seem as if Nature had left nothing undone to make this the great sani- tarium and retreat to 1. Major Game s Res. 2. Dr. Greenaway's Res. ward off disease and prolong life. The death rate previously quoted applies only to the permanent resi- dents of Hot Springs, numbering some eighteen or twenty thousand. The rate among the fifty thousand annual visitors is very small, 1 Judge Kimball s Res dence. 2 Dr Garnett s Residence 3 Dr William s Res dence 4. Dr. Ellesworth's Residence. beingonly a little more than one and one-tenthper cent, and in nearly all instances of death among visitors, the disease causing the same had reached such an advanced stage that recovery, even under the most favor- able conditions, and with the best medical attention, was an utter im- possibility. |iappy \\o\\o\jj. ©.VERYONE who ^ visits Hot Springs, quickly succumbs to the charms of Happy Hollow, and becomes its faithful admirer. A pleasant valley it is, in- deed, and the favorite resort of pedestrians, though a street car line has recently invaded the picturesque glen; much We.T^» u 1 a r, m u 1 1 i-colored rocks. Rocks of all sizes and shapes and compositions ; rocks of limestone, slate, flint and granite ; rocks igneous and aqueous; and rocks the like of which are not to be found else- where. A barren . weird, for- bidding conglom- eration of boulders, an arsenal for Titans. Not a blade of grass, not a shrub, not even a lich- en dares brave the atmosphe re of d e a t h and desola- tion which seems to pervade the uncanny spot. Yet the lofty puies, the spreadhig oaks, the young undergrowth of shi-ubs and the wild flowers flourish even to the very brink. Indian tradition has it that, when Gitchee Manito, the great spirit, smote the crags of the mountains and released the imprisoned hot waters for the healing of the nations, he, finding no suitable place for the disposition of the shattered fragments, thrust his mightv finger into the earth and dumped them in the hole. Another local legend, from which the name undoubtedly comes, is that the spot is nothing more nor less than the original bottomless pit, with, paradoxical as it may appear, the Old Nick himself at the bottom, where he lies chained and under the crushing weight of innumerable boulders, powerless to do aught but groan and curse his awful fate. The old settlers who whisper this blood-curdling story among themselves, corroborate it by tales of strange experiences of belated hunters caught near Hell's Half Acre at sundown. It is asserted that time and again have they inhaled the sulphurous breath of the imprisoned demon as it rose from amongst the rocks, and have heard deep under- ground moans of pain and shrieks of savage profanity. As either legend solves the mystery, the reader may take his choice. The fact remains that the spot is a strange freak of nature and well worth a visit. The Thousand Dripping Springs, another natural curiosity, are located about a mile and a half to the northeast of Gillen's and can be reached bv a fairly good road. They issue from a huge I'ocky ledge which overhangs the roadway, and which is pierced by a myriad of crevices, each one form- ing a separate spring. The little cascades unite at the foot of the ledge, and form a stream of considerable size which dashes across the road into the woods and soon loses itself in the omni- present Gulpha. There is one advantage about the trip to Gillen's. One can return to Hot 70 G- V/all(?y Sprir;)(^s. HE Mountain Valley Springs are located among the Ozarks, about twelve miles from Hot vSprings, and the trip affords an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with Nature's grand handiwork. The journey can he made any way to suit the inclination of the tourist. There is a regular hack line running daily from the hotels of Hot Springs to Mountain Valley. There is the more private and independent way of hiring your own horse and buggy, and driving and stopping at will, wherever you are interested, or it can be made the objective point of another horseback tour. It is one of the most charming rides in the vicinity. The road is over the mountains, plunging into gorges and through enchanted glens. Notwith- standing it has been recently improved, it is still a mountain road, and at times leads by points of thrilling interest. This very enjoyable ride terminates in one of the most beautiful valleys in the Ozark range. On all sides are the mountain joeaks, shutting in a portion of the earth of paradisiacal beauty, peace and quiet. Tall primeval forest trees are singing Nature's hymns over the valley. The patches of open are verdant with grass and shrubbery, and an air of seclusion and rest is all- prevalent. You will scarcely expect to find here a modern six-story hotel, with " all the latest conveniences and comforts," as the hotel men say — and you don't. The hotel is entirely in keeping with the surroundings. Vou can expect quiet and rest at an inn, but not at a modern resort hotel. This is just the difference between the big, bustling hostelries of the city we have just left behind, and the low, quaint structure nestling in Mountain Valley. Its picturesque architecture is Southern in character, being one story in height, and covering a great deal of ground. Cool, spacious verandas cover the whole front of the hotel. Trailing vines overrun it in greatest profusion, and, altogether, it is a charmingly rare picture, and fills the beholder with an overpowering desire to settle down here, bag and baggage, and stay until satisfied wnth Nature's charms. Nature sometimes scores a bull's-eye in her arrangement of things, and this feat w'as accomplished when these springs of health-renewing mineral Avaters were caused to burst forth in the midst of this beautiful valley. It is a matter of regret that the whole valley and springs could not have been located at a greater distance from the Hot .Springs, so that they could have a chance at fame on their own merits. The waters are very valuable, used in connection with the hot baths, as their combined minerals constitute a curative medium for internal use not equaled. The analysis shows a large percentage of bi-carbonate of iri No. of Miles of Water Main 13 No. of Fire Hydrants 73 Capacity of Water Works per day in gal- lons 2,250,000 No. of Miles of Telephone Wire.. No. of Miles of Electric Light Wire. No. of Hot Springs No. of Bath Houses No. of Steam Laundries 100 22 72 20 2 ■^1- RETVTKRKS. l^ 1888 Lowest temperature 13° above zero. " Highest ' ' Mean ' ' Range of 1889 Lowest ' ' Highest ' ' Mean 1890 Lowest ' ' Highe-st ' ' Range of 1891 Lowest » ' Highest " Range of .96° .55.17° ..83° ..14° ,.89° ..68.08° ..13° .85° ,.67° .16° .98° .84° RAINFALL. 1888. 1889. No. of inches 63.50 50.77 1890. 79.93 1891. 70.86 ELEVATION. In Valley, No. feet above Gulf of Mexico fi09.5 Top of mountain on either side 1,200 Latitude 34° 31' N Longitude 92° 50' W AVERAGE AGE AT DEATH. 37 years, 8 months and 6 days. 34 years, 3 months and 4 days. 33 years, 6 months and 4 days. 1889. 1890. 1891. PER CENT OF DEATHS. Visitors and Residents 8.10 Residents 5.92 1889. 10.25 7.64 1890. 1891. 9.95 12.52 7.42 10.20 80 Sf" t>A ?',*.> ^>x_ >V,.l- \>-'', ^NV^" LIBRARY OF CONGRESS III mil nil 014 610 538 5